diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/ui/search/SearchableOptionsRegistrarImpl.java b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/ui/search/SearchableOptionsRegistrarImpl.java
index 43db1789202e..11527557f6c3 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/ui/search/SearchableOptionsRegistrarImpl.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/ui/search/SearchableOptionsRegistrarImpl.java
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ public class SearchableOptionsRegistrarImpl extends SearchableOptionsRegistrar {
   public synchronized Set<OptionDescription> getAcceptableDescriptions(final String prefix) {
     if (prefix == null) return null;
     final String stemmedPrefix = PorterStemmerUtil.stem(prefix);
-    if (stemmedPrefix == null) return null;
+    if (StringUtil.isEmptyOrSpaces(stemmedPrefix)) return null;
     loadHugeFilesIfNecessary();
     Set<OptionDescription> result = null;
     for (Map.Entry<String, Set<OptionDescription>> entry : myStorage.entrySet()) {