diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vfs/impl/win32/Win32Kernel.java b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vfs/impl/win32/Win32Kernel.java
index 5948ba9ca0e8..d18278499ee2 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vfs/impl/win32/Win32Kernel.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vfs/impl/win32/Win32Kernel.java
@@ -71,6 +71,7 @@ public class Win32Kernel {
 
   public static void release() {
     DATA = null;
+    BY_HANDLE_FILE_INFORMATION.INSTANCE = null;
   }
 
   private Map<String, FileInfo> myCache = new HashMap<String, FileInfo>();