diff --git a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/documentation/docstrings/GoogleCodeStyleDocString.java b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/documentation/docstrings/GoogleCodeStyleDocString.java
index f335aa877501..1cb57a177cd0 100644
--- a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/documentation/docstrings/GoogleCodeStyleDocString.java
+++ b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/documentation/docstrings/GoogleCodeStyleDocString.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ package com.jetbrains.python.documentation.docstrings;
 
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.Pair;
 import com.intellij.util.containers.ContainerUtil;
-import com.jetbrains.python.PyNames;
 import com.jetbrains.python.toolbox.Substring;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 
@@ -100,7 +99,7 @@ public class GoogleCodeStyleDocString extends SectionBasedDocString {
     if (name != null) {
       name = cleanUpName(name);
     }
-    if (name != null ? !PyNames.isIdentifierString(name.toString()) : type.isEmpty()) {
+    if (name != null ? !isValidName(name.toString()) : !isValidType(type.toString())) {
       return Pair.create(null, lineNum);
     }
     final Pair<List<Substring>, Integer> pair;
diff --git a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/documentation/docstrings/NumpyDocString.java b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/documentation/docstrings/NumpyDocString.java
index 16172ab27cfa..852d7f055372 100644
--- a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/documentation/docstrings/NumpyDocString.java
+++ b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/documentation/docstrings/NumpyDocString.java
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 package com.jetbrains.python.documentation.docstrings;
 
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.Pair;
-import com.jetbrains.python.PyNames;
 import com.jetbrains.python.toolbox.Substring;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NonNls;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
@@ -86,7 +85,7 @@ public class NumpyDocString extends SectionBasedDocString {
     if (name != null) {
       name = cleanUpName(name);
     }
-    if (name != null? !PyNames.isIdentifierString(name.toString()) : type.isEmpty()) {
+    if (name != null ? !isValidName(name.toString()) : !isValidType(type.toString())) {
       return Pair.create(null, lineNum);
     }
     final Pair<List<Substring>, Integer> parsedDescription = parseIndentedBlock(lineNum + 1, getLineIndentSize(lineNum));
diff --git a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/documentation/docstrings/SectionBasedDocString.java b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/documentation/docstrings/SectionBasedDocString.java
index ea613e0c91eb..9ef308f74f87 100644
--- a/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/documentation/docstrings/SectionBasedDocString.java
+++ b/python/src/com/jetbrains/python/documentation/docstrings/SectionBasedDocString.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.util.Pair;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.text.StringUtil;
 import com.intellij.util.Function;
 import com.intellij.util.containers.ContainerUtil;
+import com.jetbrains.python.PyNames;
 import com.jetbrains.python.psi.PyIndentUtil;
 import com.jetbrains.python.psi.StructuredDocString;
 import com.jetbrains.python.toolbox.Substring;
@@ -51,6 +52,8 @@ public abstract class SectionBasedDocString extends DocStringLineParser implemen
   @NonNls public static final String METHODS_SECTION = "methods";
   @NonNls public static final String OTHER_PARAMETERS_SECTION = "other parameters";
   @NonNls public static final String YIELDS_SECTION = "yields";
+  
+  private static final Pattern PLAIN_TEXT = Pattern.compile("\\w+(\\s+\\w+){2}"); // dumb heuristic - consecutive words
 
   protected static final Map<String, String> SECTION_ALIASES =
     ImmutableMap.<String, String>builder()
@@ -161,8 +164,8 @@ public abstract class SectionBasedDocString extends DocStringLineParser implemen
     final int sectionIndent = getLineIndentSize(sectionStartLine);
     int lineNum = consumeEmptyLines(parsedHeader.getSecond());
     while (!isSectionBreak(lineNum, sectionIndent)) {
-      final Pair<SectionField, Integer> parsedField = parseSectionField(lineNum, normalized, sectionIndent);
       if (!isEmpty(lineNum)) {
+        final Pair<SectionField, Integer> parsedField = parseSectionField(lineNum, normalized, sectionIndent);
         if (parsedField.getFirst() != null) {
           fields.add(parsedField.getFirst());
           lineNum = parsedField.getSecond();
@@ -243,6 +246,14 @@ public abstract class SectionBasedDocString extends DocStringLineParser implemen
     return isSectionStart(lineNum);
   }
 
+  protected boolean isValidType(@NotNull String type) {
+    return !type.isEmpty() && !PLAIN_TEXT.matcher(type).find();
+  }
+
+  protected boolean isValidName(@NotNull String name) {
+    return PyNames.isIdentifierString(name.toString());
+  }
+
   /**
    * Properly partitions line by first colon taking into account possible Sphinx references inside
    * <p/>
diff --git a/python/testData/docstrings/numpyMultipleReturns.py b/python/testData/docstrings/numpyMultipleReturns.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7dfb04995fa8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/testData/docstrings/numpyMultipleReturns.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+def f():
+    """
+    Returns
+    -------
+    sign : (...) array_like
+        A number representing the sign of the determinant. For a real matrix,
+        this is 1, 0, or -1. For a complex matrix, this is a complex number
+        with absolute value 1 (i.e., it is on the unit circle), or else 0.
+    logdet : (...) array_like
+        The natural log of the absolute value of the determinant.
+
+    If the determinant is zero, then `sign` will be 0 and `logdet` will be
+    -Inf. In all cases, the determinant is equal to ``sign * np.exp(logdet)``.
+    """
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/PySectionBasedDocStringTest.java b/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/PySectionBasedDocStringTest.java
index 96234043b78f..5d98447bb01c 100644
--- a/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/PySectionBasedDocStringTest.java
+++ b/python/testSrc/com/jetbrains/python/PySectionBasedDocStringTest.java
@@ -344,6 +344,13 @@ public class PySectionBasedDocStringTest extends PyTestCase {
     assertEmpty(y.getDescription());
   }
 
+  public void testNumpyMultipleReturns() {
+    final NumpyDocString docString = findAndParseNumpyStyleDocString();
+    assertSize(1, docString.getSections());
+    final Section returnSection = docString.getSections().get(0);
+    assertSize(2, returnSection.getFields());
+  }
+
   @Override
   protected String getTestDataPath() {
     return super.getTestDataPath() + "/docstrings";