diff --git a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/completion/JavaCompletionContributor.java b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/completion/JavaCompletionContributor.java
index 1939ef31d060..a196cf93eec4 100644
--- a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/completion/JavaCompletionContributor.java
+++ b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/completion/JavaCompletionContributor.java
@@ -768,7 +768,8 @@ public class JavaCompletionContributor extends CompletionContributor {
       iterator.advance();
     }
 
-    if (!iterator.atEnd() && (iterator.getTokenType() == JavaTokenType.LPARENTH)) {
+    if (!iterator.atEnd() && iterator.getTokenType() == JavaTokenType.LPARENTH && PsiTreeUtil.getParentOfType(ref, PsiExpression.class, PsiClass.class) == null) {
+      // looks like a method declaration, e.g. StringBui<caret>methodName() inside a class
       return true;
     }
 
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/completion/normal/IfConditionLt.java b/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/completion/normal/IfConditionLt.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..580a2eedb323
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/completion/normal/IfConditionLt.java
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+class Zoo {
+
+  void foo(int x) {
+    if (x < getAnnotati<caret>onsAreaOffset());
+
+  }
+
+  int getAnnotationsAreaOffset() {}
+}
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/codeInsight/completion/HeavyNormalCompletionTest.groovy b/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/codeInsight/completion/HeavyNormalCompletionTest.groovy
index 2117c9e877f2..3852327e36e9 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/codeInsight/completion/HeavyNormalCompletionTest.groovy
+++ b/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/codeInsight/completion/HeavyNormalCompletionTest.groovy
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ public class HeavyNormalCompletionTest extends JavaCodeInsightFixtureTestCase {
     myFixture.completeBasic();
     assertOrderedEquals(myFixture.getLookupElementStrings(), "getAaa", "getBbb");
     myFixture.getEditor().getCaretModel().moveToOffset(myFixture.getEditor().getCaretModel().getOffset() + 2);
-    assertNull(myFixture.completeBasic());
+    assert myFixture.completeBasic() == null
   }
 
   public void testQualifyInaccessibleClassName() throws Exception {
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/codeInsight/completion/NormalCompletionTest.groovy b/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/codeInsight/completion/NormalCompletionTest.groovy
index df9087e84238..22a692ec25b4 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/codeInsight/completion/NormalCompletionTest.groovy
+++ b/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/codeInsight/completion/NormalCompletionTest.groovy
@@ -512,6 +512,11 @@ public class NormalCompletionTest extends LightFixtureCompletionTestCase {
   public void testBreakInIfCondition() throws Throwable { doTest(); }
   public void testAccessStaticViaInstance() throws Throwable { doTest(); }
 
+  public void testIfConditionLt() {
+    configure()
+    myFixture.assertPreferredCompletionItems 0, 'getAnnotationsAreaOffset'
+  }
+
   public void testAccessStaticViaInstanceSecond() throws Throwable {
     configure()
     myFixture.complete(CompletionType.BASIC, 2)