diff --git a/platform/core-api/src/com/intellij/psi/PsiInvalidElementAccessException.java b/platform/core-api/src/com/intellij/psi/PsiInvalidElementAccessException.java
index c25da4246627..ea31e2831f96 100644
--- a/platform/core-api/src/com/intellij/psi/PsiInvalidElementAccessException.java
+++ b/platform/core-api/src/com/intellij/psi/PsiInvalidElementAccessException.java
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 
 package com.intellij.psi;
 
-import com.intellij.lang.ASTNode;
 import com.intellij.lang.Language;
 import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.VirtualFile;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NonNls;
@@ -56,12 +55,13 @@ public class PsiInvalidElementAccessException extends RuntimeException {
   @NonNls
   @NotNull
   private static String reason(@NotNull PsiElement root){
-    ASTNode element;
-    for (element = root.getNode(); element != null && element.getTreeParent() != null; element = element.getTreeParent()) {
+    PsiElement element = root instanceof PsiFile ? root : root.getParent();
+    if (element == null) return "parent is null";
+    while (element != null && !(element instanceof PsiFile) && element.getParent() != null) {
+      element = element.getParent();
     }
-    PsiElement psiElement = element == null ? null : element.getPsi();
-    PsiFile file = psiElement instanceof PsiFile ? (PsiFile)psiElement : null;
-    if (file == null) return root.getParent() == null ? "parent is null" : "containing file is null";
+    PsiFile file = element instanceof PsiFile ? (PsiFile)element : null;
+    if (file == null) return "containing file is null";
     FileViewProvider provider = file.getViewProvider();
     VirtualFile vFile = provider.getVirtualFile();
     if (!vFile.isValid()) return vFile+" is invalid";