diff --git a/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/GrReferenceElementImpl.java b/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/GrReferenceElementImpl.java
index 00f565355128..0f5f46988cab 100644
--- a/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/GrReferenceElementImpl.java
+++ b/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/GrReferenceElementImpl.java
@@ -89,7 +89,9 @@ public abstract class GrReferenceElementImpl extends GroovyPsiElementImpl implem
       final String newName = ((PsiClass) element).getName();
       final GrReferenceElementImpl newElement = ((GrReferenceElementImpl)handleElementRename(newName));
       if (newElement.isReferenceTo(element)) return newElement;
-      return newElement.bindWithQualifiedRef(((PsiClass)element).getQualifiedName());
+      final String qualifiedName = ((PsiClass)element).getQualifiedName();
+      if (qualifiedName == null) return newElement;
+      return newElement.bindWithQualifiedRef(qualifiedName);
     } else if (element instanceof PsiMember) {
       PsiMember member = (PsiMember)element;
       if (!isPhysical()) {
@@ -111,7 +113,7 @@ public abstract class GrReferenceElementImpl extends GroovyPsiElementImpl implem
   }
 
 
-  protected abstract PsiElement bindWithQualifiedRef(String qName);
+  protected abstract PsiElement bindWithQualifiedRef(@NotNull String qName);
 
   protected boolean bindsCorrectly(PsiElement element) {
     return isReferenceTo(element);
diff --git a/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/statements/expressions/GrReferenceExpressionImpl.java b/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/statements/expressions/GrReferenceExpressionImpl.java
index e08726e617e8..10f9bbcafd99 100644
--- a/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/statements/expressions/GrReferenceExpressionImpl.java
+++ b/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/statements/expressions/GrReferenceExpressionImpl.java
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ public class GrReferenceExpressionImpl extends GrReferenceElementImpl implements
   }
 
   @Override
-  protected PsiElement bindWithQualifiedRef(String qName) {
+  protected PsiElement bindWithQualifiedRef(@NotNull String qName) {
     final GrTypeArgumentList list = getTypeArgumentList();
     final String typeArgs = (list != null) ? list.getText() : "";
     final String text = qName + typeArgs;
diff --git a/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/types/GrCodeReferenceElementImpl.java b/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/types/GrCodeReferenceElementImpl.java
index 9ec5c74959d3..da2aa2b8fa5e 100644
--- a/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/types/GrCodeReferenceElementImpl.java
+++ b/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/lang/psi/impl/types/GrCodeReferenceElementImpl.java
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public class GrCodeReferenceElementImpl extends GrReferenceElementImpl implement
   }
 
   @Override
-  protected PsiElement bindWithQualifiedRef(String qName) {
+  protected PsiElement bindWithQualifiedRef(@NotNull String qName) {
     final GrTypeArgumentList list = getTypeArgumentList();
     final String typeArgs = (list != null) ? list.getText() : "";
     final String text = qName + typeArgs;