diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/project/impl/ProjectManagerImpl.java b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/project/impl/ProjectManagerImpl.java
index 73025e585bb6..0aafaae0c32c 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/project/impl/ProjectManagerImpl.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/project/impl/ProjectManagerImpl.java
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ public class ProjectManagerImpl extends ProjectManagerEx implements NamedJDOMExt
                                     boolean isDefault,
                                     boolean isOptimiseTestLoadSpeed) {
     return isDefault ? new DefaultProject(this, "", isOptimiseTestLoadSpeed, projectName)
-                     : new ProjectImpl(this, filePath, isOptimiseTestLoadSpeed, projectName);
+                     : new ProjectImpl(this, new File(filePath).getAbsolutePath(), isOptimiseTestLoadSpeed, projectName);
   }
 
   private static void scheduleDispose(final ProjectImpl project) {