diff --git a/python/src/META-INF/python-plugin-common.xml b/python/src/META-INF/python-plugin-common.xml
index 73a52fe9d45e..401285c6176b 100644
--- a/python/src/META-INF/python-plugin-common.xml
+++ b/python/src/META-INF/python-plugin-common.xml
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
     <stubIndex implementation="com.jetbrains.python.psi.stubs.PyClassNameIndexInsensitive"/>
     <stubIndex implementation="com.jetbrains.python.psi.stubs.PyFunctionNameIndex"/>
     <stubIndex implementation="com.jetbrains.python.psi.stubs.PySuperClassIndex"/>
+    <stubIndex implementation="com.jetbrains.python.psi.stubs.PyVariableNameIndex"/>
 
     <fileTypeIndentOptionsProvider implementation="com.jetbrains.python.formatter.PyIndentOptionsProvider"/>
 
diff --git a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/PyGotoSymbolContributor.java b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/PyGotoSymbolContributor.java
index 506996da9da2..8bfd9954b838 100644
--- a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/PyGotoSymbolContributor.java
+++ b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/PyGotoSymbolContributor.java
@@ -4,13 +4,16 @@ import com.intellij.navigation.ChooseByNameContributor;
 import com.intellij.navigation.NavigationItem;
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
 import com.intellij.psi.search.GlobalSearchScope;
-import com.intellij.psi.search.ProjectScope;
 import com.intellij.psi.stubs.StubIndex;
 import com.intellij.util.ArrayUtil;
 import com.jetbrains.python.psi.stubs.PyClassNameIndex;
 import com.jetbrains.python.psi.stubs.PyFunctionNameIndex;
+import com.jetbrains.python.psi.stubs.PyVariableNameIndex;
 
-import java.util.*;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Set;
 
 /**
  * @author yole
@@ -20,6 +23,7 @@ public class PyGotoSymbolContributor implements ChooseByNameContributor {
     Set<String> symbols = new HashSet<String>();
     symbols.addAll(PyClassNameIndex.allKeys(project));
     symbols.addAll(StubIndex.getInstance().getAllKeys(PyFunctionNameIndex.KEY, project));
+    symbols.addAll(StubIndex.getInstance().getAllKeys(PyVariableNameIndex.KEY, project));
     return ArrayUtil.toStringArray(symbols);
   }
 
@@ -31,6 +35,7 @@ public class PyGotoSymbolContributor implements ChooseByNameContributor {
     List<NavigationItem> symbols = new ArrayList<NavigationItem>();
     symbols.addAll(PyClassNameIndex.find(name, project, scope));
     symbols.addAll(PyFunctionNameIndex.find(name, project, scope));
+    symbols.addAll(PyVariableNameIndex.find(name, project, scope));
 
     return symbols.toArray(new NavigationItem[symbols.size()]);
   }
diff --git a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/psi/impl/stubs/PyTargetExpressionElementType.java b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/psi/impl/stubs/PyTargetExpressionElementType.java
index a62339ccf5e1..71d80a3b3cab 100644
--- a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/psi/impl/stubs/PyTargetExpressionElementType.java
+++ b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/psi/impl/stubs/PyTargetExpressionElementType.java
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ import com.jetbrains.python.PyElementTypes;
 import com.jetbrains.python.psi.*;
 import com.jetbrains.python.psi.impl.PyQualifiedName;
 import com.jetbrains.python.psi.impl.PyTargetExpressionImpl;
+import com.jetbrains.python.psi.stubs.PyFileStub;
 import com.jetbrains.python.psi.stubs.PyTargetExpressionStub;
+import com.jetbrains.python.psi.stubs.PyVariableNameIndex;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 
@@ -115,6 +117,12 @@ public class PyTargetExpressionElementType extends PyStubElementType<PyTargetExp
 
