diff --git a/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/notification/Notification.java b/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/notification/Notification.java
index f22c148b455a..887c115a22da 100644
--- a/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/notification/Notification.java
+++ b/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/notification/Notification.java
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ public class Notification {
   private WeakReference<Balloon> myBalloonRef;
   private final long myTimestamp;
 
-  public Notification(@NotNull String groupDisplayId, @NotNull Icon icon, @NotNull NotificationType type) {
+  public Notification(@NotNull String groupDisplayId, @Nullable Icon icon, @NotNull NotificationType type) {
     this(groupDisplayId, icon, null, null, null, type, null);
   }
 
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ public class Notification {
    * @param listener       notification lifecycle listener
    */
   public Notification(@NotNull String groupDisplayId,
-                      @NotNull Icon icon,
+                      @Nullable Icon icon,
                       @Nullable String title,
                       @Nullable String subtitle,
                       @Nullable String content,
diff --git a/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/notification/NotificationGroup.java b/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/notification/NotificationGroup.java
index 920e9ca43847..8f509ea07e0e 100644
--- a/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/notification/NotificationGroup.java
+++ b/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/notification/NotificationGroup.java
@@ -138,7 +138,6 @@ public final class NotificationGroup {
                                          @Nullable String content,
                                          @NotNull NotificationType type,
                                          @Nullable NotificationListener listener) {
-    LOG.assertTrue(myIcon != null);
     return new Notification(myDisplayId, myIcon, title, subtitle, content, type, listener);
   }