diff --git a/platform/util/src/com/intellij/serialization/PropertyAccessor.java b/platform/util/src/com/intellij/serialization/PropertyAccessor.java
index 035d570fa4d6..ead2fa65a316 100644
--- a/platform/util/src/com/intellij/serialization/PropertyAccessor.java
+++ b/platform/util/src/com/intellij/serialization/PropertyAccessor.java
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ public final class PropertyAccessor implements MutableAccessor {
     catch (InvocationTargetException e) {
       Throwable cause = e.getCause();
       // see KotlinXmlSerializerTest.nullInMap
-      if (cause instanceof IllegalArgumentException &&
+      if (cause instanceof NullPointerException &&
           myGenericType instanceof Class &&
           ((Class<?>)myGenericType).isEnum() &&
           cause.getMessage().contains("Parameter specified as non-null is null:")) {