diff --git a/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/ide/util/treeView/AbstractTreeBuilder.java b/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/ide/util/treeView/AbstractTreeBuilder.java
index d99b4915f168..2889bdf710d4 100644
--- a/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/ide/util/treeView/AbstractTreeBuilder.java
+++ b/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/ide/util/treeView/AbstractTreeBuilder.java
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ public class AbstractTreeBuilder implements Disposable {
    * 2.Paths contain "model" element returned by getElement
    */
   protected Object getTreeStructureElement(NodeDescriptor nodeDescriptor) {
-    return nodeDescriptor.getElement();
+    return nodeDescriptor == null ? null : nodeDescriptor.getElement();
   }