diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/RecentProjectsManagerBase.java b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/RecentProjectsManagerBase.java
index ed8b1dae159d..763d05af2d3b 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/RecentProjectsManagerBase.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/RecentProjectsManagerBase.java
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ public class RecentProjectsManagerBase extends RecentProjectsManager implements
       return existing;
     }
 
-    if (Files.isDirectory(projectFile.resolve(Project.DIRECTORY_STORE_FOLDER))) {
+    if (ProjectUtil.isValidProjectPath(projectFile)) {
       return PlatformProjectOpenProcessor.openExistingProject(projectFile, projectFile, openProjectOptions, null);
     }
     else {
diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/impl/ProjectUtil.java b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/impl/ProjectUtil.java
index 6e68e8be5a04..f68d47d0258c 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/impl/ProjectUtil.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/impl/ProjectUtil.java
@@ -134,10 +134,7 @@ public class ProjectUtil {
       }
     }
 
-    if (Files.isDirectory(file.resolve(Project.DIRECTORY_STORE_FOLDER))) {
-      return PlatformProjectOpenProcessor.openExistingProject(file, file, options, null);
-    }
-    else if (StringUtil.endsWith(file.toString(), ProjectFileType.DOT_DEFAULT_EXTENSION) && Files.isRegularFile(file)) {
+    if (isValidProjectPath(file)) {
       return PlatformProjectOpenProcessor.openExistingProject(file, file, options, null);
     }
 
@@ -402,4 +399,9 @@ public class ProjectUtil {
     }
     return result;
   }
+
+  public static boolean isValidProjectPath(@NotNull Path file) {
+    return Files.isDirectory(file.resolve(Project.DIRECTORY_STORE_FOLDER)) ||
+           (StringUtil.endsWith(file.toString(), ProjectFileType.DOT_DEFAULT_EXTENSION) && Files.isRegularFile(file));
+  }
 }
\ No newline at end of file