diff --git a/java/structuralsearch-java/src/com/intellij/structuralsearch/impl/matcher/JavaMatchingVisitor.java b/java/structuralsearch-java/src/com/intellij/structuralsearch/impl/matcher/JavaMatchingVisitor.java
index cfb82cb0e371..fd82b2cfe75a 100644
--- a/java/structuralsearch-java/src/com/intellij/structuralsearch/impl/matcher/JavaMatchingVisitor.java
+++ b/java/structuralsearch-java/src/com/intellij/structuralsearch/impl/matcher/JavaMatchingVisitor.java
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ public class JavaMatchingVisitor extends JavaElementVisitor {
           myMatchingVisitor.setResult(myMatchingVisitor.handleTypedElement(psiDocTagValue, tag2.getValueElement()));
         }
         else {
-          myMatchingVisitor.setResult(allowsAbsenceOfMatch(psiDocTagValue));
+          myMatchingVisitor.setResult(myMatchingVisitor.allowsAbsenceOfMatch(psiDocTagValue));
         }
       }
     }
@@ -213,16 +213,6 @@ public class JavaMatchingVisitor extends JavaElementVisitor {
     }
   }
 
-  private boolean allowsAbsenceOfMatch(final PsiElement element) {
-    MatchingHandler handler = myMatchingVisitor.getMatchContext().getPattern().getHandler(element);
-
-    if (handler instanceof SubstitutionHandler &&
-        ((SubstitutionHandler)handler).getMinOccurs() == 0) {
-      return true;
-    }
-    return false;
-  }
-
   @Override
   public void visitDocComment(final PsiDocComment comment) {
     PsiDocComment comment2;
@@ -311,16 +301,7 @@ public class JavaMatchingVisitor extends JavaElementVisitor {
     final PsiNameValuePair elementNameValuePair = (PsiNameValuePair)myMatchingVisitor.getElement();
 
     final PsiAnnotationMemberValue annotationInitializer = pair.getValue();
-    if (annotationInitializer != null) {
-      final boolean isTypedInitializer = myMatchingVisitor.getMatchContext().getPattern().isTypedVar(annotationInitializer) &&
-                                         annotationInitializer instanceof PsiReferenceExpression;
-
-      myMatchingVisitor.setResult(myMatchingVisitor.match(annotationInitializer, elementNameValuePair.getValue()) ||
-                                  (isTypedInitializer &&
-                                   elementNameValuePair.getValue() == null &&
-                                   allowsAbsenceOfMatch(annotationInitializer)
-                                  ));
-    }
+    myMatchingVisitor.setResult(myMatchingVisitor.match(annotationInitializer, elementNameValuePair.getValue()));
     if (myMatchingVisitor.getResult()) {
       final PsiIdentifier nameIdentifier = pair.getNameIdentifier();
       final PsiIdentifier otherIdentifier = elementNameValuePair.getNameIdentifier();
@@ -976,9 +957,6 @@ public class JavaMatchingVisitor extends JavaElementVisitor {
     final PsiIdentifier nameIdentifier = var.getNameIdentifier();
 
     boolean isTypedVar = myMatchingVisitor.getMatchContext().getPattern().isTypedVar(nameIdentifier);
-    boolean isTypedInitializer = var.getInitializer() != null &&
-                                 myMatchingVisitor.getMatchContext().getPattern().isTypedVar(var.getInitializer()) &&
-                                 var.getInitializer() instanceof PsiReferenceExpression;
     final PsiVariable var2 = (PsiVariable)myMatchingVisitor.getElement();
 
     try {
@@ -998,13 +976,9 @@ public class JavaMatchingVisitor extends JavaElementVisitor {
 
       if (myMatchingVisitor.getResult()) {
         // Check initializer
+        final PsiExpression initializer = var.getInitializer();
         final PsiExpression var2Initializer = var2.getInitializer();
-
-        myMatchingVisitor.setResult(myMatchingVisitor.match(var.getInitializer(), var2Initializer) ||
-                                    (isTypedInitializer &&
-                                     var2Initializer == null &&
-                                     allowsAbsenceOfMatch(var.getInitializer())
-                                    ));
+        myMatchingVisitor.setResult(myMatchingVisitor.match(initializer, var2Initializer));
       }
 
       if (myMatchingVisitor.getResult() && var instanceof PsiParameter && var.getParent() instanceof PsiCatchSection) {
diff --git a/platform/structuralsearch/source/com/intellij/structuralsearch/impl/matcher/GlobalMatchingVisitor.java b/platform/structuralsearch/source/com/intellij/structuralsearch/impl/matcher/GlobalMatchingVisitor.java
index 2f53da09cd12..36e3aec89bee 100644
--- a/platform/structuralsearch/source/com/intellij/structuralsearch/impl/matcher/GlobalMatchingVisitor.java
+++ b/platform/structuralsearch/source/com/intellij/structuralsearch/impl/matcher/GlobalMatchingVisitor.java
@@ -84,6 +84,11 @@ public class GlobalMatchingVisitor extends AbstractMatchingVisitor {
     return ((SubstitutionHandler)handler).handle(match, matchContext);
   }
 
