diff --git a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/application/options/editor/EditorTabsConfigurable.form b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/application/options/editor/EditorTabsConfigurable.form
index fc88e11f7982..6b1ede8c1ed8 100644
--- a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/application/options/editor/EditorTabsConfigurable.form
+++ b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/application/options/editor/EditorTabsConfigurable.form
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <form xmlns="http://www.intellij.com/uidesigner/form/" version="1" bind-to-class="com.intellij.application.options.editor.EditorTabsConfigurable">
-  <grid id="27dc6" binding="myRootPanel" layout-manager="GridLayoutManager" row-count="3" column-count="2" same-size-horizontally="false" same-size-vertically="false" hgap="-1" vgap="-1">
+  <grid id="27dc6" binding="myRootPanel" layout-manager="GridLayoutManager" row-count="4" column-count="2" same-size-horizontally="false" same-size-vertically="false" hgap="-1" vgap="-1">
     <margin top="0" left="0" bottom="0" right="0"/>
     <constraints>
-      <xy x="20" y="20" width="500" height="535"/>
+      <xy x="20" y="20" width="500" height="537"/>
     </constraints>
     <properties/>
     <border type="none"/>
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
       </grid>
       <vspacer id="651b4">
         <constraints>
-          <grid row="2" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="6" hsize-policy="1" anchor="0" fill="2" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+          <grid row="3" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="6" hsize-policy="1" anchor="0" fill="2" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
         </constraints>
       </vspacer>
       <grid id="eb8d0" layout-manager="GridLayoutManager" row-count="3" column-count="1" same-size-horizontally="false" same-size-vertically="false" hgap="-1" vgap="10">
@@ -220,6 +220,38 @@
           <grid row="0" column="1" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="1" hsize-policy="6" anchor="0" fill="1" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
         </constraints>
       </hspacer>
+      <grid id="62e6f" layout-manager="GridLayoutManager" row-count="1" column-count="1" same-size-horizontally="false" same-size-vertically="false" hgap="-1" vgap="10">
+        <margin top="0" left="0" bottom="0" right="0"/>
+        <constraints>
+          <grid row="2" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="0" hsize-policy="3" anchor="0" fill="3" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+        </constraints>
+        <properties/>
+        <clientProperties>
+          <BorderFactoryClass class="java.lang.String" value="com.intellij.ui.IdeBorderFactory$BoldSmallWithIndent"/>
+        </clientProperties>
+
+        <border type="none" title="Other"/>
+        <children>
+          <grid id="21198" layout-manager="GridLayoutManager" row-count="1" column-count="1" same-size-horizontally="false" same-size-vertically="false" hgap="-1" vgap="-1">
+            <margin top="0" left="0" bottom="0" right="0"/>
+            <constraints>
+              <grid row="0" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="3" hsize-policy="3" anchor="0" fill="3" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+            </constraints>
+            <properties/>
+            <border type="none"/>
+            <children>
+              <component id="8131a" class="javax.swing.JCheckBox" binding="mySwitcherPolicy">
+                <constraints>
+                  <grid row="0" column="0" row-span="1" col-span="1" vsize-policy="0" hsize-policy="3" anchor="8" fill="0" indent="0" use-parent-layout="false"/>
+                </constraints>
+                <properties>
+                  <text value="Hide Tab Switcher on button release"/>
+                </properties>
+              </component>
+            </children>
+          </grid>
+        </children>
+      </grid>
     </children>
   </grid>
   <buttonGroups>
diff --git a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/application/options/editor/EditorTabsConfigurable.java b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/application/options/editor/EditorTabsConfigurable.java
index 68a5ad08b39e..520abd9e2833 100644
--- a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/application/options/editor/EditorTabsConfigurable.java
+++ b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/application/options/editor/EditorTabsConfigurable.java
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ public class EditorTabsConfigurable implements EditorOptionsProvider {
   private JCheckBox myShowCloseButtonOnCheckBox;
   private JCheckBox myShowDirectoryInTabCheckBox;
   private JRadioButton myActivateRightNeighbouringTabRadioButton;
+  private JCheckBox mySwitcherPolicy;
 
