diff --git a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/frame/WatchInplaceEditor.java b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/frame/WatchInplaceEditor.java
index 683c27e30e18..00ceef568c21 100644
--- a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/frame/WatchInplaceEditor.java
+++ b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/frame/WatchInplaceEditor.java
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public class WatchInplaceEditor extends XDebuggerTreeInplaceEditor {
   @Nullable private final WatchNode myOldNode;
 
   public WatchInplaceEditor(@NotNull WatchesRootNode rootNode,
-                            @NotNull XDebugSession session, XWatchesView watchesView, final WatchNode node,
+                            @Nullable XDebugSession session, XWatchesView watchesView, final WatchNode node,
                             @NonNls final String historyId,
                             final @Nullable WatchNode oldNode) {
     super((XDebuggerTreeNode)node, historyId);
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ public class WatchInplaceEditor extends XDebuggerTreeInplaceEditor {
     myWatchesView = watchesView;
     myOldNode = oldNode;
     myExpressionEditor.setExpression(oldNode != null ? oldNode.getExpression() : null);
-    new WatchEditorSessionListener(session).install();
+    if (session != null) {
+      new WatchEditorSessionListener(session).install();
+    }
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/frame/XDebugView.java b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/frame/XDebugView.java
index 0007ec2f9997..847dd9004a49 100644
--- a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/frame/XDebugView.java
+++ b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/frame/XDebugView.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import com.intellij.execution.ui.layout.ViewContext;
 import com.intellij.ide.DataManager;
 import com.intellij.openapi.Disposable;
 import com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.DataContext;
+import com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.DataKey;
 import com.intellij.ui.content.ContentManager;
 import com.intellij.util.SingleAlarm;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.XDebugSession;
@@ -66,15 +67,20 @@ public abstract class XDebugView implements Disposable {
 
   @Nullable
   public static XDebugSession getSession(@NotNull Component component) {
+    return getData(XDebugSession.DATA_KEY, component);
+  }
+
+  @Nullable
+  public static <T> T getData(DataKey<T> key, @NotNull Component component) {
     DataContext dataContext = DataManager.getInstance().getDataContext(component);
     ViewContext viewContext = ViewContext.CONTEXT_KEY.getData(dataContext);
     ContentManager contentManager = viewContext == null ? null : viewContext.getContentManager();
     if (contentManager != null) {
-      XDebugSession session = XDebugSession.DATA_KEY.getData(DataManager.getInstance().getDataContext(contentManager.getComponent()));
-      if (session != null) {
-        return session;
+      T data = key.getData(DataManager.getInstance().getDataContext(contentManager.getComponent()));
+      if (data != null) {
+        return data;
       }
     }
-    return XDebugSession.DATA_KEY.getData(dataContext);
+    return key.getData(dataContext);
   }
 }
diff --git a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/frame/XWatchesViewImpl.java b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/frame/XWatchesViewImpl.java
index c510cd17c90a..8b94e2c4858a 100644
--- a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/frame/XWatchesViewImpl.java
+++ b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/frame/XWatchesViewImpl.java
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ import com.intellij.xdebugger.frame.XStackFrame;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.XDebugSessionImpl;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.actions.XDebuggerActions;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.breakpoints.XExpressionImpl;
+import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.ui.XDebugSessionData;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.ui.XDebugSessionTab;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.ui.tree.XDebuggerTree;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.ui.tree.XDebuggerTreePanel;
@@ -220,13 +221,9 @@ public class XWatchesViewImpl extends XDebugView implements DnDNativeTarget, XWa
   @Override
   public void addWatchExpression(@NotNull XExpression expression, int index, final boolean navigateToWatchNode) {
     XDebugSession session = getSession(getTree());
-    if (session == null) {
-      return;
-    }
-
-    myRootNode.addWatchExpression(session.getDebugProcess().getEvaluator(), expression, index, navigateToWatchNode);
+    myRootNode.addWatchExpression(session != null ? session.getDebugProcess().getEvaluator() : null, expression, index, navigateToWatchNode);
     updateSessionData();
-    if (navigateToWatchNode) {
+    if (navigateToWatchNode && session != null) {
       showWatchesTab((XDebugSessionImpl)session);
     }
   }
@@ -342,8 +339,15 @@ public class XWatchesViewImpl extends XDebugView implements DnDNativeTarget, XWa
     }
 
     XDebugSession session = getSession(getTree());
+    XExpression[] expressions = watchExpressions.toArray(new XExpression[watchExpressions.size()]);
     if (session != null) {
-      ((XDebugSessionImpl)session).setWatchExpressions(watchExpressions.toArray(new XExpression[watchExpressions.size()]));
+      ((XDebugSessionImpl)session).setWatchExpressions(expressions);
+    }
+    else {
+      XDebugSessionData data = getData(XDebugSessionData.DATA_KEY, getTree());
+      if (data != null) {
+        data.setWatchExpressions(expressions);
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/ui/tree/nodes/WatchesRootNode.java b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/ui/tree/nodes/WatchesRootNode.java
index cf67f7d5fdb5..2e4e168b8d84 100644
--- a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/ui/tree/nodes/WatchesRootNode.java
+++ b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/ui/tree/nodes/WatchesRootNode.java
@@ -188,9 +188,7 @@ public class WatchesRootNode extends XDebuggerTreeNode {
       fireNodeStructureChanged(messageNode);
     }
     XDebugSession session = XDebugView.getSession(myTree);
-    if (session != null) {
-      new WatchInplaceEditor(this, session, myWatchesView, messageNode, "watch", node).show();
-    }
+    new WatchInplaceEditor(this, session, myWatchesView, messageNode, "watch", node).show();
   }
 
   private class MyEvaluationCallback extends XEvaluationCallbackBase {