diff --git a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/evaluation/expression/EvaluatorBuilderImpl.java b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/evaluation/expression/EvaluatorBuilderImpl.java
index 39746fd2ff32..f3b7427520c2 100644
--- a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/evaluation/expression/EvaluatorBuilderImpl.java
+++ b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/evaluation/expression/EvaluatorBuilderImpl.java
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ public class EvaluatorBuilderImpl implements EvaluatorBuilder {
         }
       }
 
-      return new BinaryExpressionEvaluator(lResult, rResult, operation, expressionExpectedType.getCanonicalText());
+      return new BinaryExpressionEvaluator(lResult, rResult, operation, expressionExpectedType == null ? null : expressionExpectedType.getCanonicalText());
     }
 
     private static boolean isBinaryNumericPromotionApplicable(PsiType lType, PsiType rType, IElementType opType) {