diff --git a/plugins/properties/src/com/intellij/lang/properties/ResourceBundleReference.java b/plugins/properties/src/com/intellij/lang/properties/ResourceBundleReference.java
index 2901cf0492f8..c09657c572e6 100644
--- a/plugins/properties/src/com/intellij/lang/properties/ResourceBundleReference.java
+++ b/plugins/properties/src/com/intellij/lang/properties/ResourceBundleReference.java
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ public class ResourceBundleReference extends PsiReferenceBase<PsiElement>
       throw new IncorrectOperationException();
     }
     final String name = ResourceBundleManager.getInstance(element.getProject()).getFullName((PropertiesFile)element);
-    return super.handleElementRename(name);
+    return name != null ? super.handleElementRename(name) : element;
   }