diff --git a/platform/core-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/plugins/IdeaPluginDescriptorImpl.java b/platform/core-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/plugins/IdeaPluginDescriptorImpl.java
index 1d21877b6aa4..76dde7aab884 100644
--- a/platform/core-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/plugins/IdeaPluginDescriptorImpl.java
+++ b/platform/core-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/plugins/IdeaPluginDescriptorImpl.java
@@ -146,10 +146,10 @@ public class IdeaPluginDescriptorImpl implements IdeaPluginDescriptor {
   }
 
   public void readExternal(@NotNull Document document, @NotNull URL url, boolean ignoreMissingInclude, @NotNull JDOMXIncluder.PathResolver pathResolver) throws InvalidDataException {
-    document = JDOMXIncluder.resolve(document, url.toExternalForm(), ignoreMissingInclude, pathResolver);
-    Element rootElement = document.getRootElement();
-    Element newElement = JDOMUtil.internElement(rootElement);
-    readExternal(newElement);
+    // root element always `!isIncludeElement` and it means that result always is a singleton list
+    // (also, plugin xml describes one plugin, this descriptor is not able to represent several plugins)
+    Element rootElement = JDOMXIncluder.resolveNonXIncludeElement(document.getRootElement(), url.toExternalForm(), ignoreMissingInclude, pathResolver);
+    readExternal(JDOMUtil.internElement(rootElement));
   }
 
   public void readExternal(@NotNull URL url) throws InvalidDataException, FileNotFoundException {
diff --git a/platform/util/src/com/intellij/util/xmlb/JDOMXIncluder.java b/platform/util/src/com/intellij/util/xmlb/JDOMXIncluder.java
index 936d242b2d5b..fd4f199974cc 100644
--- a/platform/util/src/com/intellij/util/xmlb/JDOMXIncluder.java
+++ b/platform/util/src/com/intellij/util/xmlb/JDOMXIncluder.java
@@ -82,6 +82,17 @@ public class JDOMXIncluder {
     return new JDOMXIncluder(ignoreMissing, pathResolver).doResolve(original, base);
   }
 
+  @NotNull
+  public static Element resolveNonXIncludeElement(@NotNull Element original, @Nullable String base, boolean ignoreMissing, PathResolver pathResolver) throws XIncludeException {
+    LOG.assertTrue(!isIncludeElement(original));
+
+    Stack<String> bases = new Stack<String>();
+    if (base != null) {
+      bases.push(base);
+    }
+    return new JDOMXIncluder(ignoreMissing, pathResolver).resolveNonXIncludeElement(original, bases);
+  }
+
   @NotNull
   public static List<Content> resolve(@NotNull Element original, String base) throws XIncludeException {
     return new JDOMXIncluder(false, DEFAULT_PATH_RESOLVER).doResolve(original, base);
@@ -176,9 +187,7 @@ public class JDOMXIncluder {
       bases.push(base);
     }
 
-    List<Content> result = resolve(original, bases);
-    bases.pop();
-    return result;
+    return resolve(original, bases);
   }
 
   private static boolean isIncludeElement(Element element) {