diff --git a/platform/structuralsearch/source/com/intellij/structuralsearch/StructuralSearchTemplateBuilder.java b/platform/structuralsearch/source/com/intellij/structuralsearch/StructuralSearchTemplateBuilder.java
index 8c416eb41135..5c2dd0bc9a6b 100644
--- a/platform/structuralsearch/source/com/intellij/structuralsearch/StructuralSearchTemplateBuilder.java
+++ b/platform/structuralsearch/source/com/intellij/structuralsearch/StructuralSearchTemplateBuilder.java
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@ import com.intellij.codeInsight.lookup.LookupElement;
 import com.intellij.codeInsight.lookup.LookupElementBuilder;
 import com.intellij.codeInsight.template.*;
 import com.intellij.psi.*;
-import com.intellij.structuralsearch.impl.matcher.CompiledPattern;
-import com.intellij.structuralsearch.impl.matcher.compiler.PatternCompiler;
+import com.intellij.structuralsearch.impl.matcher.MatcherImplUtil;
+import com.intellij.structuralsearch.impl.matcher.PatternTreeContext;
 import com.intellij.util.ArrayUtil;
+import com.intellij.util.containers.ContainerUtil;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 
@@ -60,16 +61,13 @@ public class StructuralSearchTemplateBuilder {
     MatchOptions matchOptions = new MatchOptions();
     String text = myPsiFile.getText();
     matchOptions.setSearchPattern(text);
-    CompiledPattern pattern = PatternCompiler.compilePattern(myPsiFile.getProject(), matchOptions, false);
-    if (pattern == null)
-      return myBuilder;
-
-    PsiElement current = pattern.getNodes().current();
-    if (current != null) {
-      myShift = current.getTextRange().getStartOffset();
-      current.accept(visitor);
+    PsiElement[] elements =
+      MatcherImplUtil.createTreeFromText(text, PatternTreeContext.Block, myPsiFile.getFileType(), myPsiFile.getProject());
+    PsiElement psiElement = ContainerUtil.find(elements, element -> !(element instanceof PsiWhiteSpace));
+    if (psiElement != null) {
+      myShift = 2;
+      psiElement.accept(visitor);
     }
-
     return myBuilder;
   }
 
diff --git a/platform/structuralsearch/testSource/com/intellij/structuralsearch/SSTemplateBuilderTest.java b/platform/structuralsearch/testSource/com/intellij/structuralsearch/SSTemplateBuilderTest.java
index 8c5352ac6543..1127a148c861 100644
--- a/platform/structuralsearch/testSource/com/intellij/structuralsearch/SSTemplateBuilderTest.java
+++ b/platform/structuralsearch/testSource/com/intellij/structuralsearch/SSTemplateBuilderTest.java
@@ -24,6 +24,16 @@ public class SSTemplateBuilderTest extends LightCodeInsightFixtureTestCase {
     assertEquals(1, template.getSegmentsCount());
   }
 
+  public void testStartingWhitespace() {
+    doTest("    List<Integer> list = null;", "    $Class1$<$Class2$> list = null;");
+  }
+
+  public void testInnerWhiteSpace() {
+    doTest("try {\n" +
+           "    List<Integer> list = null;} finally {}", "try {\n" +
+                                                         "    $Class1$<$Class2$> list = null;} finally {}");
+  }
+
   private Template doTest(String text, String expected) {
     PsiFile psiFile = myFixture.configureByText(JavaFileType.INSTANCE, text);
     TemplateBuilderImpl builder = (TemplateBuilderImpl)new StructuralSearchTemplateBuilder(getFile()).buildTemplate();