diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1b15b206..75c9309c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ Status of the `main` branch. Changes prior to the next official version change w
     processed by the Svelte LS instead of the TypeScript LS.
   - Improve quoting of arguments in shell executions
 
+* JetBrains:
+  - Add configuration option `jetbrains_launch_command`, allowing Serena to spawn IDE instances automatically
+    upon project activation
+
 * Dashboard:
   - Make list of trusted hosts configurable, fixing host validation introduced in v1.5.2 allowing only
     default local hostnames, effectively preventing remote connections
diff --git a/docs/02-usage/025_jetbrains_plugin.md b/docs/02-usage/025_jetbrains_plugin.md
index 4eb08688..73638445 100644
--- a/docs/02-usage/025_jetbrains_plugin.md
+++ b/docs/02-usage/025_jetbrains_plugin.md
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ language_backend: JetBrains
 
 Note that the file might not exist yet if you never executed Serena before.
 
-**Per-Server Instance Configuration**.
+**Per-Instance Configuration**.
 The configuration setting in the global config file can be overridden on a
 per-instance basis by providing the arguments `--language-backend JetBrains` when
 launching the Serena MCP server.
@@ -121,8 +121,12 @@ You will also notice that your client will use the JetBrains-specific tools like
 
 Having installed the plugin in your IDE and having configured Serena to use the JetBrains backend,
 the general workflow is simple:
+
 1. Open the project you want to work on in your JetBrains IDE.  
-   Note that the project must be appropriately set up in your IDE, i.e. symbol lookups for all relevant programming languages and frameworks should work in the IDE.
+   Note that the project must be appropriately set up in your IDE, i.e. symbol lookups for all relevant programming languages and frameworks should work in the IDE.  
+
+   You can optionally make Serena open an IDE instance for your project root folder automatically upon project activation, allowing you to skip this step for a project that was previously set up correctly.
+   To enable this, configure `jetbrains_launch_command` in [Serena's global configuration file](global-config) appropriately.
 2. Activate the project's root folder as a project in Serena (see [Project Creation](project-creation-indexing) and [Project Activation](project-activation)).
 3. Start using Serena's tools as usual.
 
diff --git a/src/serena/agent.py b/src/serena/agent.py
index a1db940a..bef1b201 100644
--- a/src/serena/agent.py
+++ b/src/serena/agent.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import multiprocessing
 import os
 import platform
 import signal
+import subprocess
 import threading
 from collections import defaultdict
 from collections.abc import Callable, Iterator, Sequence
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ from serena.config.serena_config import (
     ToolInclusionDefinition,
 )
 from serena.dashboard import SerenaDashboardAPI, SerenaDashboardTrayManager, SerenaDashboardViewer, open_url_in_browser
+from serena.jetbrains import jetbrains_plugin_client
 from serena.ls_manager import LanguageServerManager
 from serena.memories.memory_manager import MemoryManager
 from serena.project import Project
@@ -60,6 +62,7 @@ from serena.util.gui import system_has_usable_display
 from serena.util.inspection import iter_subclasses
 from serena.util.logging import MemoryLogHandler
 from solidlsp.ls_config import Language
+from solidlsp.util import subprocess_util
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from serena.gui_log_viewer import GuiLogViewer
@@ -1165,6 +1168,25 @@ class SerenaAgent:
         if self.get_language_backend().is_lsp():
             self.issue_task(init_language_server_manager)
 
+        def init_jetbrains_ide() -> None:
+            assert self.serena_config.jetbrains_launch_command is not None
+            try:
+                client = jetbrains_plugin_client.JetBrainsPluginClient.from_project(project, log_warning=False)
+                log.info("Found Serena JetBrains Plugin server: %s", client)
+            except jetbrains_plugin_client.ServerNotFoundError:
+                log.info("Serena JetBrains Plugin server not found for project %s", project.project_name)
+                if self.serena_config.jetbrains_launch_command:
+                    cmd = subprocess_util.convert_shell_cmd([self.serena_config.jetbrains_launch_command, project.project_root])
+                    log.info("Launching IDE with command: %s", cmd)
+                    p = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, shell=True)
+                    stdout, stderr = p.communicate()
+                    if p.returncode != 0:
+                        log.error(f"Failed to launch JetBrains IDE: {stderr.decode('utf-8')}")
+
+        # for JetBrains mode, search for plugin server and spawn IDE if not found and enabled
+        if self.get_language_backend().is_jetbrains():
+            self.issue_task(init_jetbrains_ide)
+
         if self._project_activation_callback is not None:
             self._project_activation_callback()
 
