diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/ide/plugins/pluginDescriptor/family/META-INF/brian.xml b/java/java-tests/testData/ide/plugins/pluginDescriptor/family/META-INF/brian.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..affe2a025c85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/ide/plugins/pluginDescriptor/family/META-INF/brian.xml
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<idea-plugin/>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/ide/plugins/pluginDescriptor/family/META-INF/plugin.xml b/java/java-tests/testData/ide/plugins/pluginDescriptor/family/META-INF/plugin.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..18772c54c4dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/ide/plugins/pluginDescriptor/family/META-INF/plugin.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+<idea-plugin>
+  <id>griffins</id>
+  <depends optional="true" config-file="brian.xml">pets.allowed</depends>
+</idea-plugin>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/platform/core-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/plugins/PluginManagerCore.java b/platform/core-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/plugins/PluginManagerCore.java
index bd7ce82e0f8e..f3279c0e25cd 100644
--- a/platform/core-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/plugins/PluginManagerCore.java
+++ b/platform/core-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/plugins/PluginManagerCore.java
@@ -633,15 +633,14 @@ public class PluginManagerCore {
       try {
         IdeaPluginDescriptorImpl descriptor = new IdeaPluginDescriptorImpl(notNull(pluginPath, file), bundled);
         descriptor.readExternal(descriptorFile.toURI().toURL());
-        validateDescriptor(descriptor);
         return descriptor;
       }
-      catch (XmlSerializationException e) {
-        getLogger().info("Cannot load " + file, e);
+      catch (XmlSerializationException | InvalidDataException e) {
+        getLogger().info("Cannot load " + descriptorFile, e);
         prepareLoadingPluginsErrorMessage(singletonList("File '" + file.getName() + "' contains invalid plugin descriptor."));
       }
       catch (Throwable e) {
-        getLogger().info("Cannot load " + file, e);
+        getLogger().info("Cannot load " + descriptorFile, e);
       }
     }
 
@@ -670,33 +669,21 @@ public class PluginManagerCore {
         Document document = JDOMUtil.loadDocument(zipFile.getInputStream(entry));
         IdeaPluginDescriptorImpl descriptor = new IdeaPluginDescriptorImpl(notNull(pluginPath, file), bundled);
         descriptor.readExternal(document, jarURL, pathResolver);
-        validateDescriptor(descriptor);
         context.myLastZipFileContainingDescriptor = file;
         return descriptor;
       }
     }
-    catch (XmlSerializationException e) {
-      getLogger().info("Cannot load " + file, e);
+    catch (XmlSerializationException | InvalidDataException e) {
+      getLogger().info("Cannot load " + file + "!/META-INF/" + fileName, e);
       prepareLoadingPluginsErrorMessage(singletonList("File '" + file.getName() + "' contains invalid plugin descriptor."));
     }
     catch (Throwable e) {
-      getLogger().info("Cannot load " + file, e);
+      getLogger().info("Cannot load " + file + "!/META-INF/" + fileName, e);
     }
 
     return null;
   }
 
-  private static void validateDescriptor(IdeaPluginDescriptorImpl descriptor) {
-    /*
-    if (descriptor.getPluginId() == null) {
-      throw new IllegalStateException("Skipped plugin with null ID: " + descriptor);
-    }
-    else if (descriptor.getName() == null) {
-      throw new IllegalStateException("Skipped plugin without name: " + descriptor);
-    }
-    */
-  }
-
   @Nullable
   public static IdeaPluginDescriptorImpl loadDescriptor(@NotNull File file, @NotNull String fileName) {
     return loadDescriptor(file, fileName, false);
@@ -780,6 +767,12 @@ public class PluginManagerCore {
     }
 
     if (descriptor != null) {
+      if (PLUGIN_XML.equals(pathName) && (descriptor.getPluginId() == null || descriptor.getName() == null)) {
+        getLogger().info("Cannot load descriptor from " + file + ": ID or name missing");
+        prepareLoadingPluginsErrorMessage(singletonList("'" + file.getName() + "' contains invalid plugin descriptor."));
+        return null;
+      }
+
       resolveOptionalDescriptors(pathName, descriptor, (@SystemIndependent String optPathName) -> {
         IdeaPluginDescriptorImpl optionalDescriptor = null;
         if (context.myLastZipFileContainingDescriptor != null) { // try last file that had the descriptor that worked
@@ -1491,11 +1484,7 @@ public class PluginManagerCore {
 
   @NotNull
   public static Logger getLogger() {
-    return LoggerHolder.ourLogger;
-  }
-
-  private static class LoggerHolder {
-    private static final Logger ourLogger = Logger.getInstance("#com.intellij.ide.plugins.PluginManager");
+    return Logger.getInstance("#com.intellij.ide.plugins.PluginManager");
   }
 
   static class EssentialPluginMissingException extends RuntimeException {
diff --git a/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/ide/plugins/PluginDescriptorTest.java b/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/ide/plugins/PluginDescriptorTest.java
index ddedce14db98..55875424d630 100644
--- a/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/ide/plugins/PluginDescriptorTest.java
+++ b/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/ide/plugins/PluginDescriptorTest.java
@@ -30,6 +30,13 @@ public class PluginDescriptorTest {
     assertEquals("ASP", descriptor.getName());
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testOptionalDescriptors() {
+    IdeaPluginDescriptorImpl descriptor = loadDescriptor("family");
+    assertNotNull(descriptor);
+    assertEquals(1, descriptor.getOptionalDescriptors().size());
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testMalformedDescriptor() {
     assertNull(loadDescriptor("malformed"));
@@ -118,8 +125,14 @@ public class PluginDescriptorTest {
   }
 
   private static IdeaPluginDescriptorImpl loadDescriptor(String dirName) {
-    File dir = new File(getTestDataPath(), dirName);
-    assertTrue(dir + " does not exist", dir.exists());
-    return PluginManagerCore.loadDescriptor(dir, PluginManagerCore.PLUGIN_XML);
+    try {
+      File dir = new File(getTestDataPath(), dirName);
+      assertTrue(dir + " does not exist", dir.exists());
+      return PluginManagerCore.loadDescriptor(dir, PluginManagerCore.PLUGIN_XML);
+    }
+    catch (AssertionError e) {
+      assertTrue(e.getMessage(), e.getMessage().contains("Problems found loading plugins"));
+      return null;
+    }
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file