diff --git a/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/courseGeneration/StudyProjectGenerator.java b/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/courseGeneration/StudyProjectGenerator.java
index 1f36a3c6265f..3229be1fecb6 100644
--- a/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/courseGeneration/StudyProjectGenerator.java
+++ b/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/courseGeneration/StudyProjectGenerator.java
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.fileEditor.FileEditorManager;
 import com.intellij.openapi.progress.ProgressManager;
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
 import com.intellij.openapi.ui.Messages;
-import com.intellij.openapi.util.ThrowableComputable;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.io.FileUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.text.StringUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.LocalFileSystem;
@@ -105,7 +104,7 @@ public class StudyProjectGenerator {
   }
 
   @Nullable
-  protected Course getCourse(@NotNull final Project project) {
+  public Course getCourse(@NotNull final Project project) {
 
     final File courseFile = new File(new File(OUR_COURSES_DIR, mySelectedCourseInfo.getName()), EduNames.COURSE_META_FILE);
     if (courseFile.exists()) {
@@ -119,20 +118,17 @@ public class StudyProjectGenerator {
         return readCourseFromCache(adaptiveCourseFile, true);
       }
     }
-    return ProgressManager.getInstance().runProcessWithProgressSynchronously(new ThrowableComputable<Course, RuntimeException>() {
-      @Override
-      public Course compute() throws RuntimeException {
-        ProgressManager.getInstance().getProgressIndicator().setIndeterminate(true);
-        return execCancelable(() -> {
+    return ProgressManager.getInstance().runProcessWithProgressSynchronously(() -> {
+      ProgressManager.getInstance().getProgressIndicator().setIndeterminate(true);
+      return execCancelable(() -> {
 
-          final Course course = EduStepicConnector.getCourse(project, mySelectedCourseInfo);
-          if (course != null) {
-            flushCourse(project, course);
-            course.initCourse(false);
-          }
-          return course;
-        });
-      }
+        final Course course = EduStepicConnector.getCourse(project, mySelectedCourseInfo);
+        if (course != null) {
+          flushCourse(project, course);
+          course.initCourse(false);
+        }
+        return course;
+      });
     }, "Creating Course", true, project);
   }
 
@@ -161,7 +157,9 @@ public class StudyProjectGenerator {
   public static void openFirstTask(@NotNull final Course course, @NotNull final Project project) {
     LocalFileSystem.getInstance().refresh(false);
     final Lesson firstLesson = StudyUtils.getFirst(course.getLessons());
+    if (firstLesson == null) return;
     final Task firstTask = StudyUtils.getFirst(firstLesson.getTaskList());
+    if (firstTask == null) return;
     final VirtualFile taskDir = firstTask.getTaskDir(project);
     if (taskDir == null) return;
     final Map<String, TaskFile> taskFiles = firstTask.getTaskFiles();
diff --git a/python/educational-python/student-python/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/PyStudyDirectoryProjectGenerator.java b/python/educational-python/student-python/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/PyStudyDirectoryProjectGenerator.java
index 2b562590f0d8..2e7288b30701 100644
--- a/python/educational-python/student-python/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/PyStudyDirectoryProjectGenerator.java
+++ b/python/educational-python/student-python/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/PyStudyDirectoryProjectGenerator.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import com.intellij.platform.DirectoryProjectGenerator;
 import com.intellij.psi.PsiDirectory;
 import com.intellij.psi.PsiManager;
 import com.intellij.util.BooleanFunction;
+import com.jetbrains.edu.learning.courseFormat.Course;
 import com.jetbrains.edu.learning.courseGeneration.StudyProjectGenerator;
 import com.jetbrains.edu.learning.stepic.CourseInfo;
 import com.jetbrains.edu.learning.stepic.EduStepicConnector;
@@ -189,7 +190,7 @@ public class PyStudyDirectoryProjectGenerator extends PythonProjectGenerator imp
 
   public void createAndAddVirtualEnv(Project project, PyNewProjectSettings settings) {
     final ProjectSdksModel model = PyConfigurableInterpreterList.getInstance(project).getModel();
-    final String baseSdk = getBaseSdk();
+    final String baseSdk = getBaseSdk(project);
 
     if (baseSdk != null) {
       final PyPackageManager packageManager = PyPackageManager.getInstance(new PyDetectedSdk(baseSdk));
@@ -215,20 +216,29 @@ public class PyStudyDirectoryProjectGenerator extends PythonProjectGenerator imp
     }
   }
 
-  private static String getBaseSdk() {
+  private String getBaseSdk(@NotNull final Project project) {
+    final Course course = myGenerator.getCourse(project);
+    LanguageLevel baseLevel = LanguageLevel.PYTHON30;
+    if (course != null) {
+      final String version = course.getLanguageVersion();
+      if (version != null) {
+        baseLevel = LanguageLevel.fromPythonVersion(version);
+      }
+    }
     final PythonSdkFlavor flavor = PythonSdkFlavor.getApplicableFlavors(false).get(0);
-    String python3Sdk = null;
+    String baseSdk = null;
     final Collection<String> baseSdks = flavor.suggestHomePaths();
     for (String sdk : baseSdks) {
       final String versionString = flavor.getVersionString(sdk);
       final String prefix = flavor.getName() + " ";
       if (versionString != null && versionString.startsWith(prefix)) {
         final LanguageLevel level = LanguageLevel.fromPythonVersion(versionString.substring(prefix.length()));
-        if (level.isAtLeast(LanguageLevel.PYTHON30)) {
-          python3Sdk = sdk;
+        if (level.isAtLeast(baseLevel)) {
+          baseSdk = sdk;
+          break;
         }
       }
     }
-    return python3Sdk != null ? python3Sdk : baseSdks.iterator().next();
+    return baseSdk != null ? baseSdk : baseSdks.iterator().next();
   }
 }