diff --git a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/projectView/BaseProjectTreeBuilder.java b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/projectView/BaseProjectTreeBuilder.java
index dcbf7ed025f4..3d92e7364fcd 100644
--- a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/projectView/BaseProjectTreeBuilder.java
+++ b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/projectView/BaseProjectTreeBuilder.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import com.intellij.ide.favoritesTreeView.FavoritesTreeNodeDescriptor;
 import com.intellij.ide.util.treeView.AbstractTreeBuilder;
 import com.intellij.ide.util.treeView.AbstractTreeNode;
 import com.intellij.ide.util.treeView.AbstractTreeStructure;
+import com.intellij.ide.util.treeView.AbstractTreeUpdater;
 import com.intellij.ide.util.treeView.NodeDescriptor;
 import com.intellij.openapi.progress.ProgressIndicator;
 import com.intellij.openapi.progress.Progressive;
@@ -160,11 +161,14 @@ public abstract class BaseProjectTreeBuilder extends AbstractTreeBuilder {
                                  final boolean requestFocus,
                                  final Condition<AbstractTreeNode> nonStopCondition) {
 
+    AbstractTreeUpdater updater = getUpdater();
+    if (updater == null) return ActionCallback.REJECTED;
+
     final ActionCallback result = new ActionCallback();
 
     final FocusRequestor requestor = IdeFocusManager.getInstance(myProject).getFurtherRequestor();
 
-    UiActivityMonitor.getInstance().addActivity(myProject, new UiActivity.AsyncBgOperation("projectViewSelect"), getUpdater().getModalityState());
+    UiActivityMonitor.getInstance().addActivity(myProject, new UiActivity.AsyncBgOperation("projectViewSelect"), updater.getModalityState());
     batch(indicator -> {
       _select(element, file, requestFocus, nonStopCondition, result, indicator, null, requestor, false);
       UiActivityMonitor.getInstance().removeActivity(myProject, new UiActivity.AsyncBgOperation("projectViewSelect"));