diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/application/options/ReplacePathToMacroMap.java b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/application/options/ReplacePathToMacroMap.java
index 1fcfcbef0aa7..f3dcfee1d783 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/application/options/ReplacePathToMacroMap.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/application/options/ReplacePathToMacroMap.java
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ public class ReplacePathToMacroMap extends PathMacroMap {
   }
 
   public String substitute(String text, boolean caseSensitive) {
+    if (text == null) return null;
     for (final String path : getPathIndex()) {
       final String macro = get(path);
       text = replacePathMacro(text, path, macro, caseSensitive);
diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/components/ExpandMacroToPathMap.java b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/components/ExpandMacroToPathMap.java
index a6ff1be33e18..dc16a2b862ff 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/components/ExpandMacroToPathMap.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/components/ExpandMacroToPathMap.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ public class ExpandMacroToPathMap extends PathMacroMap {
   }
 
   public String substitute(String text, boolean caseSensitive) {
+    if (text == null) return null;
     for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry : entries()) {
       // when replacing macros with actual paths the replace utility may be used as always 'case-sensitive'
       // for case-insensitive file systems there will be no unnecesary toLowerCase() transforms.