diff --git a/openpype/hosts/nuke/api/lib.py b/openpype/hosts/nuke/api/lib.py
index 6297da884c..1aea04d889 100644
--- a/openpype/hosts/nuke/api/lib.py
+++ b/openpype/hosts/nuke/api/lib.py
@@ -563,6 +563,14 @@ def get_node_path(path, padding=4):
 
 
 def get_nuke_imageio_settings():
+    project_imageio = get_project_settings(
+        Context.project_name)["nuke"]["imageio"]
+
+    # backward compatibility for project started before 3.10
+    # those are still having `__legacy__` knob types
+    if not project_imageio["enabled"]:
+        return get_anatomy_settings(Context.project_name)["imageio"]["nuke"]
+
     return get_project_settings(Context.project_name)["nuke"]["imageio"]
 
 
diff --git a/openpype/settings/defaults/project_settings/nuke.json b/openpype/settings/defaults/project_settings/nuke.json
index e0feb06eb6..e5cbacbda7 100644
--- a/openpype/settings/defaults/project_settings/nuke.json
+++ b/openpype/settings/defaults/project_settings/nuke.json
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
         }
     },
     "imageio": {
+        "enabled": false,
         "viewer": {
             "viewerProcess": "sRGB"
         },
diff --git a/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schema_project_nuke.json b/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schema_project_nuke.json
index ff341fb919..e23e2b3bec 100644
--- a/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schema_project_nuke.json
+++ b/openpype/settings/entities/schemas/projects_schema/schema_project_nuke.json
@@ -50,9 +50,15 @@
             "key": "imageio",
             "type": "dict",
             "label": "Color Management (ImageIO)",
+            "checkbox_key": "enabled",
             "collapsible": true,
             "is_group": true,
             "children": [
+                {
+                    "type": "boolean",
+                    "key": "enabled",
+                    "label": "Enabled"
+                },
                 {
                     "key": "viewer",
                     "type": "dict",