diff --git a/java/idea-ui/src/com/intellij/openapi/roots/ui/configuration/ProjectStructureConfigurable.java b/java/idea-ui/src/com/intellij/openapi/roots/ui/configuration/ProjectStructureConfigurable.java
index 9007a6d9f0c8..c149f5e66a08 100644
--- a/java/idea-ui/src/com/intellij/openapi/roots/ui/configuration/ProjectStructureConfigurable.java
+++ b/java/idea-ui/src/com/intellij/openapi/roots/ui/configuration/ProjectStructureConfigurable.java
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ import com.intellij.ui.navigation.BackAction;
 import com.intellij.ui.navigation.ForwardAction;
 import com.intellij.ui.navigation.History;
 import com.intellij.ui.navigation.Place;
+import com.intellij.util.io.storage.HeavyProcessLatch;
 import com.intellij.util.ui.UIUtil;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nls;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NonNls;
@@ -280,35 +281,44 @@ public class ProjectStructureConfigurable extends BaseConfigurable implements Se
   }
 
   public void reset() {
-    myWasUiDisposed = false;
+    // need this to ensure VFS operations will not block because of storage flushing
+    // and other maintenance IO tasks run in background
+    HeavyProcessLatch.INSTANCE.processStarted();
 
-    myContext.reset();
-    
-    myProjectJdksModel.reset(myProject);
+    try {
+      myWasUiDisposed = false;
 
-    Configurable toSelect = null;
-    for (Configurable each : myName2Config) {
-      if (myUiState.lastEditedConfigurable != null && myUiState.lastEditedConfigurable.equals(each.getDisplayName())) {
-        toSelect = each;
+      myContext.reset();
+
+      myProjectJdksModel.reset(myProject);
+
+      Configurable toSelect = null;
+      for (Configurable each : myName2Config) {
+        if (myUiState.lastEditedConfigurable != null && myUiState.lastEditedConfigurable.equals(each.getDisplayName())) {
+          toSelect = each;
+        }
+        if (each instanceof MasterDetailsComponent) {
+          ((MasterDetailsComponent)each).setHistory(myHistory);
+        }
+        each.reset();
       }
-      if (each instanceof MasterDetailsComponent) {
-        ((MasterDetailsComponent)each).setHistory(myHistory);
+
+      myHistory.clear();
+
+      if (toSelect == null && myName2Config.size() > 0) {
+        toSelect = myName2Config.iterator().next();
+      }
+
+      removeSelected();
+
+      navigateTo(toSelect != null ? createPlaceFor(toSelect) : null, false);
+
+      if (myUiState.proportion > 0) {
+        mySplitter.setProportion(myUiState.proportion);
       }
-      each.reset();
     }
-
-    myHistory.clear();
-
-    if (toSelect == null && myName2Config.size() > 0) {
-      toSelect = myName2Config.iterator().next();
-    }
-
-    removeSelected();
-
-    navigateTo(toSelect != null ? createPlaceFor(toSelect) : null, false);
-
-    if (myUiState.proportion > 0) {
-      mySplitter.setProportion(myUiState.proportion);
+    finally {
+      HeavyProcessLatch.INSTANCE.processFinished();
     }
   }