diff --git a/plugins/cvs/cvs-plugin/src/com/intellij/cvsSupport2/cvsIgnore/UserDirIgnores.java b/plugins/cvs/cvs-plugin/src/com/intellij/cvsSupport2/cvsIgnore/UserDirIgnores.java
index 8d416d4ab261..95e849f69819 100644
--- a/plugins/cvs/cvs-plugin/src/com/intellij/cvsSupport2/cvsIgnore/UserDirIgnores.java
+++ b/plugins/cvs/cvs-plugin/src/com/intellij/cvsSupport2/cvsIgnore/UserDirIgnores.java
@@ -36,7 +36,12 @@ public class UserDirIgnores{
   static {
     final String home = System.getenv().get("HOME");
     if (home != null) {
-      ourUserHomeCVSIgnoreFile = new File(home + "/" + CvsUtil.CVS_IGNORE_FILE);
+      final File homeDir = new File(home);
+      if (homeDir.exists() && homeDir.isDirectory()) {
+        ourUserHomeCVSIgnoreFile = new File(homeDir, CvsUtil.CVS_IGNORE_FILE);
+      } else {
+        ourUserHomeCVSIgnoreFile = new File(System.getProperty("user.home") + "/" + CvsUtil.CVS_IGNORE_FILE);
+      }
     } else {
       ourUserHomeCVSIgnoreFile = new File(System.getProperty("user.home") + "/" + CvsUtil.CVS_IGNORE_FILE);
     }