diff --git a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/HighlightUtil.java b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/HighlightUtil.java
index dfde88a10827..4062a9ad0c09 100644
--- a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/HighlightUtil.java
+++ b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/HighlightUtil.java
@@ -378,14 +378,18 @@ public class HighlightUtil {
     if (opSign == null) return null;
     HighlightInfo errorResult = null;
     final PsiType lType = assignment.getLExpression().getType();
-    if (!TypeConversionUtil.isBinaryOperatorApplicable(opSign, assignment.getLExpression(), assignment.getRExpression(), true) ||
+    final PsiExpression rExpression = assignment.getRExpression();
+    if (rExpression == null) return null;
+    final PsiType rType = rExpression.getType();
+    if (!TypeConversionUtil.isBinaryOperatorApplicable(opSign, lType, rType, true) ||
         PsiType.getJavaLangObject(assignment.getManager(), assignment.getResolveScope()).equals(lType)) {
       String operatorText = operationSign.getText().substring(0, operationSign.getText().length() - 1);
       String message = JavaErrorMessages.message("binary.operator.not.applicable", operatorText,
                                                  formatType(lType),
-                                                 formatType(assignment.getRExpression().getType()));
+                                                 formatType(rType));
 
       errorResult = HighlightInfo.createHighlightInfo(HighlightInfoType.ERROR, assignment, message);
+      QuickFixAction.registerQuickFixAction(errorResult, new ChangeToAppendFix(eqOpSign, lType, rType, assignment));
     }
     return errorResult;
   }
diff --git a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/quickfix/ChangeToAppendFix.java b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/quickfix/ChangeToAppendFix.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..180af116ff2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/quickfix/ChangeToAppendFix.java
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2000-2011 JetBrains s.r.o.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package com.intellij.codeInsight.daemon.impl.quickfix;
+
+import com.intellij.codeInsight.CodeInsightUtilBase;
+import com.intellij.codeInsight.daemon.QuickFixBundle;
+import com.intellij.codeInsight.intention.IntentionAction;
+import com.intellij.openapi.editor.Editor;
+import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
+import com.intellij.psi.*;
+import com.intellij.psi.tree.IElementType;
+import com.intellij.util.IncorrectOperationException;
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
+
+/**
+ * @author Bas Leijdekkers
+ */
+public class ChangeToAppendFix implements IntentionAction {
+
+  private final IElementType myTokenType;
+  private final PsiType myLhsType;
+  private final PsiType myRhsType;
+  private final PsiAssignmentExpression myAssignmentExpression;
+
+  public ChangeToAppendFix(IElementType eqOpSign, PsiType lType, PsiType rType, PsiAssignmentExpression assignmentExpression) {
+    myTokenType = eqOpSign;
+    myLhsType = lType;
+    myRhsType = rType;
+    myAssignmentExpression = assignmentExpression;
+  }
+
+  @NotNull
+  @Override
+  public String getText() {
+    return QuickFixBundle.message("change.to.append.text",
+                                  myAssignmentExpression.getLExpression().getText(),
+                                  myAssignmentExpression.getRExpression().getText());
+  }
+
+  @NotNull
+  @Override
+  public String getFamilyName() {
+    return QuickFixBundle.message("change.to.append.family");
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public boolean isAvailable(@NotNull Project project, Editor editor, PsiFile file) {
+    return JavaTokenType.PLUSEQ == myTokenType &&
+           myAssignmentExpression.isValid() &&
+           myAssignmentExpression.getManager().isInProject(myAssignmentExpression) &&
+           myRhsType.equalsToText("java.lang.String") &&
+           (myLhsType.equalsToText("java.lang.StringBuilder") || myLhsType.equalsToText("java.lang.StringBuffer"));
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public boolean startInWriteAction() {
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public void invoke(@NotNull Project project, Editor editor, PsiFile file) throws IncorrectOperationException {
+    if (!CodeInsightUtilBase.prepareFileForWrite(file)) return;
+    final PsiExpression rExpression = myAssignmentExpression.getRExpression();
+    if (rExpression ==  null) {
+      return;
+    }
+    final String appendCallText =
+      myAssignmentExpression.getLExpression().getText() + ".append(" + rExpression.getText() + ')';
+    final PsiElementFactory factory = JavaPsiFacade.getElementFactory(myAssignmentExpression.getProject());
+    final PsiExpression appendCall = factory.createExpressionFromText(appendCallText, myAssignmentExpression);
+    myAssignmentExpression.replace(appendCall);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/resources-en/src/messages/QuickFixBundle.properties b/resources-en/src/messages/QuickFixBundle.properties
index 75e5249bc6a7..a0fc1f94fd83 100644
--- a/resources-en/src/messages/QuickFixBundle.properties
+++ b/resources-en/src/messages/QuickFixBundle.properties
@@ -251,4 +251,7 @@ create.readable.writable.property.with.field=Create getter, setter and field for
 create.readable.property=Create getter for ''{0}''
 create.writable.property=Create setter for ''{0}''
 create.readable.property.with.field=Create getter and field for ''{0}''
-create.writable.property.with.field=Create setter and field for ''{0}'' 
+create.writable.property.with.field=Create setter and field for ''{0}''
+
+change.to.append.family=Fix StringBuilder append
+change.to.append.text=Change to ''{0}.append({1})''