diff --git a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/HighlightUtil.java b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/HighlightUtil.java
index 00339413c87f..5c276d0cd9cd 100644
--- a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/HighlightUtil.java
+++ b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/HighlightUtil.java
@@ -2107,7 +2107,18 @@ public class HighlightUtil {
     if (highlightInfo != null) return highlightInfo;
 
     PsiElement refParent = ref.getParent();
-    if (refParent instanceof PsiMethodCallExpression) {
+    PsiElement granny;
+    if (refParent instanceof PsiReferenceExpression && (granny = refParent.getParent()) instanceof PsiMethodCallExpression) {
+      PsiReferenceExpression referenceToMethod = ((PsiMethodCallExpression)granny).getMethodExpression();
+      PsiExpression qualifierExpression = referenceToMethod.getQualifierExpression();
+      if (qualifierExpression == ref) {
+        PsiElement qualifier = resolved;
+        if (qualifier != null && !(qualifier instanceof PsiClass) && !(qualifier instanceof PsiVariable)) {
+          return HighlightInfo.createHighlightInfo(HighlightInfoType.WRONG_REF, qualifierExpression, "Qualifier must be an expression");
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    else if (refParent instanceof PsiMethodCallExpression) {
       return null;  // methods checked elsewhere
     }
     if (resolved == null) {
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting/MethodCalls.java b/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting/MethodCalls.java
index c6fc37d77092..74175a7a882c 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting/MethodCalls.java
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting/MethodCalls.java
@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@ class DCC {
         <error descr="Method call expected">DCC(1)</error>;
         new DCC(1);
     }
+  {
+    <error descr="Qualifier must be an expression">java</error>.toString();
+  }
+
 }
 
 class ThisExpression {