diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/project/impl/ProjectManagerImpl.java b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/project/impl/ProjectManagerImpl.java
index 6ea2753665ed..fd0d5f531f35 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/project/impl/ProjectManagerImpl.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/project/impl/ProjectManagerImpl.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import com.intellij.configurationStore.StorageUtilKt;
 import com.intellij.conversion.ConversionResult;
 import com.intellij.conversion.ConversionService;
 import com.intellij.ide.AppLifecycleListener;
+import com.intellij.ide.IdeEventQueue;
 import com.intellij.ide.impl.ProjectUtil;
 import com.intellij.ide.plugins.PluginManager;
 import com.intellij.ide.startup.StartupManagerEx;
@@ -383,6 +384,9 @@ public class ProjectManagerImpl extends ProjectManagerEx implements Disposable {
       return true;
     }
 
+    // process all pending events that can interrupt focus flow
+    IdeEventQueue.getInstance().flushQueue();
+
     boolean ok = myProgressManager.runProcessWithProgressSynchronously(process, ProjectBundle.message("project.load.progress"), canCancelProjectLoading(), project);
     if (!ok) {
       closeProject(project, false, false, true);