diff --git a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/PostHighlightingPass.java b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/PostHighlightingPass.java
index ec398babbf97..91f53fdd8813 100644
--- a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/PostHighlightingPass.java
+++ b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/PostHighlightingPass.java
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ public class PostHighlightingPass extends TextEditorHighlightingPass {
     VirtualFile virtualFile = viewProvider.getVirtualFile();
     myInLibrary = fileIndex.isInLibraryClasses(virtualFile) || fileIndex.isInLibrarySource(virtualFile);
 
-    myRefCountHolder = RefCountHolder.getInstance(myFile);
+    myRefCountHolder = RefCountHolder.endUsing(myFile);
     if (!myRefCountHolder.retrieveUnusedReferencesInfo(new Runnable() {
       @Override
       public void run() {
diff --git a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/RefCountHolder.java b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/RefCountHolder.java
index deae6259581a..08030828a481 100644
--- a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/RefCountHolder.java
+++ b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/RefCountHolder.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package com.intellij.codeInsight.daemon.impl;
 
 import com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.Logger;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.Key;
+import com.intellij.openapi.util.Pair;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.TextRange;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.UserDataHolderEx;
 import com.intellij.psi.*;
@@ -29,7 +30,6 @@ import com.intellij.util.containers.BidirectionalMap;
 import com.intellij.util.containers.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 
-import java.lang.ref.Reference;
 import java.lang.ref.SoftReference;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -54,16 +54,36 @@ public class RefCountHolder {
     BEING_USED_BY_PHP,            // post highlighting pass is retrieving info
   }
 
-  private static final Key<Reference<RefCountHolder>> REF_COUNT_HOLDER_IN_FILE_KEY = Key.create("REF_COUNT_HOLDER_IN_FILE_KEY");
+  private static class HolderReference extends SoftReference<RefCountHolder> {
+    @SuppressWarnings("UnusedDeclaration")
+    private volatile RefCountHolder myHardRef; // to prevent gc
+
+    public HolderReference(@NotNull RefCountHolder holder) {
+      super(holder);
+      myHardRef = holder;
+    }
+    
+    private void makeHardReachable(boolean isHard) {
+      RefCountHolder holder = get();
+      assert holder  != null;
+      myHardRef = isHard ? holder : null;
+    }
+  }
+  
+  private static final Key<HolderReference> REF_COUNT_HOLDER_IN_FILE_KEY = Key.create("REF_COUNT_HOLDER_IN_FILE_KEY");
   @NotNull
-  public static RefCountHolder getInstance(@NotNull PsiFile file) {
-    Reference<RefCountHolder> ref = file.getUserData(REF_COUNT_HOLDER_IN_FILE_KEY);
+  private static Pair<RefCountHolder, HolderReference> getInstance(@NotNull PsiFile file) {
+    HolderReference ref = file.getUserData(REF_COUNT_HOLDER_IN_FILE_KEY);
     RefCountHolder holder = ref == null ? null : ref.get();
     if (holder == null) {
       holder = new RefCountHolder(file);
+      HolderReference newRef = new HolderReference(holder);
       while (true) {
-        boolean replaced = ((UserDataHolderEx)file).replace(REF_COUNT_HOLDER_IN_FILE_KEY, ref, new SoftReference<RefCountHolder>(holder));
-        if (replaced) break;
+        boolean replaced = ((UserDataHolderEx)file).replace(REF_COUNT_HOLDER_IN_FILE_KEY, ref, newRef);
+        if (replaced) {
+          ref = newRef;
+          break;
+        }
         ref = file.getUserData(REF_COUNT_HOLDER_IN_FILE_KEY);
         RefCountHolder newHolder = ref == null ? null : ref.get();
         if (newHolder != null) {
@@ -72,9 +92,24 @@ public class RefCountHolder {
         }
       }
     }
-    return holder;
+    return Pair.create(holder, ref);
   }
 
+  @NotNull
+  public static RefCountHolder startUsing(@NotNull PsiFile file) {
+    Pair<RefCountHolder, HolderReference> pair = getInstance(file);
+    HolderReference reference = pair.second;
+    reference.makeHardReachable(true);
+    return pair.first;
+  }
+  @NotNull
+  public static RefCountHolder endUsing(@NotNull PsiFile file) {
+    Pair<RefCountHolder, HolderReference> pair = getInstance(file);
+    HolderReference reference = pair.second;
+    reference.makeHardReachable(false); // no longer needed, can be cleared
+    return pair.first;
+  }
+  
   private RefCountHolder(@NotNull PsiFile file) {
     myFile = file;
   }
@@ -276,4 +311,5 @@ public class RefCountHolder {
   private void assertIsRetrieving() {
     assert myState.get() == State.BEING_USED_BY_PHP : myState.get();
   }
+
 }
diff --git a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/HighlightVisitorImpl.java b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/HighlightVisitorImpl.java
index 1c6f41d71759..d120ae71f2bf 100644
--- a/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/HighlightVisitorImpl.java
+++ b/java/java-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/HighlightVisitorImpl.java
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ public class HighlightVisitorImpl extends JavaElementVisitor implements Highligh
         Project project = file.getProject();
         DaemonCodeAnalyzer daemonCodeAnalyzer = DaemonCodeAnalyzer.getInstance(project);
         FileStatusMap fileStatusMap = ((DaemonCodeAnalyzerImpl)daemonCodeAnalyzer).getFileStatusMap();
-        RefCountHolder refCountHolder = RefCountHolder.getInstance(file);
+        RefCountHolder refCountHolder = RefCountHolder.startUsing(file);
         myRefCountHolder = refCountHolder;
         Document document = PsiDocumentManager.getInstance(project).getDocument(file);
         TextRange dirtyScope = document == null ? file.getTextRange() : fileStatusMap.getFileDirtyScope(document, Pass.UPDATE_ALL);