diff --git a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/template/impl/LiveTemplateSettingsEditor.java b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/template/impl/LiveTemplateSettingsEditor.java
index 065b4bdc2e63..f5f1c36d0225 100644
--- a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/template/impl/LiveTemplateSettingsEditor.java
+++ b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/template/impl/LiveTemplateSettingsEditor.java
@@ -487,7 +487,9 @@ public class LiveTemplateSettingsEditor extends JPanel {
   }
 
   private void validateEditVariablesButton() {
-    myEditVariablesButton.setEnabled(!parseVariables().isEmpty());
+    boolean hasVariables = !parseVariables().isEmpty();
+    myEditVariablesButton.setEnabled(hasVariables);
+    myEditVariablesButton.setToolTipText(hasVariables ? null : "Disabled because the template has no variables (surrounded with $ signs)");
   }
 
   void resetUi() {