diff --git a/platform/configuration-store-impl/src/ProjectStoreImpl.kt b/platform/configuration-store-impl/src/ProjectStoreImpl.kt
index 9ebfeb1b1991..011f8c246e57 100644
--- a/platform/configuration-store-impl/src/ProjectStoreImpl.kt
+++ b/platform/configuration-store-impl/src/ProjectStoreImpl.kt
@@ -231,12 +231,9 @@ abstract class ProjectStoreBase(override final val project: ProjectImpl) : Compo
     return FileUtil.isAncestor(PathUtilRt.getParentPath(projectFilePath), filePath, false)
   }
 
-  override fun getDirectoryStoreFile(): VirtualFile? {
-    if (!isDirectoryBased) {
-      return null
-    }
-    return PathUtilRt.getParentPath(projectFilePath).nullize()?.let { LocalFileSystem.getInstance().findFileByPath(it) }
-  }
+  override fun getDirectoryStorePath() = if (!isDirectoryBased) null else PathUtilRt.getParentPath(projectFilePath).nullize()
+
+  override fun getDirectoryStoreFile() = directoryStorePath?.let { LocalFileSystem.getInstance().findFileByPath(it) }
 }
 
 private open class ProjectStoreImpl(project: ProjectImpl, private val pathMacroManager: PathMacroManager) : ProjectStoreBase(project) {
diff --git a/platform/projectModel-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/components/impl/stores/IProjectStore.java b/platform/projectModel-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/components/impl/stores/IProjectStore.java
index 76eb897b701b..1147389e90bd 100644
--- a/platform/projectModel-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/components/impl/stores/IProjectStore.java
+++ b/platform/projectModel-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/components/impl/stores/IProjectStore.java
@@ -58,4 +58,7 @@ public interface IProjectStore extends IComponentStore {
 
   @Nullable
   VirtualFile getDirectoryStoreFile();
+
+  @Nullable
+  String getDirectoryStorePath();
 }