diff --git a/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/actions/BaseShowDiffAction.java b/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/actions/BaseShowDiffAction.java
index e918a207063e..2da043cc5812 100644
--- a/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/actions/BaseShowDiffAction.java
+++ b/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/actions/BaseShowDiffAction.java
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ abstract class BaseShowDiffAction extends AnAction implements DumbAware {
   protected abstract boolean isAvailable(@NotNull AnActionEvent e);
 
   protected static boolean hasContent(VirtualFile file) {
-    return ! (file instanceof VirtualFileWithoutContent);
+    return !(file instanceof VirtualFileWithoutContent);
   }
 
   @Nullable
diff --git a/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/actions/CompareFileWithEditorAction.java b/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/actions/CompareFileWithEditorAction.java
index 7f27f7ff45b4..4c7939552a37 100644
--- a/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/actions/CompareFileWithEditorAction.java
+++ b/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/actions/CompareFileWithEditorAction.java
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public class CompareFileWithEditorAction extends BaseShowDiffAction {
   }
 
   private static boolean canCompare(@NotNull VirtualFile file1, @NotNull VirtualFile file2) {
-    return file1.isValid() && file2.isValid() && !file1.equals(file2) && hasContent(file1) && hasContent(file2);
+    return !file1.equals(file2) && hasContent(file1) && hasContent(file2);
   }
 
   @Nullable
diff --git a/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/actions/CompareFilesAction.java b/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/actions/CompareFilesAction.java
index 6ac2e1f4a63c..91b51d357f5f 100644
--- a/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/actions/CompareFilesAction.java
+++ b/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/actions/CompareFilesAction.java
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ public class CompareFilesAction extends BaseShowDiffAction {
     if (data.length == 1) {
       VirtualFile otherFile = getOtherFile(project, data[0]);
       if (otherFile == null) return null;
-      if (!data[0].isValid()) return null;
+      if (!hasContent(data[0])) return null;
       return DiffRequestFactory.getInstance().createFromFiles(project, data[0], otherFile);
     }
     else {
diff --git a/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/tools/external/ExternalDiffToolUtil.java b/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/tools/external/ExternalDiffToolUtil.java
index b3434dfd28f3..6dafc46c2e22 100644
--- a/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/tools/external/ExternalDiffToolUtil.java
+++ b/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/tools/external/ExternalDiffToolUtil.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.util.Ref;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.io.FileUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.text.StringUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.VirtualFile;
+import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.VirtualFileWithoutContent;
 import com.intellij.util.LineSeparator;
 import com.intellij.util.PathUtil;
 import com.intellij.util.TimeoutUtil;
@@ -56,7 +57,11 @@ public class ExternalDiffToolUtil {
   public static boolean canCreateFile(@NotNull DiffContent content) {
     if (content instanceof EmptyContent) return true;
     if (content instanceof DocumentContent) return true;
-    if (content instanceof FileContent) return true;
+    if (content instanceof FileContent) {
+      VirtualFile file = ((FileContent)content).getFile();
+      if (file instanceof VirtualFileWithoutContent) return false;
+      return true;
+    }
     if (content instanceof DirectoryContent) return ((DirectoryContent)content).getFile().isInLocalFileSystem();
     return false;
   }
diff --git a/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/tools/holders/BinaryEditorHolder.java b/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/tools/holders/BinaryEditorHolder.java
index 0b455181d04b..2f13d0c8b023 100644
--- a/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/tools/holders/BinaryEditorHolder.java
+++ b/platform/diff-impl/src/com/intellij/diff/tools/holders/BinaryEditorHolder.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.ProjectManager;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.Disposer;
 import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.VirtualFile;
+import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.VirtualFileWithoutContent;
 import com.intellij.util.ui.UIUtil;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
@@ -130,6 +131,7 @@ public class BinaryEditorHolder extends EditorHolder {
         if (project == null) project = ProjectManager.getInstance().getDefaultProject();
         VirtualFile file = ((FileContent)content).getFile();
         if (!file.isValid()) return false;
+        if (file instanceof VirtualFileWithoutContent) return false;
         return FileEditorProviderManager.getInstance().getProviders(project, file).length != 0;
       }
       return false;