diff --git a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/formatting/AbstractBlockWrapper.java b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/formatting/AbstractBlockWrapper.java
index 6cbeb7065b8d..fa922d83b6d0 100644
--- a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/formatting/AbstractBlockWrapper.java
+++ b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/formatting/AbstractBlockWrapper.java
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractBlockWrapper {
    *
    * @return the whitespace preceding the block
    */
+  @Nullable
   public WhiteSpace getWhiteSpace() {
     return myWhiteSpaceBefore;
   }
diff --git a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/formatting/CoreFormatterUtil.java b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/formatting/CoreFormatterUtil.java
index c00ea1cd5fc0..7a1c2aad0474 100644
--- a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/formatting/CoreFormatterUtil.java
+++ b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/formatting/CoreFormatterUtil.java
@@ -88,22 +88,19 @@ public class CoreFormatterUtil {
    * @return non-line feed symbols to the left of the given wrapped block
    */
   public static int getStartColumn(@Nullable LeafBlockWrapper block) {
-    if (block != null) {
-      int result = 0;
-      while (true) {
-        final WhiteSpace whiteSpace = block.getWhiteSpace();
+    if (block == null) return -1;
+
+    int result = 0;
+    while (true) {
+      final WhiteSpace whiteSpace = block.getWhiteSpace();
+      if (whiteSpace != null) {
         result += whiteSpace.getTotalSpaces();
-        if (whiteSpace.containsLineFeeds()) {
-          return result;
-        }
-        block = block.getPreviousBlock();
-        if (result > CodeStyleSettings.MAX_RIGHT_MARGIN || block == null) return result;
-        result += block.getSymbolsAtTheLastLine();
-        if (block.containsLineFeeds()) return result;
+        if (whiteSpace.containsLineFeeds()) return result;
       }
-    }
-    else {
-      return -1;
+      block = block.getPreviousBlock();
+      if (result > CodeStyleSettings.MAX_RIGHT_MARGIN || block == null) return result;
+      result += block.getSymbolsAtTheLastLine();
+      if (block.containsLineFeeds()) return result;
     }
   }