diff --git a/platform/xdebugger-api/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/frame/XValueNode.java b/platform/xdebugger-api/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/frame/XValueNode.java
index 600a4cdd078b..19bfc3a349da 100644
--- a/platform/xdebugger-api/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/frame/XValueNode.java
+++ b/platform/xdebugger-api/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/frame/XValueNode.java
@@ -30,11 +30,12 @@ import javax.swing.*;
  * @author nik
  */
 public interface XValueNode extends Obsolescent {
-
   void setPresentation(@Nullable Icon icon, @NonNls @Nullable String type, @NonNls @NotNull String value, boolean hasChildren);
 
   void setPresentation(@Nullable Icon icon, @NonNls @Nullable String type, @NonNls @NotNull String separator, @NonNls @NotNull String value, boolean hasChildren);
 
+  void errorOccurred(@NotNull String message, @Nullable String type);
+
   /**
    * If string representation of the value is too long to show in the tree pass truncated value to {@link #setPresentation(javax.swing.Icon, String, String, boolean)}
    * method and call this method to provide full value.
diff --git a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/evaluate/quick/XValueHint.java b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/evaluate/quick/XValueHint.java
index 04f4ccb7274c..d0fdec5bf88d 100644
--- a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/evaluate/quick/XValueHint.java
+++ b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/evaluate/quick/XValueHint.java
@@ -104,6 +104,11 @@ public class XValueHint extends AbstractValueHint {
             setPresentation(icon, type, separator, value, hasChildren);
           }
 
+          @Override
+          public void errorOccurred(@NotNull String message, @Nullable String type) {
+            setPresentation(XDebuggerUIConstants.ERROR_MESSAGE_ICON, type, message, false);
+          }
+
           public void setFullValueEvaluator(@NotNull XFullValueEvaluator fullValueEvaluator) {
             //todo[nik] implement?
           }
diff --git a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/ui/tree/nodes/XValueNodeImpl.java b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/ui/tree/nodes/XValueNodeImpl.java
index 4b515c289095..f6ddcc60ab4b 100644
--- a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/ui/tree/nodes/XValueNodeImpl.java
+++ b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/ui/tree/nodes/XValueNodeImpl.java
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ public class XValueNodeImpl extends XValueContainerNode<XValue> implements XValu
     });
   }
 
+  public void errorOccurred(@NotNull String message, @Nullable String type) {
+    setPresentation(XDebuggerUIConstants.ERROR_MESSAGE_ICON, type, message, false);
+  }
+
   public void setFullValueEvaluator(@NotNull final XFullValueEvaluator fullValueEvaluator) {
     DebuggerUIUtil.invokeOnEventDispatch(new Runnable() {
       public void run() {