diff --git a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/ui/XDebugSessionTab.java b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/ui/XDebugSessionTab.java
index 46c0ecc4b9e5..87b0ddba8ecc 100644
--- a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/ui/XDebugSessionTab.java
+++ b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/ui/XDebugSessionTab.java
@@ -330,6 +330,7 @@ public class XDebugSessionTab extends DebuggerSessionTabBase {
         addVariablesAndWatches(mySession);
         attachViewToSession(mySession, myViews.get(DebuggerContentInfo.VARIABLES_CONTENT));
         attachViewToSession(mySession, myViews.get(DebuggerContentInfo.WATCHES_CONTENT));
+        myUi.selectAndFocus(myUi.findContent(DebuggerContentInfo.VARIABLES_CONTENT), true, false);
         rebuildViews();
       }
     }
@@ -340,13 +341,7 @@ public class XDebugSessionTab extends DebuggerSessionTabBase {
     if (tab != null) {
       tab.toFront(false, null);
       // restore watches tab if minimized
-      JComponent component = tab.getUi().getComponent();
-      if (component instanceof DataProvider) {
-        RunnerContentUi ui = RunnerContentUi.KEY.getData(((DataProvider)component));
-        if (ui != null) {
-          ui.restoreContent(tab.getWatchesContentId());
-        }
-      }
+      tab.restoreContent(tab.getWatchesContentId());
     }
   }
 
@@ -394,10 +389,21 @@ public class XDebugSessionTab extends DebuggerSessionTabBase {
   }
 
   private void removeContent(String contentId) {
+    restoreContent(contentId); //findContent returns null if content is minimized
     myUi.removeContent(myUi.findContent(contentId), true);
     XDebugView view = myViews.remove(contentId);
     if (view != null) {
       Disposer.dispose(view);
     }
   }
+
+  private void restoreContent(String contentId) {
+    JComponent component = myUi.getComponent();
+    if (component instanceof DataProvider) {
+      RunnerContentUi ui = RunnerContentUi.KEY.getData(((DataProvider)component));
+      if (ui != null) {
+        ui.restoreContent(contentId);
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }