diff --git a/python/openapi/src/com/jetbrains/python/venvReader/VirtualEnvReader.kt b/python/openapi/src/com/jetbrains/python/venvReader/VirtualEnvReader.kt
index a0efcf226da3..92e1c8efb0d3 100644
--- a/python/openapi/src/com/jetbrains/python/venvReader/VirtualEnvReader.kt
+++ b/python/openapi/src/com/jetbrains/python/venvReader/VirtualEnvReader.kt
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ import org.jetbrains.annotations.ApiStatus
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NonNls
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.TestOnly
 import java.io.IOException
+import java.nio.file.NoSuchFileException
+import java.nio.file.NotDirectoryException
 import java.nio.file.Path
 import kotlin.io.path.*
 
@@ -57,7 +59,7 @@ class VirtualEnvReader private constructor(
    */
   @RequiresBackgroundThread
   fun findVEnvInterpreters(): List<PythonBinary> =
-    findLocalInterpreters(getVEnvRootDir())
+    findVenvsInDir(getVEnvRootDir())
 
   @RequiresBackgroundThread
   fun getPyenvRootDir(eel: EelApi? = getLocalEelIfApp()): Directory {
@@ -66,16 +68,26 @@ class VirtualEnvReader private constructor(
 
   @RequiresBackgroundThread
   fun findPyenvInterpreters(): List<PythonBinary> =
-    findLocalInterpreters(getPyenvVersionsDir())
+    findVenvsInDir(getPyenvVersionsDir())
 
+  /**
+   * List contents of [root] looking for envs there, returns all pythons it were able to find
+   */
   @RequiresBackgroundThread
-  fun findLocalInterpreters(root: Directory): List<PythonBinary> {
-    if (!root.isDirectory()) {
-      return listOf()
-    }
+  fun findVenvsInDir(root: Directory): List<PythonBinary> {
 
     val candidates: ArrayList<Path> = arrayListOf()
-    for (dir in root.listDirectoryEntries()) {
+    val children = try {
+      root.listDirectoryEntries()
+    }
+    catch (_: NoSuchFileException) {
+      return emptyList()
+    }
+    catch (_: NotDirectoryException) {
+      return emptyList()
+    }
+
+    for (dir in children) {
       findPythonInPythonRoot(dir)?.let { candidates.add(it) }
     }
 
@@ -120,19 +132,12 @@ class VirtualEnvReader private constructor(
    */
   @RequiresBackgroundThread
   fun findPythonInPythonRoot(dir: PythonHomePath): PythonBinary? {
-    if (!dir.isDirectory()) {
-      return null
-    }
 
     val bin = dir.resolve("bin")
-    if (bin.isDirectory()) {
-      findInterpreter(bin)?.let { return it }
-    }
+    findInterpreter(bin)?.let { return it }
 
     val scripts = dir.resolve("Scripts")
-    if (scripts.isDirectory()) {
-      findInterpreter(scripts)?.let { return it }
-    }
+    findInterpreter(scripts)?.let { return it }
 
     return findInterpreter(dir)
   }
@@ -170,10 +175,18 @@ class VirtualEnvReader private constructor(
   @RequiresBackgroundThread
   private fun findInterpreter(dir: Path): PythonBinary? {
     val pythonNames = when (forcedOs ?: dir.getEelDescriptor().osFamily) {
-      EelOsFamily.Posix -> setOf("pypy", "python")
-      EelOsFamily.Windows -> setOf("pypy.exe", "python.exe")
+      EelOsFamily.Posix -> POSIX_BINS
+      EelOsFamily.Windows -> WIN_BINS
+    }
+    return try {
+      dir.listDirectoryEntries().firstOrNull { it.name.lowercase() in pythonNames && it.isRegularFile() }
+    }
+    catch (_: NotDirectoryException) {
+      return null
+    }
+    catch (_: NoSuchFileException) {
+      return null
     }
-    return dir.listDirectoryEntries().firstOrNull { it.isRegularFile() && it.name.lowercase() in pythonNames }
   }
 
   @RequiresBackgroundThread
@@ -203,6 +216,8 @@ class VirtualEnvReader private constructor(
     @Suppress("VENV_IS_OK") // The only place it should be used in prod
     const val DEFAULT_VIRTUALENV_DIRNAME: String = ".venv"
 
+    private val POSIX_BINS = setOf("pypy", "python")
+    private val WIN_BINS = setOf("pypy.exe", "python.exe")
     private fun getLocalEelIfApp(): EelApi? = if (ApplicationManager.getApplication() != null) localEel else null
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/sdk/flavors/VirtualEnvSdkFlavor.java b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/sdk/flavors/VirtualEnvSdkFlavor.java
index 0b0a89a89f5c..0d51c8b4e8b1 100644
--- a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/sdk/flavors/VirtualEnvSdkFlavor.java
+++ b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/sdk/flavors/VirtualEnvSdkFlavor.java
@@ -57,11 +57,11 @@ public final class VirtualEnvSdkFlavor extends CPythonSdkFlavor<PyFlavorData.Emp
 
       var reader = VirtualEnvReader.getInstance();
       if (baseDirFromModule != null) {
-        candidates.addAll(reader.findLocalInterpreters(baseDirFromModule.toNioPath()));
+        candidates.addAll(reader.findVenvsInDir(baseDirFromModule.toNioPath()));
       } else if (baseDirFromContext != null) {
         final VirtualFile dir = VfsUtil.findFile(baseDirFromContext, false);
         if (dir != null) {
-          candidates.addAll(reader.findLocalInterpreters(dir.toNioPath()));
+          candidates.addAll(reader.findVenvsInDir(dir.toNioPath()));
         }
       }