diff --git a/platform/platform-api/resources/messages/UIBundle.properties b/platform/platform-api/resources/messages/UIBundle.properties
index e8dea453cc95..96c01494409a 100644
--- a/platform/platform-api/resources/messages/UIBundle.properties
+++ b/platform/platform-api/resources/messages/UIBundle.properties
@@ -333,6 +333,7 @@ label.project.wizard.new.assets.step.generate.sources.progress=Generating projec
 error.project.wizard.new.project.title=New {0,choice,0#Module|1#Project} Wizard Error
 error.project.wizard.new.project.sample.code=Unable to generate {0,choice,0#module|1#project} sources
 error.project.wizard.new.project.git=Unable to create a Git repository
+error.project.wizard.new.project.directory=Unable to create a {0,choice,0#module|1#project} directory
 
 kotlin.dsl.validation.missing.value=Field must be set
 kotlin.dsl.validation.no.whitespaces=Whitespaces are not allowed here
diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/wizard/NewProjectWizardBaseStep.kt b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/wizard/NewProjectWizardBaseStep.kt
index 927b6a4104fa..21e979a36ca0 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/wizard/NewProjectWizardBaseStep.kt
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/wizard/NewProjectWizardBaseStep.kt
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import com.intellij.ui.UIBundle
 import com.intellij.ui.dsl.builder.*
 import com.intellij.ui.util.getTextWidth
 import com.intellij.util.applyIf
+import java.nio.file.Files
 import java.nio.file.Path
 import kotlin.io.path.name
 
@@ -141,6 +142,9 @@ class NewProjectWizardBaseStep(parent: NewProjectWizardStep) : AbstractNewProjec
   }
 
   override fun setupProject(project: Project) {
+    setupProjectSafe(project, UIBundle.message("error.project.wizard.new.project.directory", context.isCreatingNewProjectInt)) {
+      Files.createDirectories(Path.of(path).resolve(name))
+    }
     if (context.isCreatingNewProject) {
       invokeAndWaitIfNeeded {
         runWriteAction {
diff --git a/plugins/gradle/java/src/service/project/wizard/AbstractGradleModuleBuilder.java b/plugins/gradle/java/src/service/project/wizard/AbstractGradleModuleBuilder.java
index 2887ed4e603d..efe4f9568b33 100644
--- a/plugins/gradle/java/src/service/project/wizard/AbstractGradleModuleBuilder.java
+++ b/plugins/gradle/java/src/service/project/wizard/AbstractGradleModuleBuilder.java
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.startup.StartupManager;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.InvalidDataException;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.Key;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.io.FileUtil;
-import com.intellij.openapi.util.io.FileUtilRt;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.io.NioPathUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.text.StringUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.*;
@@ -149,7 +148,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractGradleModuleBuilder extends AbstractExternalModule
       return;
     }
     File contentRootDir = new File(contentEntryPath);
-    FileUtilRt.createDirectory(contentRootDir);
     LocalFileSystem fileSystem = LocalFileSystem.getInstance();
     VirtualFile modelContentRootDir = fileSystem.refreshAndFindFileByIoFile(contentRootDir);
     if (modelContentRootDir == null) {