diff --git a/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/statements/expressions/GrReferenceExpressionImpl.java b/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/statements/expressions/GrReferenceExpressionImpl.java
index a961f85037c7..cd57d81ee9be 100644
--- a/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/statements/expressions/GrReferenceExpressionImpl.java
+++ b/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/statements/expressions/GrReferenceExpressionImpl.java
@@ -418,7 +418,8 @@ public class GrReferenceExpressionImpl extends GrReferenceElementImpl<GrExpressi
       if (getParent() instanceof GrReferenceExpression) {
         result = facade.getElementFactory().createType((PsiClass) resolved);
       } else {
-        result = createJavaLangClassType(facade, facade.getElementFactory().createType((PsiClass)resolved));
+        result = TypesUtil
+          .createJavaLangClassType(facade.getElementFactory().createType((PsiClass)resolved), getProject(), getResolveScope());
       }
     } else if (resolved instanceof GrVariable) {
       result = ((GrVariable) resolved).getDeclaredType();
@@ -438,10 +439,11 @@ public class GrReferenceExpressionImpl extends GrReferenceElementImpl<GrExpressi
                 "getClass".equals(method.getName())) {
           final GrExpression qualifier = getQualifier();
           if (PsiUtil.seemsToBeQualifiedClassName(qualifier)) {
-            result = createJavaLangClassType(facade, facade.getElementFactory().createTypeFromText(qualifier.getText(), this));
+            result = TypesUtil.createJavaLangClassType(facade.getElementFactory().createTypeFromText(qualifier.getText(), this),
+                                                       getProject(), getResolveScope());
           }
           else {
-            result = getTypeForObjectGetClass(facade, method);
+            result = getTypeForObjectGetClass(method);
           }
         } else {
           result = PsiUtil.getSmartReturnType(method);
@@ -466,9 +468,10 @@ public class GrReferenceExpressionImpl extends GrReferenceElementImpl<GrExpressi
       if ("class".equals(getReferenceName())) {
         if (PsiUtil.seemsToBeQualifiedClassName(qualifier)) {
           assert qualifier != null;
-          result = createJavaLangClassType(facade, facade.getElementFactory().createTypeFromText(qualifier.getText(), this));
+          result = TypesUtil.createJavaLangClassType(facade.getElementFactory().createTypeFromText(qualifier.getText(), this), getProject(),
+                                                     getResolveScope());
         } else {
-          result = createJavaLangClassType(facade, getQualifierType());
+          result = TypesUtil.createJavaLangClassType(getQualifierType(), getProject(), getResolveScope());
         }
       }
       else {
@@ -502,21 +505,6 @@ public class GrReferenceExpressionImpl extends GrReferenceElementImpl<GrExpressi
     }
   }
 
-  @Nullable
-  private PsiType createJavaLangClassType(JavaPsiFacade facade, @Nullable PsiType type) {
-    PsiType result = null;
-    PsiClass javaLangClass = facade.findClass(CommonClassNames.JAVA_LANG_CLASS, getResolveScope());
-    if (javaLangClass != null) {
-      PsiSubstitutor substitutor = PsiSubstitutor.EMPTY;
-      final PsiTypeParameter[] typeParameters = javaLangClass.getTypeParameters();
-      if (typeParameters.length == 1) {
-        substitutor = substitutor.put(typeParameters[0], type);
-      }
-      result = facade.getElementFactory().createType(javaLangClass, substitutor);
-    }
-    return result;
-  }
-
   @Nullable
   private PsiType getQualifierType() {
     final GrExpression qualifier = getQualifierExpression();
@@ -536,14 +524,14 @@ public class GrReferenceExpressionImpl extends GrReferenceElementImpl<GrExpressi
   }
 
   @Nullable
-  private PsiType getTypeForObjectGetClass(JavaPsiFacade facade, PsiMethod method) {
+  private PsiType getTypeForObjectGetClass(PsiMethod method) {
     PsiType type = PsiUtil.getSmartReturnType(method);
     if (type instanceof PsiClassType) {
       PsiClass clazz = ((PsiClassType)type).resolve();
       if (clazz != null && CommonClassNames.JAVA_LANG_CLASS.equals(clazz.getQualifiedName())) {
         PsiTypeParameter[] typeParameters = clazz.getTypeParameters();
         if (typeParameters.length == 1) {
-          return createJavaLangClassType(facade, getQualifierType());
+          return TypesUtil.createJavaLangClassType(getQualifierType(), getProject(), getResolveScope());
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/statements/expressions/TypesUtil.java b/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/statements/expressions/TypesUtil.java
index 1462e8a98ddf..021d0f4b7a83 100644
--- a/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/statements/expressions/TypesUtil.java
+++ b/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/statements/expressions/TypesUtil.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  */
 package org.jetbrains.plugins.groovy.lang.psi.impl.statements.expressions;
 
+import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
 import com.intellij.pom.java.LanguageLevel;
 import com.intellij.psi.*;
 import com.intellij.psi.impl.PsiSubstitutorImpl;
@@ -146,6 +147,7 @@ public class TypesUtil {
     ourOperationsToOperatorNames.put(mSTAR, "multiply");
     ourOperationsToOperatorNames.put(mDEC, "previous");
     ourOperationsToOperatorNames.put(mINC, "next");
+    ourOperationsToOperatorNames.put(kAS, "asType");
   }
 
   private static final TObjectIntHashMap<String> TYPE_TO_RANK = new TObjectIntHashMap<String>();
@@ -491,4 +493,22 @@ public class TypesUtil {
   public static PsiClassType createTypeByFQClassName(@NotNull String fqName, @NotNull PsiElement context) {
     return GroovyPsiManager.getInstance(context.getProject()).createTypeByFQClassName(fqName, context.getResolveScope());
   }
+
+  @Nullable
+  public static PsiType createJavaLangClassType(@Nullable PsiType type,
+                                         Project project,
+                                         GlobalSearchScope resolveScope) {
+    final JavaPsiFacade facade = JavaPsiFacade.getInstance(project);
+    PsiType result = null;
+    PsiClass javaLangClass = facade.findClass(JAVA_LANG_CLASS, resolveScope);
+    if (javaLangClass != null) {
+      PsiSubstitutor substitutor = PsiSubstitutor.EMPTY;
+      final PsiTypeParameter[] typeParameters = javaLangClass.getTypeParameters();
+      if (typeParameters.length == 1) {
+        substitutor = substitutor.put(typeParameters[0], type);
+      }
+      result = facade.getElementFactory().createType(javaLangClass, substitutor);
+    }
+    return result;
+  }
 }