diff --git a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/fileEditor/impl/UniqueNameEditorTabTitleProvider.java b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/fileEditor/impl/UniqueNameEditorTabTitleProvider.java
index 40e739648dba..e472e79f9d14 100644
--- a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/fileEditor/impl/UniqueNameEditorTabTitleProvider.java
+++ b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/fileEditor/impl/UniqueNameEditorTabTitleProvider.java
@@ -31,14 +31,13 @@ import java.io.File;
 public class UniqueNameEditorTabTitleProvider implements EditorTabTitleProvider {
   @Override
   public String getEditorTabTitle(Project project, VirtualFile file) {
-    if (!UISettings.getInstance().SHOW_DIRECTORY_FOR_NON_UNIQUE_FILENAMES || DumbService.isDumb(project)) {
-      return null;
-    }
+    UISettings uiSettings = UISettings.getInstance();
+    if (uiSettings == null || !uiSettings.SHOW_DIRECTORY_FOR_NON_UNIQUE_FILENAMES || DumbService.isDumb(project)) return null;
     // Even though this is a 'tab title provider' it is used also when tabs are not shown, namely for building IDE frame title.
-    String uniqueName = UISettings.getInstance().EDITOR_TAB_PLACEMENT == UISettings.TABS_NONE ?
+    String uniqueName = uiSettings.EDITOR_TAB_PLACEMENT == UISettings.TABS_NONE ?
                         UniqueVFilePathBuilder.getInstance().getUniqueVirtualFilePath(project, file) :
                         UniqueVFilePathBuilder.getInstance().getUniqueVirtualFilePathWithinOpenedFileEditors(project, file);
-    uniqueName = getEditorTabText(uniqueName, File.separator, UISettings.getInstance().HIDE_KNOWN_EXTENSION_IN_TABS);
+    uniqueName = getEditorTabText(uniqueName, File.separator, uiSettings.HIDE_KNOWN_EXTENSION_IN_TABS);
     return uniqueName.equals(file.getName()) ? null : uniqueName;
   }