diff --git a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/CompoundPositionManager.java b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/CompoundPositionManager.java
index c66c4ecb56a2..3f869c7dd24b 100644
--- a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/CompoundPositionManager.java
+++ b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/CompoundPositionManager.java
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ import java.util.*;
 public class CompoundPositionManager extends PositionManagerEx implements MultiRequestPositionManager{
   private static final Logger LOG = Logger.getInstance(CompoundPositionManager.class);
 
+  public static final CompoundPositionManager EMPTY = new CompoundPositionManager();
+
   private final ArrayList<PositionManager> myPositionManagers = new ArrayList<>();
 
   @SuppressWarnings("UnusedDeclaration")
diff --git a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/ContextUtil.java b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/ContextUtil.java
index 9b486ab8db0c..63d5f4844985 100644
--- a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/ContextUtil.java
+++ b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/ContextUtil.java
@@ -60,11 +60,7 @@ public class ContextUtil {
     if (location == null) {
       return null;
     }
-    CompoundPositionManager positionManager = debugProcess.getPositionManager();
-    if (positionManager == null) { // process already closed
-      return null;
-    }
-    return positionManager.getSourcePosition(location);
+    return debugProcess.getPositionManager().getSourcePosition(location);
   }
 
   @Nullable
diff --git a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/DebugProcessImpl.java b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/DebugProcessImpl.java
index 209b43bfe7da..f8f8c4a3b026 100644
--- a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/DebugProcessImpl.java
+++ b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/DebugProcessImpl.java
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ public abstract class DebugProcessImpl extends UserDataHolderBase implements Deb
   private final Map<Type, NodeRenderer> myNodeRenderersMap = new HashMap<>();
 
   private final SuspendManagerImpl mySuspendManager = new SuspendManagerImpl(this);
-  protected CompoundPositionManager myPositionManager = null;
+  protected CompoundPositionManager myPositionManager = CompoundPositionManager.EMPTY;
   private final DebuggerManagerThreadImpl myDebuggerManagerThread;
 
   private final Semaphore myWaitFor = new Semaphore();
@@ -777,7 +777,7 @@ public abstract class DebugProcessImpl extends UserDataHolderBase implements Deb
       finally {
         final VirtualMachineProxyImpl vm = myVirtualMachineProxy;
         myVirtualMachineProxy = null;
-        myPositionManager = null;
+        myPositionManager = CompoundPositionManager.EMPTY;
         myReturnValueWatcher = null;
         myNodeRenderersMap.clear();
         myRenderers.clear();
@@ -1453,6 +1453,7 @@ public abstract class DebugProcessImpl extends UserDataHolderBase implements Deb
     return mySuspendManager;
   }
 
+  @NotNull
   @Override
   public CompoundPositionManager getPositionManager() {
     return myPositionManager;
diff --git a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/PositionManagerImpl.java b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/PositionManagerImpl.java
index 3cc157092ea1..fc09b147c279 100644
--- a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/PositionManagerImpl.java
+++ b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/PositionManagerImpl.java
@@ -109,9 +109,7 @@ public class PositionManagerImpl implements PositionManager, MultiRequestPositio
             classPattern = parentQName + "*";
             prepareRequestor = new ClassPrepareRequestor() {
               public void processClassPrepare(DebugProcess debuggerProcess, ReferenceType referenceType) {
-                final CompoundPositionManager positionManager = ((DebugProcessImpl)debuggerProcess).getPositionManager();
-                final List<ReferenceType> positionClasses = positionManager.getAllClasses(position);
-                if (positionClasses.contains(referenceType)) {
+                if (((DebugProcessImpl)debuggerProcess).getPositionManager().getAllClasses(position).contains(referenceType)) {
                   requestor.processClassPrepare(debuggerProcess, referenceType);
                 }
               }
diff --git a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/impl/ReloadClassesWorker.java b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/impl/ReloadClassesWorker.java
index 04088e5947ff..0553ff977fc6 100644
--- a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/impl/ReloadClassesWorker.java
+++ b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/impl/ReloadClassesWorker.java
@@ -165,10 +165,7 @@ class ReloadClassesWorker {
       processException(e);
     }
 
-    CompoundPositionManager positionManager = debugProcess.getPositionManager();
-    if (positionManager != null) {
-      positionManager.clearCache();
-    }
+    debugProcess.getPositionManager().clearCache();
 
     DebuggerContextImpl context = myDebuggerSession.getContextManager().getContext();
     SuspendContextImpl suspendContext = context.getSuspendContext();
diff --git a/java/debugger/openapi/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/DebugProcess.java b/java/debugger/openapi/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/DebugProcess.java
index c672028b6db4..a914699da205 100644
--- a/java/debugger/openapi/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/DebugProcess.java
+++ b/java/debugger/openapi/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/DebugProcess.java
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ public interface DebugProcess {
 
   RequestManager getRequestsManager();
 
+  @NotNull
   PositionManager getPositionManager();
 
   VirtualMachineProxy getVirtualMachineProxy();