diff --git a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/ui/DebuggerPanelsManager.java b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/ui/DebuggerPanelsManager.java
index 3809431c21f8..13336358620b 100644
--- a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/ui/DebuggerPanelsManager.java
+++ b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/ui/DebuggerPanelsManager.java
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ public class DebuggerPanelsManager implements ProjectComponent {
   public void toFront(DebuggerSession session) {
     DebuggerSessionTab sessionTab = getSessionTab(session);
     if (sessionTab != null) {
-      sessionTab.toFront();
+      sessionTab.toFront(true);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/execution/ui/layout/impl/RunnerContentUi.java b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/execution/ui/layout/impl/RunnerContentUi.java
index 897d169e1845..821d9dbd6bc3 100644
--- a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/execution/ui/layout/impl/RunnerContentUi.java
+++ b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/execution/ui/layout/impl/RunnerContentUi.java
@@ -1271,6 +1271,17 @@ public class RunnerContentUi implements ContentUI, Disposable, CellTransform.Fac
     return null;
   }
 
+  @Nullable
+  public void restoreContent(final String key) {
+    for (AnAction action : myMinimizedViewActions.getChildren(null)) {
+      Content content = ((RestoreViewAction)action).getContent();
+      if (key.equals(content.getUserData(ViewImpl.ID))) {
+        action.actionPerformed(null);
+        return;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   public void setToDisposeRemovedContent(final boolean toDispose) {
     myToDisposeRemovedContent = toDispose;
   }
diff --git a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/XDebugSessionImpl.java b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/XDebugSessionImpl.java
index 006ce2162ed2..f44d5a16b163 100644
--- a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/XDebugSessionImpl.java
+++ b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/XDebugSessionImpl.java
@@ -713,7 +713,7 @@ public class XDebugSessionImpl implements XDebugSession {
     UIUtil.invokeLaterIfNeeded(new Runnable() {
       @Override
       public void run() {
-        mySessionTab.toFront();
+        mySessionTab.toFront(true);
         mySessionTab.getUi().attractBy(XDebuggerUIConstants.LAYOUT_VIEW_BREAKPOINT_CONDITION);
       }
     });
diff --git a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/evaluate/XDebuggerEvaluationDialog.java b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/evaluate/XDebuggerEvaluationDialog.java
index 2273ab698768..bee9b3d91fd7 100644
--- a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/evaluate/XDebuggerEvaluationDialog.java
+++ b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/evaluate/XDebuggerEvaluationDialog.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.XDebuggerUtilImpl;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.actions.XDebuggerActions;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.breakpoints.XExpressionImpl;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.settings.XDebuggerSettingsManager;
+import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.ui.XDebugSessionTab;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.ui.XDebuggerEditorBase;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.ui.tree.XDebuggerTree;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.ui.tree.XDebuggerTreePanel;
@@ -138,7 +139,11 @@ public class XDebuggerEvaluationDialog extends DialogWrapper {
           // add to watches
           XExpression expression = myInputComponent.getInputEditor().getExpression();
           if (!XDebuggerUtilImpl.isEmptyExpression(expression)) {
-            ((XDebugSessionImpl)mySession).getSessionTab().getWatchesView().addWatchExpression(expression, -1, false);
+            XDebugSessionTab tab = ((XDebugSessionImpl)mySession).getSessionTab();
+            if (tab != null) {
+              tab.getWatchesView().addWatchExpression(expression, -1, true);
+              requestFocusInEditor();
+            }
           }
         }
       }
@@ -195,7 +200,11 @@ public class XDebuggerEvaluationDialog extends DialogWrapper {
 
     setTitle(myInputComponent.getTitle());
     mySwitchModeAction.putValue(Action.NAME, getSwitchButtonText(mode));
-    final JComponent preferredFocusedComponent = myInputComponent.getInputEditor().getPreferredFocusedComponent();
+    requestFocusInEditor();
+  }
+
+  private void requestFocusInEditor() {
+    JComponent preferredFocusedComponent = myInputComponent.getInputEditor().getPreferredFocusedComponent();
     if (preferredFocusedComponent != null) {
       IdeFocusManager.getInstance(mySession.getProject()).requestFocus(preferredFocusedComponent, true);
     }
diff --git a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/frame/XWatchesViewImpl.java b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/frame/XWatchesViewImpl.java
index 5183877b2a9a..68ad37025f63 100644
--- a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/frame/XWatchesViewImpl.java
+++ b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/frame/XWatchesViewImpl.java
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
  */
 package com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.frame;
 
+import com.intellij.debugger.ui.DebuggerContentInfo;
+import com.intellij.execution.ui.layout.impl.RunnerContentUi;
 import com.intellij.ide.DataManager;
 import com.intellij.ide.dnd.DnDEvent;
 import com.intellij.ide.dnd.DnDManager;
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@ import com.intellij.xdebugger.frame.XStackFrame;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.XDebugSessionImpl;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.actions.XDebuggerActions;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.breakpoints.XExpressionImpl;
+import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.ui.XDebugSessionTab;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.ui.tree.XDebuggerTree;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.ui.tree.XDebuggerTreePanel;
 import com.intellij.xdebugger.impl.ui.tree.XDebuggerTreeRestorer;
@@ -216,6 +219,24 @@ public class XWatchesViewImpl implements DnDNativeTarget, XWatchesView, XDebugVi
   public void addWatchExpression(@NotNull XExpression expression, int index, final boolean navigateToWatchNode) {
     myRootNode.addWatchExpression(mySession.getDebugProcess().getEvaluator(), expression, index, navigateToWatchNode);
     updateSessionData();
+    if (navigateToWatchNode) {
+      showWatchesTab();
+    }
+  }
+
+  private void showWatchesTab() {
+    XDebugSessionTab tab = mySession.getSessionTab();
+    if (tab != null) {
+      tab.toFront(false);
+      // 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(DebuggerContentInfo.WATCHES_CONTENT);
+        }
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/ui/DebuggerSessionTabBase.java b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/ui/DebuggerSessionTabBase.java
index 57b2e9d505e1..2134c0c8d4e1 100644
--- a/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/ui/DebuggerSessionTabBase.java
+++ b/platform/xdebugger-impl/src/com/intellij/xdebugger/impl/ui/DebuggerSessionTabBase.java
@@ -151,19 +151,21 @@ public abstract class DebuggerSessionTabBase extends LogConsoleManagerBase imple
     return environment != null ? environment.getRunProfile() : null;
   }
 
-  public void toFront() {
+  public void toFront(boolean focus) {
     if (!ApplicationManager.getApplication().isUnitTestMode()) {
       ExecutionManager.getInstance(getProject()).getContentManager().toFrontRunContent(DefaultDebugExecutor.getDebugExecutorInstance(), myRunContentDescriptor);
-      ApplicationManager.getApplication().invokeLater(new Runnable() {
-        @Override
-        public void run() {
-          boolean focusWnd = Registry.is("debugger.mayBringFrameToFrontOnBreakpoint");
-          ProjectUtil.focusProjectWindow(getProject(), focusWnd);
-          if (!focusWnd) {
-            AppIcon.getInstance().requestAttention(getProject(), true);
+      if (focus) {
+        ApplicationManager.getApplication().invokeLater(new Runnable() {
+          @Override
+          public void run() {
+            boolean focusWnd = Registry.is("debugger.mayBringFrameToFrontOnBreakpoint");
+            ProjectUtil.focusProjectWindow(getProject(), focusWnd);
+            if (!focusWnd) {
+              AppIcon.getInstance().requestAttention(getProject(), true);
+            }
           }
-        }
-      });
+        });
+      }
     }
   }
 }