diff --git a/java/java-analysis-impl/src/com/siyeh/ig/psiutils/SideEffectChecker.java b/java/java-analysis-impl/src/com/siyeh/ig/psiutils/SideEffectChecker.java
index 6c9d8576b113..9c6178903221 100644
--- a/java/java-analysis-impl/src/com/siyeh/ig/psiutils/SideEffectChecker.java
+++ b/java/java-analysis-impl/src/com/siyeh/ig/psiutils/SideEffectChecker.java
@@ -360,8 +360,7 @@ public final class SideEffectChecker {
 
     // all Throwable descendants from java.lang are side effects free
     if (CommonClassNames.DEFAULT_PACKAGE.equals(packageName) || "java.io".equals(packageName)) {
-      PsiClass throwableClass = JavaPsiFacade.getInstance(aClass.getProject()).findClass(CommonClassNames.JAVA_LANG_THROWABLE, aClass.getResolveScope());
-      if (throwableClass != null && com.intellij.psi.util.InheritanceUtil.isInheritorOrSelf(aClass, throwableClass, true)) {
+      if (PsiClassUtil.isThrowable(aClass)) {
         return ThreeState.NO;
       }
     }
diff --git a/java/java-psi-api/src/com/intellij/psi/util/PsiClassUtil.java b/java/java-psi-api/src/com/intellij/psi/util/PsiClassUtil.java
index 7a634e1a5528..06d26b44259c 100644
--- a/java/java-psi-api/src/com/intellij/psi/util/PsiClassUtil.java
+++ b/java/java-psi-api/src/com/intellij/psi/util/PsiClassUtil.java
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright 2000-2024 JetBrains s.r.o. and contributors. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license.
 package com.intellij.psi.util;
 
+import com.intellij.psi.CommonClassNames;
 import com.intellij.psi.PsiAnonymousClass;
 import com.intellij.psi.PsiClass;
 import com.intellij.psi.PsiModifier;
@@ -8,6 +9,8 @@ import com.intellij.psi.search.GlobalSearchScope;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 
 import java.util.Comparator;
+import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.Set;
 
 public final class PsiClassUtil {
   private PsiClassUtil() { }
@@ -34,4 +37,22 @@ public final class PsiClassUtil {
     return Comparator.comparing(c -> PsiUtilCore.getVirtualFile(c),
                                 Comparator.nullsFirst((file1, file2) -> scope.compare(file2, file1)));
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Checks if the given class is a throwable. The behavior is unspecified if the class or any of its superclasses is malformed.
+   * 
+   * @param psiClass class to test
+   * @return true if class is {@code java.lang.Throwable} or legally inherits from it.
+   */
+  public static boolean isThrowable(@NotNull PsiClass psiClass) {
+    Set<PsiClass> supers = new HashSet<>();
+    while (true) {
+      if (CommonClassNames.JAVA_LANG_THROWABLE.equals(psiClass.getQualifiedName())) return true;
+      if (psiClass.isInterface()) return false;
+      if (psiClass.getTypeParameters().length > 0) return false; // Valid throwables are never generic
+      PsiClass next = psiClass.getSuperClass();
+      if (next == null || !supers.add(next)) return false;
+      psiClass = next;
+    }
+  }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/java/java-psi-impl/src/com/intellij/psi/impl/ElementPresentationUtil.java b/java/java-psi-impl/src/com/intellij/psi/impl/ElementPresentationUtil.java
index 0c073a8a130a..6cef6fcec66e 100644
--- a/java/java-psi-impl/src/com/intellij/psi/impl/ElementPresentationUtil.java
+++ b/java/java-psi-impl/src/com/intellij/psi/impl/ElementPresentationUtil.java
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import it.unimi.dsi.fastutil.ints.Int2ObjectMap;
 import it.unimi.dsi.fastutil.ints.Int2ObjectOpenHashMap;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 
-import javax.swing.Icon;
+import javax.swing.*;
 
 public final class ElementPresentationUtil {
   private ElementPresentationUtil() {
@@ -116,11 +116,7 @@ public final class ElementPresentationUtil {
     }
 
     if (!DumbService.getInstance(aClass.getProject()).isDumb()) {
-      final PsiManager manager = aClass.getManager();
-      final PsiClass javaLangTrowable =
-        JavaPsiFacade.getInstance(manager.getProject()).findClass(CommonClassNames.JAVA_LANG_THROWABLE, aClass.getResolveScope());
-      final boolean isException = javaLangTrowable != null && InheritanceUtil.isInheritorOrSelf(aClass, javaLangTrowable, true);
-      if (isException) {
+      if (PsiClassUtil.isThrowable(aClass)) {
         return CLASS_KIND_EXCEPTION;
       }