diff --git a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/copy/CopyClassesHandler.java b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/copy/CopyClassesHandler.java
index aa6f8f3ce249..72d44dc9fb00 100644
--- a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/copy/CopyClassesHandler.java
+++ b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/copy/CopyClassesHandler.java
@@ -403,7 +403,11 @@ public class CopyClassesHandler extends CopyHandlerDelegateBase {
       }
     }
     for (PsiElement expression : rebindExpressions) {
-      codeStyleManager.shortenClassReferences(expression);
+      //filter out invalid elements which are produced by nested elements:
+      //new expressions/type elements, like: List<List<String>>; new Foo(new Foo()), etc
+      if (expression.isValid()){
+        codeStyleManager.shortenClassReferences(expression);
+      }
     }
     new OptimizeImportsProcessor(project, createdFiles.toArray(new PsiFile[createdFiles.size()]), null).run();
     return createdFiles;
@@ -496,20 +500,20 @@ public class CopyClassesHandler extends CopyHandlerDelegateBase {
 
       @Override
       public void visitNewExpression(PsiNewExpression expression) {
+        super.visitNewExpression(expression);
         final PsiJavaCodeReferenceElement referenceElement = expression.getClassReference();
         if (referenceElement != null) {
           decodeRef(referenceElement, oldToNewMap, rebindMap);
         }
-        super.visitNewExpression(expression);
       }
 
       @Override
       public void visitTypeElement(PsiTypeElement type) {
+        super.visitTypeElement(type);
         final PsiJavaCodeReferenceElement referenceElement = type.getInnermostComponentReferenceElement();
         if (referenceElement != null) {
           decodeRef(referenceElement, oldToNewMap, rebindMap);
         }
-        super.visitTypeElement(type);
       }
     });
     for (Map.Entry<PsiJavaCodeReferenceElement, PsiElement> entry : rebindMap.entrySet()) {
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/refactoring/copyClass/recursiveTypes/Bar.expected.java b/java/java-tests/testData/refactoring/copyClass/recursiveTypes/Bar.expected.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0299213e19cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/refactoring/copyClass/recursiveTypes/Bar.expected.java
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+public class Bar<A> {
+    public Bar(Bar<A> f) {
+    }
+
+    Bar<Bar<A>> foos() {
+        return new Bar<Bar<A>>(new Bar<Bar<A>>(null));
+    }
+} 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/refactoring/copyClass/recursiveTypes/Foo.java b/java/java-tests/testData/refactoring/copyClass/recursiveTypes/Foo.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..68f63a94dd59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/refactoring/copyClass/recursiveTypes/Foo.java
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+public class Foo<A> {
+    public Foo(Foo<A> f) {
+    }
+
+    Foo<Foo<A>> foos() {
+        return new Foo<Foo<A>>(new Foo<Foo<A>>(null));
+    }
+} 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/refactoring/CopyClassTest.java b/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/refactoring/CopyClassTest.java
index 1770e841fe8c..3e8fc36b0139 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/refactoring/CopyClassTest.java
+++ b/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/refactoring/CopyClassTest.java
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ public class CopyClassTest extends CodeInsightTestCase {
     doTest("Foo", "Bar");
   }
 
+  public void testRecursiveTypes() throws Exception {
+    doTest("Foo", "Bar");
+  }
+
   public void testLibraryClass() throws Exception {  // IDEADEV-28791
     JavaCodeStyleSettings javaSettings = getCurrentCodeStyleSettings().getCustomSettings(JavaCodeStyleSettings.class);
     javaSettings.CLASS_NAMES_IN_JAVADOC = JavaCodeStyleSettings.FULLY_QUALIFY_NAMES_ALWAYS;