diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/GitVcs.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/GitVcs.java
index 12ab13e48880..e63cf01cfdba 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/GitVcs.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/GitVcs.java
@@ -363,11 +363,8 @@ public class GitVcs extends AbstractVcs<CommittedChangeList> {
 
   private void checkExecutableAndVersion() {
     boolean executableIsAlreadyCheckedAndFine = false;
-    String pathToGit = myAppSettings.getPathToGitAtStartup();
-    if (pathToGit == null) {
-      myAppSettings.setPathToGit(new GitExecutableDetector().detect());
-    }
-    else if (!pathToGit.contains(File.separator)) { // no path, just sole executable, with a hope that it is in path
+    String pathToGit = myAppSettings.getPathToGit();
+    if (!pathToGit.contains(File.separator)) { // no path, just sole executable, with a hope that it is in path
       // subject to redetect the path if executable validator fails
       if (!myExecutableValidator.isExecutableValid()) {
         myAppSettings.setPathToGit(new GitExecutableDetector().detect());
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/config/GitVcsApplicationSettings.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/config/GitVcsApplicationSettings.java
index fa3ef96986bf..88dbb0a05917 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/config/GitVcsApplicationSettings.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/config/GitVcsApplicationSettings.java
@@ -59,25 +59,12 @@ public class GitVcsApplicationSettings implements PersistentStateComponent<GitVc
   @NotNull
   public String getPathToGit() {
     if (myState.myPathToGit == null) {
-      // can happen only if GitVcs#activate hasn't been called: it is when configurables are built, returning the default value.
-      return GitExecutableDetector.DEFAULT_WIN_GIT;
+      // detecting right away, this can be called from the default project without a call to GitVcs#activate()
+      myState.myPathToGit = new GitExecutableDetector().detect();
     }
     return myState.myPathToGit;
   }
 
-  /**
-   * <p>This method differs from {@link #getPathToGit()} only in the @Nullable annotation: initially the path can be null,
-   *    but after VCS is initialized for the first time, correct path is set in {@link git4idea.GitVcs} and is never null,
-   *    so we want the @NotNull annotation there.</p>
-   * <p>This method should be called only from {@link git4idea.GitVcs#activate()}.</p>
-   *
-   * @return Path to Git or null if the path was not written to the config yet.
-   */
-  @Nullable
-  public String getPathToGitAtStartup() {
-    return myState.myPathToGit;
-  }
-
   public void setPathToGit(String pathToGit) {
     myState.myPathToGit = pathToGit;
   }