   public EditorTabsConfigurable() {
     myEditorTabPlacement.setModel(new DefaultComboBoxModel(new Object[]{
@@ -100,6 +101,7 @@ public class EditorTabsConfigurable implements EditorOptionsProvider {
     myShowDirectoryInTabCheckBox.setSelected(uiSettings.SHOW_DIRECTORY_FOR_NON_UNIQUE_FILENAMES);
     myEditorTabLimitField.setText(Integer.toString(uiSettings.EDITOR_TAB_LIMIT));
     myShowCloseButtonOnCheckBox.setSelected(uiSettings.SHOW_CLOSE_BUTTON);
+    mySwitcherPolicy.setSelected(uiSettings.HIDE_SWITCHER_ON_CONTROL_RELEASE);
 
     if (uiSettings.CLOSE_NON_MODIFIED_FILES_FIRST) {
       myCloseNonModifiedFilesFirstRadio.setSelected(true);
@@ -130,6 +132,9 @@ public class EditorTabsConfigurable implements EditorOptionsProvider {
     if (isModified(myShowCloseButtonOnCheckBox, uiSettings.SHOW_CLOSE_BUTTON)) uiSettingsChanged = true;
     uiSettings.SHOW_CLOSE_BUTTON = myShowCloseButtonOnCheckBox.isSelected();
 
+    if (isModified(mySwitcherPolicy, uiSettings.HIDE_SWITCHER_ON_CONTROL_RELEASE)) uiSettingsChanged = true;
+    uiSettings.HIDE_SWITCHER_ON_CONTROL_RELEASE = mySwitcherPolicy.isSelected();
+
     final int tabPlacement = ((Integer)myEditorTabPlacement.getSelectedItem()).intValue();
     if (uiSettings.EDITOR_TAB_PLACEMENT != tabPlacement) uiSettingsChanged = true;
     uiSettings.EDITOR_TAB_PLACEMENT = tabPlacement;
@@ -172,6 +177,7 @@ public class EditorTabsConfigurable implements EditorOptionsProvider {
 
     isModified |= myScrollTabLayoutInEditorCheckBox.isSelected() != uiSettings.SCROLL_TAB_LAYOUT_IN_EDITOR;
     isModified |= myShowCloseButtonOnCheckBox.isSelected() != uiSettings.SHOW_CLOSE_BUTTON;
+    isModified |= mySwitcherPolicy.isSelected() != uiSettings.HIDE_SWITCHER_ON_CONTROL_RELEASE;
 
     isModified |= isModified(myCloseNonModifiedFilesFirstRadio, uiSettings.CLOSE_NON_MODIFIED_FILES_FIRST);
     isModified |= isModified(myActivateMRUEditorOnCloseRadio, uiSettings.ACTIVATE_MRU_EDITOR_ON_CLOSE);
diff --git a/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/ide/ui/UISettings.java b/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/ide/ui/UISettings.java
index c8b8309a0652..01797fe0d95e 100644
--- a/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/ide/ui/UISettings.java
+++ b/platform/platform-api/src/com/intellij/ide/ui/UISettings.java
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ public class UISettings implements PersistentStateComponent<UISettings>, Exporta
   public int MAX_LOOKUP_WIDTH = 500;
   public int MAX_LOOKUP_LIST_HEIGHT = 11;
   public boolean HIDE_NAVIGATION_ON_FOCUS_LOSS = true;
+  public boolean HIDE_SWITCHER_ON_CONTROL_RELEASE = true;
 
