diff --git a/platform/build-scripts/groovy/org/jetbrains/intellij/build/impl/BaseLayout.groovy b/platform/build-scripts/groovy/org/jetbrains/intellij/build/impl/BaseLayout.groovy
index 89a61412dcd4..41fb423b9f0f 100644
--- a/platform/build-scripts/groovy/org/jetbrains/intellij/build/impl/BaseLayout.groovy
+++ b/platform/build-scripts/groovy/org/jetbrains/intellij/build/impl/BaseLayout.groovy
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.util.MultiValuesMap
  * @author nik
  */
 abstract class BaseLayout {
-  /** JAR name (or path relative to 'lib' directory) to module name */
+  /** JAR name (or path relative to 'lib' directory) to names of modules */
   final MultiValuesMap<String, String> moduleJars = new MultiValuesMap<>(true)
   final List<ModuleResourceData> resourcePaths = []
   /** module name to entries which should be excluded from its output */
diff --git a/platform/build-scripts/groovy/org/jetbrains/intellij/build/impl/DistributionJARsBuilder.groovy b/platform/build-scripts/groovy/org/jetbrains/intellij/build/impl/DistributionJARsBuilder.groovy
index 44d8e5b716e8..787f1d9c611e 100644
--- a/platform/build-scripts/groovy/org/jetbrains/intellij/build/impl/DistributionJARsBuilder.groovy
+++ b/platform/build-scripts/groovy/org/jetbrains/intellij/build/impl/DistributionJARsBuilder.groovy
@@ -293,10 +293,22 @@ class DistributionJARsBuilder {
     def enabledModulesSet = buildContext.productProperties.productLayout.enabledPluginModules
     pluginsToInclude.each { plugin ->
       def actualModuleJars = plugin.getActualModules(enabledModulesSet)
+      checkOutputOfPluginModules(plugin.mainModule, actualModuleJars.values())
       buildByLayout(layoutBuilder, plugin, "$targetDirectory/$plugin.directoryName", actualModuleJars)
     }
   }
 
+  private void checkOutputOfPluginModules(String mainPluginModule, Collection<String> moduleNames) {
+    def modulesWithPluginXml = moduleNames.findAll { containsFileInOutput(it, "META-INF/plugin.xml") }
+    if (modulesWithPluginXml.size() > 1) {
+      buildContext.messages.error("Multiple modules (${modulesWithPluginXml.join(", ")}) from '$mainPluginModule' plugin contain plugin.xml files so the plugin won't work properly")
+    }
+  }
+
+  private boolean containsFileInOutput(String moduleName, String filePath) {
+    return new File(buildContext.projectBuilder.getModuleOutput(buildContext.findRequiredModule(moduleName), false), filePath).exists()
+  }
+
   private void buildByLayout(LayoutBuilder layoutBuilder, BaseLayout layout, String targetDirectory, MultiValuesMap<String, String> moduleJars) {
     def ant = buildContext.ant
     def resourceExcluded = RESOURCES_EXCLUDED
diff --git a/platform/build-scripts/groovy/org/jetbrains/intellij/build/impl/PluginLayout.groovy b/platform/build-scripts/groovy/org/jetbrains/intellij/build/impl/PluginLayout.groovy
index e78a3810a182..2144ea7d2420 100644
--- a/platform/build-scripts/groovy/org/jetbrains/intellij/build/impl/PluginLayout.groovy
+++ b/platform/build-scripts/groovy/org/jetbrains/intellij/build/impl/PluginLayout.groovy
@@ -55,6 +55,9 @@ class PluginLayout extends BaseLayout {
     return layout
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @return map from a JAR name to list of modules
+   */
   MultiValuesMap<String, String> getActualModules(Set<String> enabledPluginModules) {
     def result = new MultiValuesMap<String, String>(true)
     for (Map.Entry<String, Collection<String>> entry : moduleJars.entrySet()) {