diff --git a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/psi/impl/compiled/SignatureParsing.java b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/psi/impl/compiled/SignatureParsing.java
index 832d4c4fd7b3..1c86e76f7f3f 100644
--- a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/psi/impl/compiled/SignatureParsing.java
+++ b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/psi/impl/compiled/SignatureParsing.java
@@ -169,6 +169,10 @@ public class SignatureParsing {
 
   public static String parseClassOrTypeVariableElement(CharacterIterator signature) throws ClsFormatException {
     char variance = parseVariance(signature);
+    if (variance == '*') {
+      return decorateTypeText("*", variance);
+    }
+
     int arrayCount = 0;
     while (signature.current() == '[') {
       arrayCount++;
@@ -184,9 +188,6 @@ public class SignatureParsing {
       }
       return decorateTypeText(ref, variance);
     }
-    else if (variance == '*') {
-      return decorateTypeText("*", variance);
-    }
     else {
       throw new ClsFormatException();
     }
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/psi/SignatureParsingTest.java b/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/psi/SignatureParsingTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..caa75a008a85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/psi/SignatureParsingTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/*
+ * @author max
+ */
+package com.intellij.psi;
+
+import com.intellij.psi.impl.compiled.SignatureParsing;
+import junit.framework.TestCase;
+
+import java.text.StringCharacterIterator;
+
+public class SignatureParsingTest extends TestCase {
+  public void testVarianceAmbiguity() throws Exception {
+    assertEquals("Psi<?,P>", SignatureParsing.parseTypeString(new StringCharacterIterator("LPsi<*TP>;")));
+    assertEquals("Psi<? extends P>", SignatureParsing.parseTypeString(new StringCharacterIterator("LPsi<+TP>;")));
+    assertEquals("Psi<? super P>", SignatureParsing.parseTypeString(new StringCharacterIterator("LPsi<-TP>;")));
+  }
+}