   /**
    * Defines whether asterisk is shown on modified editor tab or not
diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/actions/Switcher.java b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/actions/Switcher.java
index 647c650201a0..63b0ae1525a1 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/actions/Switcher.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/actions/Switcher.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package com.intellij.ide.actions;
 
 import com.intellij.featureStatistics.FeatureUsageTracker;
 import com.intellij.ide.IdeEventQueue;
+import com.intellij.ide.ui.UISettings;
 import com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.*;
 import com.intellij.openapi.application.ApplicationManager;
 import com.intellij.openapi.editor.markup.EffectType;
@@ -113,23 +114,25 @@ public class Switcher extends AnAction implements DumbAware {
     }
     TW_SHORTCUT = new CustomShortcutSet(shortcuts.toArray(new Shortcut[shortcuts.size()]));
 
-    IdeEventQueue.getInstance().addPostprocessor(new IdeEventQueue.EventDispatcher() {
-      @Override
-      public boolean dispatch(AWTEvent event) {
-        ToolWindow tw;
-        if (SWITCHER != null && event instanceof KeyEvent) {
-          final KeyEvent keyEvent = (KeyEvent)event;
-          if (event.getID() == KEY_RELEASED && keyEvent.getKeyCode() == CTRL_KEY) {
-            SwingUtilities.invokeLater(CHECKER);
-          }
-          else if (event.getID() == KEY_PRESSED && (tw = SWITCHER.twShortcuts.get(String.valueOf((char)keyEvent.getKeyCode()))) != null) {
-            SWITCHER.myPopup.closeOk(null);
-            tw.activate(null, true, true);
+
+      IdeEventQueue.getInstance().addPostprocessor(new IdeEventQueue.EventDispatcher() {
+        @Override
+        public boolean dispatch(AWTEvent event) {
+          ToolWindow tw;
+          if (SWITCHER != null && event instanceof KeyEvent) {
+            final KeyEvent keyEvent = (KeyEvent)event;
+            if (event.getID() == KEY_RELEASED && keyEvent.getKeyCode() == CTRL_KEY && UISettings.getInstance().HIDE_SWITCHER_ON_CONTROL_RELEASE) {
+              SwingUtilities.invokeLater(CHECKER);
+            }
+            else if (event.getID() == KEY_PRESSED && (tw = SWITCHER.twShortcuts.get(String.valueOf((char)keyEvent.getKeyCode()))) != null) {
+              SWITCHER.myPopup.closeOk(null);
+              tw.activate(null, true, true);
+            }
           }
+          return false;
         }
-        return false;
-      }
-    }, null);
+      }, null);
+
   }
 
   @NonNls private static final String SWITCHER_TITLE = "Switcher";
@@ -148,6 +151,7 @@ public class Switcher extends AnAction implements DumbAware {
       }
     }
 
+    assert SWITCHER != null;
     if (e.getInputEvent().isShiftDown()) {
       SWITCHER.goBack();
     } else {
@@ -437,7 +441,8 @@ public class Switcher extends AnAction implements DumbAware {
     }
 
     public void keyReleased(KeyEvent e) {
-      if (e.getKeyCode() == CTRL_KEY || e.getKeyCode() == VK_ENTER) {
+      if ((e.getKeyCode() == CTRL_KEY && UISettings.getInstance().HIDE_SWITCHER_ON_CONTROL_RELEASE)
+          || e.getKeyCode() == VK_ENTER) {
         navigate();
       } else
       if (e.getKeyCode() == VK_LEFT) {
@@ -541,7 +546,7 @@ public class Switcher extends AnAction implements DumbAware {
     }
 
     private void goRight() {
-      if (isFilesSelected() || !isFilesVisible()) {
+      if ((isFilesSelected() || !isFilesVisible()) && UISettings.getInstance().HIDE_SWITCHER_ON_CONTROL_RELEASE) {
         cancel();
       }
       else {
@@ -557,7 +562,7 @@ public class Switcher extends AnAction implements DumbAware {
     }
 
     private void goLeft() {
-      if (isToolWindowsSelected()) {
+      if (isToolWindowsSelected() && UISettings.getInstance().HIDE_SWITCHER_ON_CONTROL_RELEASE) {
         cancel();
       }
       else {