diff --git a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/move/moveMembers/MoveJavaMemberHandler.java b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/move/moveMembers/MoveJavaMemberHandler.java
index e24c40dbfe32..5bd1c20a0b1e 100644
--- a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/move/moveMembers/MoveJavaMemberHandler.java
+++ b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/move/moveMembers/MoveJavaMemberHandler.java
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ public class MoveJavaMemberHandler implements MoveMemberHandler {
         }
         else {
           final PsiReferenceParameterList parameterList = refExpr.getParameterList();
-          if (parameterList != null && parameterList.getTypeArguments().length == 0){
+          if (parameterList != null && parameterList.getTypeArguments().length == 0 && !(refExpr instanceof PsiMethodReferenceExpression)){
             refExpr.setQualifierExpression(null);
           } else {
             final Project project = element.getProject();
diff --git a/java/java-psi-impl/src/com/intellij/psi/impl/source/tree/java/PsiMethodReferenceExpressionImpl.java b/java/java-psi-impl/src/com/intellij/psi/impl/source/tree/java/PsiMethodReferenceExpressionImpl.java
index 94cce501d521..2209efe4141b 100644
--- a/java/java-psi-impl/src/com/intellij/psi/impl/source/tree/java/PsiMethodReferenceExpressionImpl.java
+++ b/java/java-psi-impl/src/com/intellij/psi/impl/source/tree/java/PsiMethodReferenceExpressionImpl.java
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.util.Comparing;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.TextRange;
 import com.intellij.psi.*;
 import com.intellij.psi.impl.PsiManagerEx;
-import com.intellij.psi.impl.source.resolve.JavaResolveUtil;
 import com.intellij.psi.impl.source.resolve.ResolveCache;
 import com.intellij.psi.impl.source.resolve.graphInference.FunctionalInterfaceParameterizationUtil;
 import com.intellij.psi.impl.source.resolve.graphInference.InferenceSession;
@@ -45,7 +44,6 @@ import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 
 import javax.swing.*;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
@@ -228,7 +226,7 @@ public class PsiMethodReferenceExpressionImpl extends PsiReferenceExpressionBase
   @Override
   public void setQualifierExpression(@Nullable PsiExpression newQualifier) throws IncorrectOperationException {
     if (newQualifier == null) {
-      super.setQualifierExpression(newQualifier);
+      LOG.error("Forbidden null qualifier");
       return;
     }
     final PsiExpression expression = getQualifierExpression();
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/refactoring/moveMembers/fromNestedToOuterMethodRef/after/Outer.java b/java/java-tests/testData/refactoring/moveMembers/fromNestedToOuterMethodRef/after/Outer.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..aafb683292a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/refactoring/moveMembers/fromNestedToOuterMethodRef/after/Outer.java
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+class Outer {
+    static void foo() {}
+
+    static class Inner {
+    }
+
+    {
+        Runnable r = Outer::foo;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/refactoring/moveMembers/fromNestedToOuterMethodRef/before/Outer.java b/java/java-tests/testData/refactoring/moveMembers/fromNestedToOuterMethodRef/before/Outer.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ae82c7498fff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/refactoring/moveMembers/fromNestedToOuterMethodRef/before/Outer.java
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+class Outer {
+    static class Inner {
+        static void foo() {}
+    }
+
+    {
+        Runnable r = Inner::foo;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/refactoring/MoveMembersTest.java b/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/refactoring/MoveMembersTest.java
index 83e8fa10aed9..b34486fcf110 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/refactoring/MoveMembersTest.java
+++ b/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/refactoring/MoveMembersTest.java
@@ -187,6 +187,18 @@ public class MoveMembersTest extends MultiFileTestCase {
     doTest("Outer.Inner", "Outer", true, VisibilityUtil.ESCALATE_VISIBILITY, 0);
   }
 
+  public void testFromNestedToOuterMethodRef() throws Exception {
+    final LanguageLevelProjectExtension projectExtension = LanguageLevelProjectExtension.getInstance(getProject());
+    final LanguageLevel oldLevel = projectExtension.getLanguageLevel();
+    try {
+      projectExtension.setLanguageLevel(LanguageLevel.HIGHEST);
+      doTest("Outer.Inner", "Outer", true, VisibilityUtil.ESCALATE_VISIBILITY, 0);
+    }
+    finally {
+      projectExtension.setLanguageLevel(oldLevel);
+    }
+  }
+
   @NotNull
   @Override
   protected String getTestRoot() {