diff --git a/mne/_fiff/proj.py b/mne/_fiff/proj.py
index cf01df3fdfb..c5f8ae5eb2c 100644
--- a/mne/_fiff/proj.py
+++ b/mne/_fiff/proj.py
@@ -585,11 +585,11 @@ def _read_proj(fid, node, *, ch_names_mapping=None, verbose=None):
         # else:
         #     nchan = global_nchan
 
-        tag = find_tag(fid, item, FIFF.FIFF_DESCRIPTION)
+        tag = find_tag(fid, item, FIFF.FIFF_NAME)
         if tag is not None:
             desc = tag.data
         else:
-            tag = find_tag(fid, item, FIFF.FIFF_NAME)
+            tag = find_tag(fid, item, FIFF.FIFF_DESCRIPTION)
             if tag is not None:
                 desc = tag.data
             else:
@@ -706,7 +706,10 @@ def _write_proj(fid, projs, *, ch_names_mapping=None):
             write_float(fid, FIFF.FIFF_PROJ_ITEM_TIME, 0.0)
 
         write_int(fid, FIFF.FIFF_PROJ_ITEM_NVEC, proj["data"]["nrow"])
-        write_int(fid, FIFF.FIFF_MNE_PROJ_ITEM_ACTIVE, proj["active"])
+
+        if proj["active"] is not None:
+            val = 1 if proj["active"] else 0
+            write_int(fid, FIFF.FIFF_MNE_PROJ_ITEM_ACTIVE, val)
         write_float_matrix(fid, FIFF.FIFF_PROJ_ITEM_VECTORS, proj["data"]["data"])
         if proj["explained_var"] is not None:
             write_float(fid, FIFF.FIFF_MNE_ICA_PCA_EXPLAINED_VAR, proj["explained_var"])