diff --git a/platform/execution-impl/src/com/intellij/execution/wsl/target/WslTargetType.kt b/platform/execution-impl/src/com/intellij/execution/wsl/target/WslTargetType.kt
index e4779ad6ee38..582f221d28b8 100644
--- a/platform/execution-impl/src/com/intellij/execution/wsl/target/WslTargetType.kt
+++ b/platform/execution-impl/src/com/intellij/execution/wsl/target/WslTargetType.kt
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ class WslTargetType : TargetEnvironmentType<WslTargetEnvironmentConfiguration>(T
     configuration.distribution?.let {
       val textAccessor = object : TextAccessor {
         override fun setText(text: String) = textComponentAccessor.setText(component, text)
-        override fun getText() = textComponentAccessor.getText(component)
+        override fun getText(): @NlsSafe String = textComponentAccessor.getText(component) ?: it.userHome ?: "/"
       }
       browseWslPath(textAccessor,
                     it,