   @Override
   public void indexStub(PyTargetExpressionStub stub, IndexSink sink) {
+    if (stub.getParentStub() instanceof PyFileStub) {
+      String name = stub.getName();
+      if (name != null && PyUtil.getInitialUnderscores(name) == 0) {
+        sink.occurrence(PyVariableNameIndex.KEY, name);
+      }
+    }
     for (CustomTargetExpressionStubType stubType : getCustomStubTypes()) {
       stubType.indexStub(stub, sink);
     }
diff --git a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/psi/stubs/PyVariableNameIndex.java b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/psi/stubs/PyVariableNameIndex.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ac5f234c3de0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/psi/stubs/PyVariableNameIndex.java
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package com.jetbrains.python.psi.stubs;
+
+import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
+import com.intellij.psi.search.GlobalSearchScope;
+import com.intellij.psi.stubs.StringStubIndexExtension;
+import com.intellij.psi.stubs.StubIndex;
+import com.intellij.psi.stubs.StubIndexKey;
+import com.jetbrains.python.psi.PyTargetExpression;
+
+import java.util.Collection;
+
+/**
+ * @author yole
+ */
+public class PyVariableNameIndex extends StringStubIndexExtension<PyTargetExpression> {
+  public static final StubIndexKey<String, PyTargetExpression> KEY = StubIndexKey.createIndexKey("Py.variable.shortName");
+
+  public StubIndexKey<String, PyTargetExpression> getKey() {
+    return KEY;
+  }
+
+  public static Collection<PyTargetExpression> find(String name, Project project, GlobalSearchScope scope) {
+    return StubIndex.getInstance().get(KEY, name, project, scope);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/python/testData/stubs/VariableIndex.py b/python/testData/stubs/VariableIndex.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c44a0878dcb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/testData/stubs/VariableIndex.py
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+xyzzy = 1
+
+__all__ = ['xyzzy']
+
+def foo():
+    shazam = 2
+
+class C:
+    boohoo = 3
diff --git a/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/PyStubsTest.java b/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/PyStubsTest.java
index dc649f6f2c43..1163ba39c7d6 100644
--- a/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/PyStubsTest.java
+++ b/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/PyStubsTest.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
 import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.VirtualFile;
 import com.intellij.psi.PsiElement;
 import com.intellij.psi.PsiFile;
+import com.intellij.psi.search.GlobalSearchScope;
 import com.intellij.psi.stubs.StubElement;
 import com.intellij.psi.stubs.StubUpdatingIndex;
 import com.intellij.testFramework.TestDataPath;
@@ -19,8 +20,10 @@ import com.jetbrains.python.psi.impl.PyFileImpl;
 import com.jetbrains.python.psi.impl.PyQualifiedName;
 import com.jetbrains.python.psi.impl.PythonLanguageLevelPusher;
 import com.jetbrains.python.psi.stubs.PyClassStub;
+import com.jetbrains.python.psi.stubs.PyVariableNameIndex;
 import com.jetbrains.python.toolbox.Maybe;
 
+import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
 
 @TestDataPath("$CONTENT_ROOT/../testData/stubs/")
@@ -269,6 +272,16 @@ public class PyStubsTest extends PyLightFixtureTestCase {
     assertNotParsed(file);
   }
 
+  public void testVariableIndex() {
+    getTestFile();
+    GlobalSearchScope scope = GlobalSearchScope.allScope(myFixture.getProject());
+    Collection<PyTargetExpression> result = PyVariableNameIndex.find("xyzzy", myFixture.getProject(), scope);
+    assertEquals(1, result.size());
+    assertEquals(0, PyVariableNameIndex.find("shazam", myFixture.getProject(), scope).size());
+    assertEquals(0, PyVariableNameIndex.find("boohoo", myFixture.getProject(), scope).size());
+    assertEquals(0, PyVariableNameIndex.find("__all__", myFixture.getProject(), scope).size());
+  }
+
   private PyFile getTestFile() {
     return getTestFile(getTestName(false) + ".py");
   }