diff --git a/python/educational-core/course-creator/src/com/jetbrains/edu/coursecreator/settings/CCOptions.java b/python/educational-core/course-creator/src/com/jetbrains/edu/coursecreator/settings/CCOptions.java
index 4ebd48652970..bf119bb9d16a 100644
--- a/python/educational-core/course-creator/src/com/jetbrains/edu/coursecreator/settings/CCOptions.java
+++ b/python/educational-core/course-creator/src/com/jetbrains/edu/coursecreator/settings/CCOptions.java
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@ public class CCOptions implements StudyOptionsProvider {
 
   @Override
   public void apply() throws ConfigurationException {
-    CCSettings.getInstance().setUseHtmlAsDefaultTaskFormat(myHtmlRadioButton.isSelected());
+    if (isModified()) {
+      CCSettings.getInstance().setUseHtmlAsDefaultTaskFormat(myHtmlRadioButton.isSelected());
+    }
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/stepic/EduStepicAuthorizedClient.java b/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/stepic/EduStepicAuthorizedClient.java
index 0760dee299e5..8d36b6626967 100644
--- a/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/stepic/EduStepicAuthorizedClient.java
+++ b/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/stepic/EduStepicAuthorizedClient.java
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ public class EduStepicAuthorizedClient {
     return stepicUser[0];
   }
 
+  @Nullable
   public static StepicUser login(@NotNull final String email, @NotNull final String password) {
     final List<NameValuePair> parameters = new ArrayList<>();
     if (password.isEmpty()) return null;
diff --git a/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/stepic/StepicStudyOptions.java b/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/stepic/StepicStudyOptions.java
index 2e2ac1d8d221..869dc8e8aa6b 100644
--- a/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/stepic/StepicStudyOptions.java
+++ b/python/educational-core/student/src/com/jetbrains/edu/learning/stepic/StepicStudyOptions.java
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 package com.jetbrains.edu.learning.stepic;
 
 import com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.Logger;
+import com.intellij.openapi.options.ConfigurationException;
+import com.intellij.openapi.progress.ProgressManager;
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.text.StringUtil;
 import com.intellij.ui.DocumentAdapter;
@@ -27,17 +29,11 @@ import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 
 import javax.swing.*;
-import javax.swing.event.ChangeEvent;
-import javax.swing.event.ChangeListener;
 import javax.swing.event.DocumentEvent;
-import javax.swing.event.DocumentListener;
 import javax.swing.text.Document;
 import javax.swing.text.PlainDocument;
-import java.awt.event.FocusEvent;
-import java.awt.event.FocusListener;
 
 public class StepicStudyOptions implements StudyOptionsProvider {
-  private static final String DEFAULT_PASSWORD_TEXT = "************";
   private static final Logger LOG = Logger.getInstance(StepicStudyOptions.class);
   private JTextField myLoginTextField;
   private JPasswordField myPasswordField;
@@ -47,6 +43,14 @@ public class StepicStudyOptions implements StudyOptionsProvider {
   private boolean myCredentialsModified;
 
   public StepicStudyOptions() {
+    myLoginTextField.getDocument().addDocumentListener(new DocumentAdapter() {
+      @Override
+      protected void textChanged(DocumentEvent e) {
+        myCredentialsModified = true;
+        erasePassword();
+      }
+    });
+
     myPasswordField.getDocument().addDocumentListener(new DocumentAdapter() {
       @Override
       protected void textChanged(DocumentEvent e) {
@@ -54,36 +58,7 @@ public class StepicStudyOptions implements StudyOptionsProvider {
       }
     });
 
-    DocumentListener passwordEraser = new DocumentAdapter() {
-      @Override
-      protected void textChanged(DocumentEvent e) {
-        if (!myCredentialsModified) {
-          erasePassword();
-        }
-      }
-    };
-    myLoginTextField.getDocument().addDocumentListener(passwordEraser);
-
-    myPasswordField.addFocusListener(new FocusListener() {
-      @Override
-      public void focusGained(FocusEvent e) {
-        if (!myCredentialsModified && !getPassword().isEmpty()) {
-          erasePassword();
-        }
-      }
-
-      @Override
-      public void focusLost(FocusEvent e) {
-      }
-    });
-
-    myEnableTestingFromSamples.addChangeListener(new ChangeListener() {
-      @Override
-      public void stateChanged(ChangeEvent e) {
-        myCredentialsModified = true;
-      }
-    });
-    reset();
+    myEnableTestingFromSamples.addChangeListener(e -> myCredentialsModified = true);
   }
 
   private void erasePassword() {
@@ -107,12 +82,11 @@ public class StepicStudyOptions implements StudyOptionsProvider {
 
   @NotNull
   private String getPassword() {
-    final String passwordText = String.valueOf(myPasswordField.getPassword());
-    return passwordText.equals(DEFAULT_PASSWORD_TEXT) ? "" : passwordText;
+    return String.valueOf(myPasswordField.getPassword());
   }
 
   private void setPassword(@NotNull final String password) {
-    myPasswordField.setText(StringUtil.isEmpty(password) ? null : password);
+    myPasswordField.setText(password);
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -122,7 +96,7 @@ public class StepicStudyOptions implements StudyOptionsProvider {
       StudyTaskManager taskManager = StudyTaskManager.getInstance(project);
       final StepicUser user = taskManager.getUser();
       setLogin(user.getEmail());
-      setPassword(DEFAULT_PASSWORD_TEXT);
+      setPassword(user.getPassword());
       myEnableTestingFromSamples.setSelected(taskManager.isEnableTestingFromSamples());
       resetCredentialsModification();
     }
@@ -137,7 +111,7 @@ public class StepicStudyOptions implements StudyOptionsProvider {
   }
 
   @Override
-  public void apply() {
+  public void apply() throws ConfigurationException {
     if (myCredentialsModified) {
       final Project project = StudyUtils.getStudyProject();
       if (project != null) {
@@ -146,14 +120,20 @@ public class StepicStudyOptions implements StudyOptionsProvider {
         final String login = getLogin();
         final String password = getPassword();
         if (!StringUtil.isEmptyOrSpaces(login) && !StringUtil.isEmptyOrSpaces(password)) {
-          final StepicUser user = taskManager.getUser();
-          user.setEmail(login);
-          user.setPassword(password);
-          
           // login to post credentials
-          final StepicUser stepicUser = EduStepicAuthorizedClient.login(login, password);
-          if (stepicUser != null) {
-            taskManager.setUser(stepicUser);
+          final StepicUser[] stepicUser = new StepicUser[1];
+          ProgressManager.getInstance().runProcessWithProgressSynchronously(
+            () -> {
+              ProgressManager.getInstance().getProgressIndicator().setIndeterminate(true);
+              stepicUser[0] = StudyUtils.execCancelable(() -> EduStepicAuthorizedClient.login(login, password));
+            }, "Logging In", true,
+            project);
+
+          if (stepicUser[0] != null && stepicUser[0].getAccessToken() != null) {
+            taskManager.setUser(stepicUser[0]);
+          }
+          else {
+            throw new ConfigurationException("Unable to login");
           }
         }
       }
@@ -173,7 +153,7 @@ public class StepicStudyOptions implements StudyOptionsProvider {
   public boolean isModified() {
     return myCredentialsModified;
   }
-  
+
   public void resetCredentialsModification() {
     myCredentialsModified = false;
   }