+  public boolean allowsAbsenceOfMatch(final PsiElement element) {
+    final MatchingHandler handler = getMatchContext().getPattern().getHandler(element);
+    return handler instanceof SubstitutionHandler && ((SubstitutionHandler)handler).getMinOccurs() == 0;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Identifies the match between given element of program tree and pattern element
    *
@@ -92,11 +97,14 @@ public class GlobalMatchingVisitor extends AbstractMatchingVisitor {
    * @return true if equal and false otherwise
    */
   public boolean match(final PsiElement el1, final PsiElement el2) {
-    // null
     if (el1 == el2) return true;
-    if (el2 == null || el1 == null) {
-      // this a bug!
-      return false;
+    if (el1 == null) {
+      // absence of pattern element is match
+      return true;
+    }
+    if (el2 == null) {
+      // absence of match element needs check if allowed.
+      return allowsAbsenceOfMatch(el1);
     }
 
     // copy changed data to local stack
@@ -104,12 +112,6 @@ public class GlobalMatchingVisitor extends AbstractMatchingVisitor {
     myElement = el2;
 
     try {
-      /*if (el1 instanceof XmlElement) {
-        el1.accept(myXmlVisitor);
-      }
-      else {
-        el1.accept(myJavaVisitor);
-      }*/
       PsiElementVisitor visitor = getVisitorForElement(el1);
       if (visitor != null) {
         el1.accept(visitor);
@@ -298,11 +300,6 @@ public class GlobalMatchingVisitor extends AbstractMatchingVisitor {
     this.matchContext = matchContext;
   }
 
-  // Matches the sons of given elements to find equality
-  // @param el1 the pattern element for matching
-  // @param el2 the tree element for matching
-  // @return if they are equal and false otherwise
-
   @Override
   protected boolean isLeftLooseMatching() {
     return matchContext.getOptions().isLooseMatching();
diff --git a/platform/structuralsearch/testSource/com/intellij/structuralsearch/StructuralSearchTest.java b/platform/structuralsearch/testSource/com/intellij/structuralsearch/StructuralSearchTest.java
index 32e9db6acaa7..d9089e7f4282 100644
--- a/platform/structuralsearch/testSource/com/intellij/structuralsearch/StructuralSearchTest.java
+++ b/platform/structuralsearch/testSource/com/intellij/structuralsearch/StructuralSearchTest.java
@@ -1577,10 +1577,12 @@ public class StructuralSearchTest extends StructuralSearchTestCase {
     // class pattern without extends matches pattern with extends
     assertEquals(
       "match of class without extends to class with it, ep 3",
-      findMatchesCount(s41,s42_2),
-      2
+      4,
+      findMatchesCount(s41,s42_2)
     );
 
+    assertEquals("match class with fields without initializers", 2, findMatchesCount(s41, "class '_ { '_T '_T2 = '_T3{0,0}; } "));
+
     // typed reference element
     assertEquals(
       "typed reference element",
@@ -3233,4 +3235,18 @@ public class StructuralSearchTest extends StructuralSearchTestCase {
     String pattern6 = "try { '_St1*; } catch ('_E1 | '_E2 '_e) { '_St2*; }";
     assertEquals("Find multi catch with variables", 1, findMatchesCount(source, pattern6));
   }
+
+  public void testFindAsserts() {
+    String source = "class A {" +
+                    "  void f(int i) {" +
+                    "    assert i > 0;" +
+                    "    assert i < 10 : \"i: \" + i;" +
+                    "    assert i == 5;" +
+                    "  }" +
+                    "}";
+    assertEquals("find assert statements", 3, findMatchesCount(source, "assert '_a;"));
+    assertEquals("find assert statements 2", 3, findMatchesCount(source, "assert '_a : 'b*;"));
+    assertEquals("find assert statement with messages", 1, findMatchesCount(source, "assert '_a : '_b;"));
+    assertEquals("find assert statement without messages", 2, findMatchesCount(source, "assert 'a : '_b{0,0};"));
+  }
 }