diff --git a/platform/external-system-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/IdeModelsProvider.java b/platform/external-system-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/IdeModelsProvider.java
index 41f1661e2ed2..3d61aafb475b 100644
--- a/platform/external-system-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/IdeModelsProvider.java
+++ b/platform/external-system-api/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/IdeModelsProvider.java
@@ -17,11 +17,13 @@ package com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.service.project;
 
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.model.project.*;
 import com.intellij.openapi.module.Module;
+import com.intellij.openapi.module.UnloadedModuleDescription;
 import com.intellij.openapi.roots.ModuleOrderEntry;
 import com.intellij.openapi.roots.OrderEntry;
 import com.intellij.openapi.roots.OrderRootType;
 import com.intellij.openapi.roots.libraries.Library;
 import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.VirtualFile;
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.ApiStatus;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 
@@ -47,6 +49,10 @@ public interface IdeModelsProvider {
   @Nullable
   Module findIdeModule(@NotNull String ideModuleName);
 
+  @ApiStatus.Experimental
+  @Nullable
+  UnloadedModuleDescription getUnloadedModuleDescription(@NotNull ModuleData moduleData);
+
   @Nullable
   Library findIdeLibrary(@NotNull LibraryData libraryData);
 
diff --git a/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/IdeModelsProviderImpl.java b/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/IdeModelsProviderImpl.java
index 0a98abe014e0..ba4463c1cea7 100644
--- a/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/IdeModelsProviderImpl.java
+++ b/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/IdeModelsProviderImpl.java
@@ -16,10 +16,7 @@
 package com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.service.project;
 
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.model.project.*;
-import com.intellij.openapi.module.Module;
-import com.intellij.openapi.module.ModuleGrouperKt;
-import com.intellij.openapi.module.ModuleManager;
-import com.intellij.openapi.module.ModuleUtilCore;
+import com.intellij.openapi.module.*;
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
 import com.intellij.openapi.roots.*;
 import com.intellij.openapi.roots.libraries.Library;
@@ -125,6 +122,20 @@ public class IdeModelsProviderImpl implements IdeModelsProvider {
     return ModuleManager.getInstance(myProject).findModuleByName(ideModuleName);
   }
 
+  @Nullable
+  @Override
+  public UnloadedModuleDescription getUnloadedModuleDescription(@NotNull ModuleData moduleData) {
+    for (String moduleName : suggestModuleNameCandidates(moduleData)) {
+      UnloadedModuleDescription unloadedModuleDescription = ModuleManager.getInstance(myProject).getUnloadedModuleDescription(moduleName);
+
+      // TODO external system module options should be honored to handle duplicated module names issues
+      if(unloadedModuleDescription != null) {
+        return unloadedModuleDescription;
+      }
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
+
   @Nullable
   @Override
   public Library findIdeLibrary(@NotNull LibraryData libraryData) {
diff --git a/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/AbstractDependencyDataService.java b/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/AbstractDependencyDataService.java
index 97d869729a77..62dbd2e30511 100644
--- a/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/AbstractDependencyDataService.java
+++ b/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/AbstractDependencyDataService.java
@@ -37,7 +37,10 @@ import com.intellij.util.containers.MultiMap;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 
-import java.util.*;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Set;
 
 /**
  * @author Denis Zhdanov
@@ -96,10 +99,16 @@ public abstract class AbstractDependencyDataService<E extends AbstractDependency
       for (DataNode<E> node : toImport) {
         final AbstractDependencyData data = node.getData();
         Module ownerModule = modelsProvider.findIdeModule(data.getOwnerModule());
+        if (ownerModule == null && modelsProvider.getUnloadedModuleDescription(data.getOwnerModule()) != null) {
+          continue;
+        }
         assert ownerModule != null;
         String depName;
         if(data instanceof ModuleDependencyData) {
           Module targetModule = modelsProvider.findIdeModule(((ModuleDependencyData)data).getTarget());
+          if (targetModule == null && modelsProvider.getUnloadedModuleDescription(((ModuleDependencyData)data).getTarget()) != null) {
+            continue;
+          }
           assert targetModule != null;
           depName = targetModule.getName();
         } else {
diff --git a/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/AbstractModuleDataService.java b/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/AbstractModuleDataService.java
index 61a8a95538b5..38efe067933b 100644
--- a/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/AbstractModuleDataService.java
+++ b/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/AbstractModuleDataService.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.util.ExternalSystemBundle;
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.util.ExternalSystemUiUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.module.ModifiableModuleModel;
 import com.intellij.openapi.module.Module;
+import com.intellij.openapi.module.UnloadedModuleDescription;
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
 import com.intellij.openapi.roots.*;
 import com.intellij.openapi.ui.DialogWrapper;
@@ -152,7 +153,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractModuleDataService<E extends ModuleData> extends Ab
       ModuleData moduleData = node.getData();
       Module module = modelsProvider.findIdeModule(moduleData);
       if (module == null) {
-        result.add(node);
+        UnloadedModuleDescription unloadedModuleDescription = modelsProvider.getUnloadedModuleDescription(moduleData);
+        if (unloadedModuleDescription == null) {
+          result.add(node);
+        }
       }
       else {
         node.putUserData(MODULE_KEY, module);
diff --git a/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/ModuleDependencyDataService.java b/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/ModuleDependencyDataService.java
index 6d55c11fcf70..37e6dd0d8472 100644
--- a/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/ModuleDependencyDataService.java
+++ b/platform/external-system-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/externalSystem/service/project/manage/ModuleDependencyDataService.java
@@ -27,10 +27,8 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.service.project.IdeModifiableModelsPr
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.util.ExternalSystemConstants;
 import com.intellij.openapi.externalSystem.util.Order;
 import com.intellij.openapi.module.Module;
-import com.intellij.openapi.roots.DependencyScope;
-import com.intellij.openapi.roots.ModifiableRootModel;
-import com.intellij.openapi.roots.ModuleOrderEntry;
-import com.intellij.openapi.roots.OrderEntry;
+import com.intellij.openapi.module.ModuleManager;
+import com.intellij.openapi.roots.*;
 import com.intellij.openapi.roots.impl.ModuleOrderEntryImpl;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.Pair;
 import com.intellij.util.containers.ContainerUtil;
@@ -38,8 +36,10 @@ import com.intellij.util.containers.ContainerUtilRt;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 
 import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 /**
  * @author Denis Zhdanov
@@ -142,4 +142,20 @@ public class ModuleDependencyDataService extends AbstractDependencyDataService<M
 
     return orderEntryDataMap;
   }
+
+  @Override
+  protected void removeData(@NotNull Collection<? extends ExportableOrderEntry> toRemove,
+                            @NotNull Module module,
+                            @NotNull IdeModifiableModelsProvider modelsProvider) {
+
+    // do not remove 'invalid' module dependencies on unloaded modules
+    List<? extends ExportableOrderEntry> filteredList = toRemove.stream().filter(o -> {
+      if (o instanceof ModuleOrderEntry) {
+        String moduleName = ((ModuleOrderEntry)o).getModuleName();
+        return ModuleManager.getInstance(module.getProject()).getUnloadedModuleDescription(moduleName) == null;
+      }
+      return true;
+    }).collect(Collectors.toList());
+    super.removeData(filteredList, module, modelsProvider);
+  }
 }