diff --git a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/changeSignature/JavaChangeSignatureDialog.java b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/changeSignature/JavaChangeSignatureDialog.java
index 53ade20d2844..585afde4c309 100644
--- a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/changeSignature/JavaChangeSignatureDialog.java
+++ b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/changeSignature/JavaChangeSignatureDialog.java
@@ -212,9 +212,9 @@ public class JavaChangeSignatureDialog extends ChangeSignatureDialogBase<Paramet
 
   @Override
   protected PsiCodeFragment createReturnTypeCodeFragment() {
-    final PsiTypeElement typeElement = myMethod.getMethod().getReturnTypeElement();
-    String text = typeElement != null ? typeElement.getText() : "";
-    return JavaPsiFacade.getInstance(myProject).getElementFactory().createTypeCodeFragment(text, myMethod.getMethod(), true, true);
+    String returnTypeText = StringUtil.notNullize(myMethod.getReturnTypeText());
+    return JavaPsiFacade.getInstance(myProject).getElementFactory()
+      .createTypeCodeFragment(returnTypeText, myMethod.getMethod(), true, true);
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/changeSignature/JavaMethodDescriptor.java b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/changeSignature/JavaMethodDescriptor.java
index 7192d6f493c2..fea00e94d8dd 100644
--- a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/changeSignature/JavaMethodDescriptor.java
+++ b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/changeSignature/JavaMethodDescriptor.java
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ package com.intellij.refactoring.changeSignature;
 import com.intellij.psi.PsiClass;
 import com.intellij.psi.PsiMethod;
 import com.intellij.psi.PsiParameter;
+import com.intellij.psi.PsiTypeElement;
 import com.intellij.util.VisibilityUtil;
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -69,6 +71,12 @@ public class JavaMethodDescriptor implements MethodDescriptor<ParameterInfoImpl>
     return myMethod.getParameterList().getParametersCount();
   }
 
+  @Nullable
+  public String getReturnTypeText() {
+    final PsiTypeElement typeElement = myMethod.getReturnTypeElement();
+    return typeElement != null ? typeElement.getText() : null;
+  }
+
   @Override
   public boolean canChangeVisibility() {
     PsiClass containingClass = myMethod.getContainingClass();