diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/api/projects/ProjectsImpl.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/api/projects/ProjectsImpl.java
index 4552e7a6f7..342a59200c 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/api/projects/ProjectsImpl.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/api/projects/ProjectsImpl.java
@@ -153,12 +153,12 @@ class ProjectsImpl implements Projects {
 
   private List<ProjectInfo> query(QueryRequest r) throws RestApiException {
     try {
-      QueryProjects myQueryProjects = queryProvider.get();
-      myQueryProjects.setQuery(r.getQuery());
-      myQueryProjects.setLimit(r.getLimit());
-      myQueryProjects.setStart(r.getStart());
-
-      return myQueryProjects.apply(TopLevelResource.INSTANCE);
+      return queryProvider
+          .get()
+          .withQuery(r.getQuery())
+          .withLimit(r.getLimit())
+          .withStart(r.getStart())
+          .apply(TopLevelResource.INSTANCE);
     } catch (OrmException e) {
       throw new RestApiException("Cannot query projects", e);
     }
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/project/QueryProjects.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/project/QueryProjects.java
index 1e094a0c3a..5561d4afd7 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/project/QueryProjects.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/restapi/project/QueryProjects.java
@@ -49,8 +49,9 @@ public class QueryProjects implements RestReadView<TopLevelResource> {
       name = "--query",
       aliases = {"-q"},
       usage = "project query")
-  public void setQuery(String query) {
+  public QueryProjects withQuery(String query) {
     this.query = query;
+    return this;
   }
 
   @Option(
@@ -58,8 +59,9 @@ public class QueryProjects implements RestReadView<TopLevelResource> {
       aliases = {"-n"},
       metaVar = "CNT",
       usage = "maximum number of projects to list")
-  public void setLimit(int limit) {
+  public QueryProjects withLimit(int limit) {
     this.limit = limit;
+    return this;
   }
 
   @Option(
@@ -67,8 +69,9 @@ public class QueryProjects implements RestReadView<TopLevelResource> {
       aliases = {"-S"},
       metaVar = "CNT",
       usage = "number of projects to skip")
-  public void setStart(int start) {
+  public QueryProjects withStart(int start) {
     this.start = start;
+    return this;
   }
 
   @Inject