diff --git a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/codeInsight/intentions/ConvertVariadicParamIntention.java b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/codeInsight/intentions/ConvertVariadicParamIntention.java
index 5315a6ca17b0..296282ccd3cb 100644
--- a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/codeInsight/intentions/ConvertVariadicParamIntention.java
+++ b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/codeInsight/intentions/ConvertVariadicParamIntention.java
@@ -71,6 +71,10 @@ public class ConvertVariadicParamIntention extends PyBaseIntentionAction {
     final PyFunction function = PsiTreeUtil.getParentOfType(element, PyFunction.class);
 
     if (function != null) {
+      if (LanguageLevel.forElement(function).isOlderThan(LanguageLevel.PYTHON30) && function.getParameterList().hasPositionalContainer()) {
+        return false;
+      }
+
       final boolean caretInParameterList = PsiTreeUtil.isAncestor(function.getParameterList(), element, true);
 
       for (PyCallExpression call : findKeywordContainerCalls(function)) {
diff --git a/python/testData/intentions/convertVariadicParamPositionalContainerInPy2.py b/python/testData/intentions/convertVariadicParamPositionalContainerInPy2.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..177e304282ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/testData/intentions/convertVariadicParamPositionalContainerInPy2.py
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+def foo(*args, **kwargs<caret>):
+    return kwargs["bar"]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/python/testData/intentions/convertVariadicParamPositionalContainerInPy3.py b/python/testData/intentions/convertVariadicParamPositionalContainerInPy3.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..177e304282ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/testData/intentions/convertVariadicParamPositionalContainerInPy3.py
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+def foo(*args, **kwargs<caret>):
+    return kwargs["bar"]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/python/testData/intentions/convertVariadicParamPositionalContainerInPy3_after.py b/python/testData/intentions/convertVariadicParamPositionalContainerInPy3_after.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2b3e0721d7bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/testData/intentions/convertVariadicParamPositionalContainerInPy3_after.py
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+def foo(*args, bar, **kwargs<caret>):
+    return bar
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/intentions/PyIntentionTest.java b/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/intentions/PyIntentionTest.java
index f33a9239f6dc..9168ad318c41 100644
--- a/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/intentions/PyIntentionTest.java
+++ b/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/intentions/PyIntentionTest.java
@@ -231,6 +231,14 @@ public class  PyIntentionTest extends PyTestCase {
     doTest(PyBundle.message("INTN.convert.variadic.param"));
   }
 
+  public void testConvertVariadicParamPositionalContainerInPy2() {
+    doNegativeTest(PyBundle.message("INTN.convert.variadic.param"));
+  }
+
+  public void testConvertVariadicParamPositionalContainerInPy3() {
+    runWithLanguageLevel(LanguageLevel.PYTHON30, () -> doTest(PyBundle.message("INTN.convert.variadic.param")));
+  }
+
   public void testConvertTripleQuotedString() { //PY-2697
     doTest(PyBundle.message("INTN.triple.quoted.string"));
   }