diff --git a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/ui/EditorEvaluationCommand.java b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/ui/EditorEvaluationCommand.java
index 495f9a3eb37e..f632ddc1b543 100644
--- a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/ui/EditorEvaluationCommand.java
+++ b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/ui/EditorEvaluationCommand.java
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ import com.intellij.debugger.engine.evaluation.EvaluateException;
 import com.intellij.debugger.engine.evaluation.EvaluationContextImpl;
 import com.intellij.debugger.engine.events.DebuggerContextCommandImpl;
 import com.intellij.debugger.impl.DebuggerContextImpl;
+import com.intellij.openapi.application.AccessToken;
+import com.intellij.openapi.application.ReadAction;
 import com.intellij.openapi.editor.Editor;
 import com.intellij.openapi.progress.ProcessCanceledException;
 import com.intellij.openapi.progress.ProgressIndicator;
@@ -57,7 +59,13 @@ public abstract class EditorEvaluationCommand<T> extends DebuggerContextCommandI
   protected abstract T evaluate(EvaluationContextImpl evaluationContext) throws EvaluateException;
 
   public T evaluate() throws EvaluateException {
-    myProgressIndicator.setText(DebuggerBundle.message("progress.evaluating", myElement.getText()));
+    AccessToken token = ReadAction.start();
+    try {
+      myProgressIndicator.setText(DebuggerBundle.message("progress.evaluating", myElement.getText()));
+    }
+    finally {
+      token.finish();
+    }
 
     try {
       T result = evaluate(myDebuggerContext.createEvaluationContext());