diff --git a/src/serena/config/serena_config.py b/src/serena/config/serena_config.py
index 7207a9b1..03a18e72 100644
--- a/src/serena/config/serena_config.py
+++ b/src/serena/config/serena_config.py
@@ -722,6 +722,10 @@ class SerenaConfig(SharedConfig, ModeSelectionDefinitionWithBaseModes):
     web_dashboard_listen_address: str = "127.0.0.1"
     web_dashboard_trusted_hosts: list[str] = field(default_factory=lambda: ["127.0.0.1", "localhost"])
     jetbrains_plugin_server_address: str = "127.0.0.1"
+    jetbrains_launch_command: str | None = None
+    """
+    JetBrains IDE launch command, which can be used to auto-start an IDE instance on demand.
+    """
     tool_timeout: float = DEFAULT_TOOL_TIMEOUT
 
     token_count_estimator: str = RegisteredTokenCountEstimator.CHAR_COUNT.name
diff --git a/src/serena/jetbrains/jetbrains_plugin_client.py b/src/serena/jetbrains/jetbrains_plugin_client.py
index c7b440ce..3cbd915f 100644
--- a/src/serena/jetbrains/jetbrains_plugin_client.py
+++ b/src/serena/jetbrains/jetbrains_plugin_client.py
@@ -105,7 +105,12 @@ class JetBrainsPluginClientManager:
                 futures.append(future)
         return futures
 
-    def find_client(self, project_root: Path) -> "JetBrainsPluginClient":
+    def find_client(self, project_root: Path, log_warning: bool = True) -> "JetBrainsPluginClient":
+        """
+        :param project_root: the project root path to find a plugin instance for
+        :param log_warning: whether to log a warning if no matching plugin instance is found
+        :return: the instance
+        """
         plugin_paths_found = []
         for future in self._submit_scan():
             client = future.result()
@@ -114,12 +119,13 @@ class JetBrainsPluginClientManager:
             elif client.project_root is not None:
                 plugin_paths_found.append(client.project_root)
 
-        log.warning(
-            "Searched for Serena JetBrains plugin service for project at %s but found no matching service. "
-            "Found plugin instances for the following project paths: %s",
-            project_root,
-            plugin_paths_found,
-        )
+        if log_warning:
+            log.warning(
+                "Searched for Serena JetBrains plugin service for project at %s but found no matching service. "
+                "Found plugin instances for the following project paths: %s",
+                project_root,
+                plugin_paths_found,
+            )
         raise ServerNotFoundError(
             f"Found no Serena service in a JetBrains IDE instance for the project at {project_root}. "
             "STOP. Do not attempt any other tools or workarounds. Ask the user to open this folder as a project in a JetBrains IDE "
@@ -219,7 +225,7 @@ class JetBrainsPluginClient(ToStringMixin):
         return ["_port", "project_root", "_plugin_version"]
 
     @classmethod
-    def from_project(cls, project: Project) -> Self:
+    def from_project(cls, project: Project, log_warning: bool = True) -> Self:
         resolved_path = Path(project.project_root).resolve()
 
         if cls._last_port is not None:
@@ -227,7 +233,7 @@ class JetBrainsPluginClient(ToStringMixin):
             if client.matches(resolved_path):
                 return client
 
-        client = JetBrainsPluginClientManager().find_client(resolved_path)
+        client = JetBrainsPluginClientManager().find_client(resolved_path, log_warning=log_warning)
         cls._last_port = client._port
         return client
 
diff --git a/src/serena/resources/serena_config.template.yml b/src/serena/resources/serena_config.template.yml
index 36f22bf3..fb5c1d40 100644
--- a/src/serena/resources/serena_config.template.yml
+++ b/src/serena/resources/serena_config.template.yml
@@ -80,6 +80,13 @@ web_dashboard_trusted_hosts:
 # address where JetBrains plugin servers are running (only relevant when using the JetBrains language backend)
 jetbrains_plugin_server_address: 127.0.0.1
 
+# command used to launch a JetBrains IDE on demand (only relevant when using the JetBrains language backend)
+# If this is non-empty and, at project activation, the Serena JetBrains Plugin server instance corresponding
+# to the project is not found, use this command to spawn a new instance.
+# Specifically, if this is <cmd>, then `<cmd> <projectDir>` is launched.
+# Provide the full path to the executable/script (e.g., "/usr/bin/idea" or "C:/Users/bob/AppData/Local/JetBrains/Toolbox/scripts/idea.cmd").
+jetbrains_launch_command:
+
 # the minimum log level for the GUI log window and the dashboard (10 = debug, 20 = info, 30 = warning, 40 = error)
 log_level: 20