diff --git a/python/educational/interactive-learning/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/actions/StudyRenameTaskFileAction.java b/python/educational/interactive-learning/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/actions/StudyRenameTaskFileAction.java
index 6f1ca90a9a3f..9ece19124cc2 100644
--- a/python/educational/interactive-learning/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/actions/StudyRenameTaskFileAction.java
+++ b/python/educational/interactive-learning/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/actions/StudyRenameTaskFileAction.java
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@ package com.jetbrains.edu.learning.actions;
 
 import com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.CommonDataKeys;
 import com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.DataContext;
+import com.intellij.psi.PsiDirectory;
 import com.intellij.psi.PsiElement;
+import com.intellij.psi.PsiFile;
 import com.intellij.refactoring.actions.RenameElementAction;
 import com.jetbrains.edu.learning.StudyUtils;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
@@ -15,8 +17,11 @@ public class StudyRenameTaskFileAction extends RenameElementAction {
   }
 
   private static boolean isTaskFile(PsiElement element) {
-    return element != null && StudyUtils.getTaskFile(element.getProject(),
-                                  element.getContainingFile().getVirtualFile()) != null;
+    if (element == null || element instanceof PsiDirectory) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    PsiFile file = element.getContainingFile();
+    return file != null && StudyUtils.getTaskFile(element.getProject(), file.getVirtualFile()) != null;
   }
 
   @Override