diff --git a/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/vfs/VfsUtil.java b/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/vfs/VfsUtil.java
index 17c897d80cc3..1377d19c8bfe 100644
--- a/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/vfs/VfsUtil.java
+++ b/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/vfs/VfsUtil.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2000-2016 JetBrains s.r.o.
+ * Copyright 2000-2017 JetBrains s.r.o.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ public class VfsUtil extends VfsUtilCore {
     }
 
     for (VirtualFile file : list) {
-      if (reloadChildren) {
+      if (reloadChildren && file.isValid()) {
         file.getChildren();
       }