diff --git a/xml/xml-parser/src/com/intellij/psi/impl/source/parsing/xml/XmlParser.kt b/xml/xml-parser/src/com/intellij/psi/impl/source/parsing/xml/XmlParser.kt
index f270e4386b37..b190859a2fb5 100644
--- a/xml/xml-parser/src/com/intellij/psi/impl/source/parsing/xml/XmlParser.kt
+++ b/xml/xml-parser/src/com/intellij/psi/impl/source/parsing/xml/XmlParser.kt
@@ -44,31 +44,37 @@ private fun reparseXmlTagByName(
   newNode: LighterASTNode,
   structure: FlyweightCapableTreeStructure<LighterASTNode>,
 ): ThreeState {
-  if (oldNode is PsiNamedElement
-      && oldNode.elementType === XmlElementType.XML_TAG
-      && newNode.tokenType === XmlElementType.XML_TAG
-  ) {
-    val oldName = oldNode.name
-    val childrenRef = Ref.create<Array<LighterASTNode>>()
-    val count = structure.getChildren(newNode, childrenRef)
-
-    if (count < 3)
-      return ThreeState.UNSURE
-
-    val children = childrenRef.get()!!
-    if (children[0].tokenType !== XmlTokenType.XML_START_TAG_START)
-      return ThreeState.UNSURE
-    if (children[1].tokenType !== XmlTokenType.XML_NAME)
-      return ThreeState.UNSURE
-    if (children[2].tokenType !== XmlTokenType.XML_TAG_END)
-      return ThreeState.UNSURE
-
-    val name = children[1] as LighterASTTokenNode
-    val newName = name.text
-
-    if (!Comparing.equal(oldName, newName))
-      return ThreeState.NO
+  if (oldNode !is PsiNamedElement || oldNode.elementType !== XmlElementType.XML_TAG || newNode.tokenType !== XmlElementType.XML_TAG) {
+    return ThreeState.UNSURE
   }
 
-  return ThreeState.UNSURE
+  val oldName = oldNode.name
+  val childrenRef = Ref.create<Array<LighterASTNode>>()
+  val count = structure.getChildren(newNode, childrenRef)
+
+  if (count < 3) {
+    return ThreeState.UNSURE
+  }
+
+  val children = childrenRef.get()!!
+  if (children[0].tokenType !== XmlTokenType.XML_START_TAG_START) {
+    return ThreeState.UNSURE
+  }
+  if (children[1].tokenType !== XmlTokenType.XML_NAME) {
+    return ThreeState.UNSURE
+  }
+  if (children[2].tokenType !== XmlTokenType.XML_TAG_END) {
+    return ThreeState.UNSURE
+  }
+
+  val name = children[1] as LighterASTTokenNode
+  val newName = name.text
+
+  // note: oldName is String, newName is CharSequence, so plain kotlin `==` can't be used!
+  if (Comparing.equal(oldName, newName)) {
+    return ThreeState.UNSURE
+  }
+
+  // different names => oldNode and newNode are not equal
+  return ThreeState.NO
 }