diff --git a/java/execution/impl/src/com/intellij/execution/applet/AppletConfiguration.java b/java/execution/impl/src/com/intellij/execution/applet/AppletConfiguration.java
index 1b49808ef077..7c31e1419f79 100644
--- a/java/execution/impl/src/com/intellij/execution/applet/AppletConfiguration.java
+++ b/java/execution/impl/src/com/intellij/execution/applet/AppletConfiguration.java
@@ -46,17 +46,16 @@ public class AppletConfiguration extends ModuleBasedConfiguration<JavaRunConfigu
     super(new JavaRunConfigurationModule(project, false), factory);
   }
 
-  @NotNull
-  @Override
-  protected AppletConfigurationOptions createOptions() {
-    return new AppletConfigurationOptions();
-  }
-
   @Override
   protected AppletConfigurationOptions getOptions() {
     return (AppletConfigurationOptions)super.getOptions();
   }
 
+  @Override
+  protected Class<AppletConfigurationOptions> getOptionsClass() {
+    return AppletConfigurationOptions.class;
+  }
+
   @Override
   public void setMainClass(final PsiClass psiClass) {
     final Module originalModule = getConfigurationModule().getModule();
diff --git a/platform/lang-api/src/com/intellij/execution/configurations/LocatableConfigurationBase.java b/platform/lang-api/src/com/intellij/execution/configurations/LocatableConfigurationBase.java
index 53993757b0f1..bd125d32cd37 100644
--- a/platform/lang-api/src/com/intellij/execution/configurations/LocatableConfigurationBase.java
+++ b/platform/lang-api/src/com/intellij/execution/configurations/LocatableConfigurationBase.java
@@ -18,19 +18,13 @@ public abstract class LocatableConfigurationBase extends RunConfigurationBase im
     super(project, factory, name);
   }
 
-  @NotNull
-  @Override
-  protected RunConfigurationOptions createOptions() {
-    return new LocatableRunConfigurationOptions();
-  }
-
   @Override
   protected LocatableRunConfigurationOptions getOptions() {
     return (LocatableRunConfigurationOptions)super.getOptions();
   }
 
   @Override
-  Class<? extends LocatableRunConfigurationOptions> getOptionsClass() {
+  protected Class<? extends LocatableRunConfigurationOptions> getOptionsClass() {
     return LocatableRunConfigurationOptions.class;
   }
 
diff --git a/platform/lang-api/src/com/intellij/execution/configurations/ModuleBasedConfiguration.java b/platform/lang-api/src/com/intellij/execution/configurations/ModuleBasedConfiguration.java
index 6e25751f3049..e84ef8463733 100644
--- a/platform/lang-api/src/com/intellij/execution/configurations/ModuleBasedConfiguration.java
+++ b/platform/lang-api/src/com/intellij/execution/configurations/ModuleBasedConfiguration.java
@@ -33,12 +33,6 @@ public abstract class ModuleBasedConfiguration<ConfigurationModule extends RunCo
     options.resetModificationCount();
   }
 
-  @NotNull
-  @Override
-  protected ModuleBasedConfigurationOptions<ConfigurationModule> createOptions() {
-    return new ModuleBasedConfigurationOptions<>();
-  }
-
   @Override
   protected ModuleBasedConfigurationOptions<ConfigurationModule> getOptions() {
     //noinspection unchecked
@@ -46,7 +40,7 @@ public abstract class ModuleBasedConfiguration<ConfigurationModule extends RunCo
   }
 
   @Override
-  Class<ModuleBasedConfigurationOptions> getOptionsClass() {
+  protected Class<? extends ModuleBasedConfigurationOptions> getOptionsClass() {
     return ModuleBasedConfigurationOptions.class;
   }
 
@@ -98,6 +92,18 @@ public abstract class ModuleBasedConfiguration<ConfigurationModule extends RunCo
     return configuration;
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public void readExternal(Element element) throws InvalidDataException {
+    ConfigurationModule module = getConfigurationModule();
+    super.readExternal(element);
+
+    // if null after read, it means that no such field at all in the data, but our clients expect that will be some not null ConfigurationModule wrapper
+    if (getConfigurationModule() == null) {
+      module.setModule(null);
+      getOptions().setModule(module);
+    }
+  }
+
   @SuppressWarnings("MethodDoesntCallSuperMethod")
   @Override
   public ModuleBasedConfiguration clone() {
diff --git a/platform/lang-api/src/com/intellij/execution/configurations/RunConfigurationBase.java b/platform/lang-api/src/com/intellij/execution/configurations/RunConfigurationBase.java
index 7f53fb5ea82b..78f92fb72356 100644
--- a/platform/lang-api/src/com/intellij/execution/configurations/RunConfigurationBase.java
+++ b/platform/lang-api/src/com/intellij/execution/configurations/RunConfigurationBase.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.util.InvalidDataException;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.JDOMExternalizerUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.UserDataHolderBase;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.WriteExternalException;
+import com.intellij.util.ReflectionUtil;
 import com.intellij.util.SmartList;
 import com.intellij.util.xmlb.annotations.Attribute;
 import com.intellij.util.xmlb.annotations.Transient;
@@ -55,8 +56,8 @@ public abstract class RunConfigurationBase extends UserDataHolderBase implements
   }
 
   @NotNull
-  protected RunConfigurationOptions createOptions() {
-    return new RunConfigurationOptions();
+  private RunConfigurationOptions createOptions() {
+    return ReflectionUtil.newInstance(getOptionsClass());
   }
 
   protected RunConfigurationOptions getOptions() {
@@ -128,6 +129,8 @@ public abstract class RunConfigurationBase extends UserDataHolderBase implements
     final RunConfigurationBase runConfiguration = (RunConfigurationBase)super.clone();
     runConfiguration.myLogFiles = new ArrayList<>(myLogFiles);
     runConfiguration.myPredefinedLogFiles = new ArrayList<>(myPredefinedLogFiles);
+
+    runConfiguration.myOptions = createOptions();
     runConfiguration.myOptions.copyFrom(myOptions);
     copyCopyableDataTo(runConfiguration);
 
@@ -206,16 +209,14 @@ public abstract class RunConfigurationBase extends UserDataHolderBase implements
       myPredefinedLogFiles.add(logFile);
     }
 
-    if (this instanceof PersistentStateComponent) {
-      PersistentStateComponent instance = (PersistentStateComponent)this;
-      myOptions = XmlSerializer.deserialize(element, ComponentSerializationUtil.getStateClass(instance.getClass()));
-    }
-    else {
-      myOptions = XmlSerializer.deserialize(element, getOptionsClass());
-    }
+    myOptions = XmlSerializer.deserialize(element, getOptionsClass());
   }
 
-  Class<? extends RunConfigurationOptions> getOptionsClass() {
+  protected Class<? extends RunConfigurationOptions> getOptionsClass() {
+    if (this instanceof PersistentStateComponent) {
+      PersistentStateComponent instance = (PersistentStateComponent)this;
+      return ComponentSerializationUtil.getStateClass(instance.getClass());
+    }
     return RunConfigurationOptions.class;
   }