diff --git a/docs/generated/packages/cypress.json b/docs/generated/packages/cypress.json
index b9cc223a5cc79..69c9b5c26d1d3 100644
--- a/docs/generated/packages/cypress.json
+++ b/docs/generated/packages/cypress.json
@@ -111,12 +111,6 @@
             "type": "boolean",
             "default": false,
             "description": "Do not add dependencies to `package.json`."
-          },
-          "rootProject": {
-            "description": "Create a application at the root of the workspace",
-            "type": "boolean",
-            "default": false,
-            "hidden": true
           }
         },
         "required": ["name"],
diff --git a/packages/cypress/src/generators/cypress-project/cypress-project.spec.ts b/packages/cypress/src/generators/cypress-project/cypress-project.spec.ts
index ff77c2858f205..89892dcc0e95d 100644
--- a/packages/cypress/src/generators/cypress-project/cypress-project.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/cypress/src/generators/cypress-project/cypress-project.spec.ts
@@ -245,6 +245,32 @@ describe('Cypress Project', () => {
         const tsConfig = readJson(tree, 'apps/my-dir/my-app-e2e/tsconfig.json');
         expect(tsConfig.extends).toBe('../../../tsconfig.json');
       });
+
+      describe('root project', () => {
+        it('should generate in option.name when root project detected', async () => {
+          addProjectConfiguration(tree, 'root', {
+            root: '.',
+          });
+          await cypressProjectGenerator(tree, {
+            ...defaultOptions,
+            name: 'e2e-tests',
+            baseUrl: 'http://localhost:1234',
+            project: 'root',
+            rootProject: true,
+          });
+          expect(tree.listChanges().map((c) => c.path)).toEqual(
+            expect.arrayContaining([
+              'e2e-tests/cypress.config.ts',
+              'e2e-tests/src/e2e/app.cy.ts',
+              'e2e-tests/src/fixtures/example.json',
+              'e2e-tests/src/support/app.po.ts',
+              'e2e-tests/src/support/commands.ts',
+              'e2e-tests/src/support/e2e.ts',
+              'e2e-tests/tsconfig.json',
+            ])
+          );
+        });
+      });
     });
 
     describe('--project', () => {
diff --git a/packages/cypress/src/generators/cypress-project/cypress-project.ts b/packages/cypress/src/generators/cypress-project/cypress-project.ts
index 6b048d0ac7b4c..243d547ce1b11 100644
--- a/packages/cypress/src/generators/cypress-project/cypress-project.ts
+++ b/packages/cypress/src/generators/cypress-project/cypress-project.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   toJS,
   Tree,
   updateJson,
+  getProjects,
 } from '@nrwl/devkit';
 import { Linter, lintProjectGenerator } from '@nrwl/linter';
 import { runTasksInSerial } from '@nrwl/workspace/src/utilities/run-tasks-in-serial';
@@ -285,11 +286,26 @@ function normalizeOptions(host: Tree, options: Schema): CypressProjectSchema {
     options.directory
   );
   const appsDir = layoutDirectory ?? getWorkspaceLayout(host).appsDir;
-  let projectName, projectRoot;
+  let projectName: string;
+  let projectRoot: string;
+  let maybeRootProject: ProjectConfiguration;
+  let isRootProject = false;
 
-  if (options.rootProject) {
+  const projects = getProjects(host);
+  // nx will set the project option for generators when ran within a project.
+  // since the root project will always be set for standlone projects we can just check it here.
+  if (options.project) {
+    maybeRootProject = projects.get(options.project);
+  }
+
+  if (
+    maybeRootProject?.root === '.' ||
+    // should still check to see if we are in a standalone based workspace
+    Array.from(projects.values()).some((config) => config.root === '.')
+  ) {
     projectName = options.name;
     projectRoot = options.name;
+    isRootProject = true;
   } else {
     projectName = filePathPrefix(
       projectDirectory ? `${projectDirectory}-${options.name}` : options.name
@@ -306,6 +322,8 @@ function normalizeOptions(host: Tree, options: Schema): CypressProjectSchema {
   options.linter = options.linter || Linter.EsLint;
   return {
     ...options,
+    // other generators depend on the rootProject flag down stream
+    rootProject: isRootProject,
     projectName,
     projectRoot,
   };
diff --git a/packages/cypress/src/generators/cypress-project/schema.json b/packages/cypress/src/generators/cypress-project/schema.json
index 0888c92ab5abd..18ede4e4bd3d5 100644
--- a/packages/cypress/src/generators/cypress-project/schema.json
+++ b/packages/cypress/src/generators/cypress-project/schema.json
@@ -59,12 +59,6 @@
       "type": "boolean",
       "default": false,
       "description": "Do not add dependencies to `package.json`."
-    },
-    "rootProject": {
-      "description": "Create a application at the root of the workspace",
-      "type": "boolean",
-      "default": false,
-      "hidden": true
     }
   },
   "required": ["name"],