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 f77c253fa5c5..65eaa3611e1a 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/impl/ProjectUtil.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/impl/ProjectUtil.java
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ public class ProjectUtil {
       return false;
     }
 
-    final File projectFile = new File(projectFilePath);
+    File projectFile = new File(projectFilePath);
     if (projectFile.isDirectory()) {
       return FileUtil.pathsEqual(projectFilePath, existingBaseDirPath);
     }
@@ -298,9 +298,10 @@ public class ProjectUtil {
 
     File parent = projectFile.getParentFile();
     if (parent.getName().equals(Project.DIRECTORY_STORE_FOLDER)) {
+      projectFile = parent;
       parent = parent.getParentFile();
     }
-    return parent != null && FileUtil.pathsEqual(parent.getPath(), existingBaseDirPath);
+    return parent != null && FileUtil.pathsEqual(parent.getPath(), existingBaseDirPath) && projectFile.getName().equals(Project.DIRECTORY_STORE_FOLDER);
   }
 
   public static void focusProjectWindow(final Project p, boolean executeIfAppInactive) {
diff --git a/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/openapi/project/impl/ProjectOpeningTest.java b/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/openapi/project/impl/ProjectOpeningTest.java
index da55e9d37075..90aa6bc185dc 100644
--- a/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/openapi/project/impl/ProjectOpeningTest.java
+++ b/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/openapi/project/impl/ProjectOpeningTest.java
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ public class ProjectOpeningTest extends PlatformTestCase {
     assertTrue(ProjectUtil.isSameProject(projectDir.getAbsolutePath(), dirBasedProject));
     assertFalse(ProjectUtil.isSameProject(createTempDir("project2").getAbsolutePath(), dirBasedProject));
     File iprFilePath = new File(projectDir, "project.ipr");
-    assertTrue(ProjectUtil.isSameProject(iprFilePath.getAbsolutePath(), dirBasedProject));
+    assertFalse(ProjectUtil.isSameProject(iprFilePath.getAbsolutePath(), dirBasedProject));
     File miscXmlFilePath = new File(projectDir, ".idea/misc.xml");
     assertTrue(ProjectUtil.isSameProject(miscXmlFilePath.getAbsolutePath(), dirBasedProject));
   }