diff --git a/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreter.py b/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreter.py
index d717485e8a1e..309de5eabaad 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreter.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/interpreter/interpreter.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 # Copyright 2012-2021 The Meson development team
 # Copyright © 2023-2024 Intel Corporation
 
@@ -1085,6 +1084,7 @@ def get_option_internal(self, optname: str) -> options.UserOption:
     def func_get_option(self, nodes: mparser.BaseNode, args: T.Tuple[str],
                         kwargs: 'TYPE_kwargs') -> T.Union[options.UserOption, 'TYPE_var']:
         optname = args[0]
+        self.load_options(nodes, args)
         if ':' in optname:
             raise InterpreterException('Having a colon in option name is forbidden, '
                                        'projects are not allowed to directly access '
@@ -1148,6 +1148,23 @@ def set_backend(self) -> None:
         options = {k: v for k, v in self.environment.options.items() if self.environment.coredata.optstore.is_backend_option(k)}
         self.coredata.set_options(options)
 
+    def load_options(self, node: mparser.FunctionNode, args: T.Tuple[str, T.List[str]]) -> None:
+        option_file = os.path.join(self.source_root, self.subdir, 'meson.options')
+        old_option_file = os.path.join(self.source_root, self.subdir, 'meson_options.txt')
+        if not os.path.exists(option_file):
+            option_file = old_option_file
+        if os.path.exists(option_file):
+            with open(option_file, 'rb') as f:
+                # We want fast not cryptographically secure, this is just to
+                # see if the option file has changed
+                self.coredata.options_files[self.subproject] = (option_file, hashlib.sha1(f.read()).hexdigest())
+            oi = optinterpreter.OptionInterpreter(self.environment.coredata.optstore, self.subproject)
+            oi.process(option_file)
+            self.coredata.update_project_options(oi.options, self.subproject)
+            self.add_build_def_file(option_file)
+        else:
+            self.coredata.options_files[self.subproject] = None
+
     @typed_pos_args('project', str, varargs=str)
     @typed_kwargs(
         'project',
@@ -1169,19 +1186,9 @@ def func_project(self, node: mparser.FunctionNode, args: T.Tuple[str, T.List[str
         if ':' in proj_name:
             raise InvalidArguments(f"Project name {proj_name!r} must not contain ':'")
 
-        # This needs to be evaluated as early as possible, as meson uses this
-        # for things like deprecation testing.
-        if kwargs['meson_version']:
-            self.handle_meson_version(kwargs['meson_version'], node)
-        else:
-            mesonlib.project_meson_versions[self.subproject] = mesonlib.NoProjectVersion()
-
-        # Load "meson.options" before "meson_options.txt", and produce a warning if
-        # it is being used with an old version. I have added check that if both
-        # exist the warning isn't raised
+        # Warn about use of meson.options / meson_options.txt.
         option_file = os.path.join(self.source_root, self.subdir, 'meson.options')
         old_option_file = os.path.join(self.source_root, self.subdir, 'meson_options.txt')
-
         if os.path.exists(option_file):
             if os.path.exists(old_option_file):
                 if os.path.samefile(option_file, old_option_file):
@@ -1190,19 +1197,14 @@ def func_project(self, node: mparser.FunctionNode, args: T.Tuple[str, T.List[str
                     raise MesonException("meson.options and meson_options.txt both exist, but are not the same file.")
             else:
                 FeatureNew.single_use('meson.options file', '1.1', self.subproject, 'Use meson_options.txt instead')
+        #self.load_options(node, args)
+
+        # This needs to be evaluated as early as possible, as meson uses this
+        # for things like deprecation testing.
+        if kwargs['meson_version']:
+            self.handle_meson_version(kwargs['meson_version'], node)
         else:
-            option_file = old_option_file
-        if os.path.exists(option_file):
-            with open(option_file, 'rb') as f:
-                # We want fast  not cryptographically secure, this is just to
-                # see if the option file has changed
-                self.coredata.options_files[self.subproject] = (option_file, hashlib.sha1(f.read()).hexdigest())
-            oi = optinterpreter.OptionInterpreter(self.environment.coredata.optstore, self.subproject)
-            oi.process(option_file)
-            self.coredata.update_project_options(oi.options, self.subproject)
-            self.add_build_def_file(option_file)
-        else:
-            self.coredata.options_files[self.subproject] = None
+            mesonlib.project_meson_versions[self.subproject] = mesonlib.NoProjectVersion()
 
         if self.subproject:
             self.project_default_options = {k.evolve(subproject=self.subproject): v
diff --git a/test cases/common/281 get_option in project function/meson.build b/test cases/common/281 get_option in project function/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..bf028485236b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/281 get_option in project function/meson.build	
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# Project
+project('test',
+  version: '1.0' + get_option('append_to_version')
+  )
diff --git a/test cases/common/281 get_option in project function/meson.options b/test cases/common/281 get_option in project function/meson.options
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9fd0f5328d8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/common/281 get_option in project function/meson.options	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+option('append_to_version', type : 'string', value : '.0001', description : 'append to version')