diff --git a/java/java-analysis-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/AnnotationsHighlightUtil.java b/java/java-analysis-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/AnnotationsHighlightUtil.java
index 642a8edb755f..ffbacaad7f08 100644
--- a/java/java-analysis-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/AnnotationsHighlightUtil.java
+++ b/java/java-analysis-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/AnnotationsHighlightUtil.java
@@ -701,7 +701,7 @@ public class AnnotationsHighlightUtil {
   }
 
   @Nullable
-  private static RetentionPolicy getRetentionPolicy(PsiClass annotation) {
+  public static RetentionPolicy getRetentionPolicy(@NotNull PsiClass annotation) {
     PsiModifierList modifierList = annotation.getModifierList();
     if (modifierList != null) {
       PsiAnnotation retentionAnno = modifierList.findAnnotation(CommonClassNames.JAVA_LANG_ANNOTATION_RETENTION);