diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/NoPreviewReplacementWithEmptyString.gold b/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/NoPreviewReplacementWithEmptyString.gold
index 88da8b3d1263..a680e18ffa26 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/NoPreviewReplacementWithEmptyString.gold
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/NoPreviewReplacementWithEmptyString.gold
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 --- FIND MODEL ---
-myStringToFind = ''
+myStringToFind = null
 myStringToReplace = ''
 isReplaceState = false
 isWholeWordsOnly = false
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/NoPreviewSecondRegexReplaceShowsPopup.gold b/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/NoPreviewSecondRegexReplaceShowsPopup.gold
index f9c1b894d9a7..685461552b0a 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/NoPreviewSecondRegexReplaceShowsPopup.gold
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/NoPreviewSecondRegexReplaceShowsPopup.gold
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 --- FIND MODEL ---
-myStringToFind = ''
+myStringToFind = null
 myStringToReplace = ''
 isReplaceState = false
 isWholeWordsOnly = false
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/ReplacementWithEmptyString.gold b/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/ReplacementWithEmptyString.gold
index d988866baa25..cab2f8df96fd 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/ReplacementWithEmptyString.gold
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/ReplacementWithEmptyString.gold
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 --- FIND MODEL ---
-myStringToFind = ''
+myStringToFind = null
 myStringToReplace = ''
 isReplaceState = false
 isWholeWordsOnly = false
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/SearchAdjacentOccurrences.gold b/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/SearchAdjacentOccurrences.gold
index 528a6ee0dd9e..a6da12ca061c 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/SearchAdjacentOccurrences.gold
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/SearchAdjacentOccurrences.gold
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 --- FIND MODEL ---
-myStringToFind = ''
+myStringToFind = null
 myStringToReplace = ''
 isReplaceState = false
 isWholeWordsOnly = false
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/SecondRegexReplaceShowsPopup.gold b/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/SecondRegexReplaceShowsPopup.gold
index d6c845b5792d..a01d86280916 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/SecondRegexReplaceShowsPopup.gold
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/SecondRegexReplaceShowsPopup.gold
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 --- FIND MODEL ---
-myStringToFind = ''
+myStringToFind = null
 myStringToReplace = ''
 isReplaceState = false
 isWholeWordsOnly = false
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/ZeroWidthRegexpAtEndOfFile.gold b/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/ZeroWidthRegexpAtEndOfFile.gold
index 03b98f7642ed..b27810c4ee1a 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/ZeroWidthRegexpAtEndOfFile.gold
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/find/findInEditor/ZeroWidthRegexpAtEndOfFile.gold
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 --- FIND MODEL ---
-myStringToFind = ''
+myStringToFind = null
 myStringToReplace = ''
 isReplaceState = false
 isWholeWordsOnly = false
diff --git a/platform/indexing-api/src/com/intellij/find/FindModel.java b/platform/indexing-api/src/com/intellij/find/FindModel.java
index 53cf709077df..eca7e9b6e2ec 100644
--- a/platform/indexing-api/src/com/intellij/find/FindModel.java
+++ b/platform/indexing-api/src/com/intellij/find/FindModel.java
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public class FindModel extends UserDataHolderBase implements Cloneable {
     }
   }
 
-  private String myStringToFind = "";
+  private String myStringToFind = null;
   private String myStringToReplace = "";
   private boolean isSearchHighlighters;
   private boolean isReplaceState;
@@ -236,7 +236,11 @@ public class FindModel extends UserDataHolderBase implements Cloneable {
    */
   @NotNull
   public String getStringToFind() {
-    return myStringToFind;
+    return (myStringToFind == null) ? "" : myStringToFind;
+  }
+
+  public boolean hasStringToFind() {
+    return myStringToFind != null;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -617,7 +621,7 @@ public class FindModel extends UserDataHolderBase implements Cloneable {
   @Override
   public String toString() {
     return "--- FIND MODEL ---\n" +
-           "myStringToFind = '" + myStringToFind + "'\n" +
+           "myStringToFind = " + (myStringToFind == null ? "null\n" : "'" + myStringToFind + "'\n") +
            "myStringToReplace = '" + myStringToReplace + "'\n" +
            "isReplaceState = " + isReplaceState + "\n" +
            "isWholeWordsOnly = " + isWholeWordsOnly + "\n" +
diff --git a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/find/impl/FindPopupPanel.java b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/find/impl/FindPopupPanel.java
index 73339630915c..bd8e6aa150d4 100644
--- a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/find/impl/FindPopupPanel.java
+++ b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/find/impl/FindPopupPanel.java
@@ -1048,8 +1048,10 @@ public class FindPopupPanel extends JBPanel<FindPopupPanel> implements FindUI, D
     }
     header.fileMaskField.setEnabled(isThereFileFilter);
     FindInProjectSettings findInProjectSettings = FindInProjectSettings.getInstance(myProject);
-    mySearchComponent.setText(findInProjectSettings.getMostRecentFindString());
-    myReplaceComponent.setText(findInProjectSettings.getMostRecentReplaceString());
+    String search = myModel.hasStringToFind() ? myModel.getStringToFind() : findInProjectSettings.getMostRecentFindString();
+    mySearchComponent.setText(search);
+    String replace = myModel.hasStringToFind() ? myModel.getStringToReplace() : findInProjectSettings.getMostRecentReplaceString();
+    myReplaceComponent.setText(replace);
     updateControls();
     updateScopeDetailsPanel();