diff --git a/platform/vcs-log/impl/src/com/intellij/vcs/log/impl/VcsLogProjectTabsProperties.java b/platform/vcs-log/impl/src/com/intellij/vcs/log/impl/VcsLogProjectTabsProperties.java
index 3c1b16766c2a..9cbac3007c41 100644
--- a/platform/vcs-log/impl/src/com/intellij/vcs/log/impl/VcsLogProjectTabsProperties.java
+++ b/platform/vcs-log/impl/src/com/intellij/vcs/log/impl/VcsLogProjectTabsProperties.java
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ public class VcsLogProjectTabsProperties implements PersistentStateComponent<Vcs
       Multiset<RecentGroup> branchFrequencies = HashMultiset.create();
       Multiset<RecentGroup> userFrequencies = HashMultiset.create();
       for (Map.Entry<String, VcsLogUiPropertiesImpl.State> entry : myState.TAB_STATES.entrySet()) {
+        if (entry.getKey().startsWith("EXTERNAL")) continue; // do not migrate recent items for external logs
         VcsLogUiPropertiesImpl.State s = entry.getValue();
         branchFrequencies.addAll(map(s.RECENTLY_FILTERED_BRANCH_GROUPS, RecentGroup::new));
         userFrequencies.addAll(map(s.RECENTLY_FILTERED_USER_GROUPS, RecentGroup::new));
@@ -65,6 +66,17 @@ public class VcsLogProjectTabsProperties implements PersistentStateComponent<Vcs
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Method for migrating external log tabs properties to the other storage.
+   * Finds a state by id and removes it.
+   * To be removed after 2018.3 release.
+   */
+  @Deprecated
+  @Nullable
+  public VcsLogUiPropertiesImpl.State removeTabState(@NotNull String id) {
+    return myState.TAB_STATES.remove(id);
+  }
+
   @Override
   @NotNull
   public MainVcsLogUiProperties createProperties(@NotNull final String id) {
diff --git a/platform/vcs-log/impl/src/com/intellij/vcs/log/impl/VcsLogUiPropertiesImpl.java b/platform/vcs-log/impl/src/com/intellij/vcs/log/impl/VcsLogUiPropertiesImpl.java
index 92b4da72ad4f..613785e90135 100644
--- a/platform/vcs-log/impl/src/com/intellij/vcs/log/impl/VcsLogUiPropertiesImpl.java
+++ b/platform/vcs-log/impl/src/com/intellij/vcs/log/impl/VcsLogUiPropertiesImpl.java
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ public abstract class VcsLogUiPropertiesImpl<S extends VcsLogUiPropertiesImpl.St
     }
   }
 
-  private static class TextFilterSettings {
+  public static class TextFilterSettings {
     public boolean REGEX = false;
     public boolean MATCH_CASE = false;
   }
diff --git a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/log/GitExternalLogTabsProperties.java b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/log/GitExternalLogTabsProperties.java
index c200d1f6a639..8ebf5850ea9f 100644
--- a/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/log/GitExternalLogTabsProperties.java
+++ b/plugins/git4idea/src/git4idea/log/GitExternalLogTabsProperties.java
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 // Copyright 2000-2018 JetBrains s.r.o. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 package git4idea.log;
 
-import com.intellij.openapi.components.PersistentStateComponent;
-import com.intellij.openapi.components.RoamingType;
-import com.intellij.openapi.components.State;
-import com.intellij.openapi.components.Storage;
+import com.intellij.openapi.components.*;
+import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
+import com.intellij.openapi.project.ProjectManager;
 import com.intellij.util.containers.ContainerUtil;
 import com.intellij.util.xmlb.annotations.XCollection;
 import com.intellij.util.xmlb.annotations.XMap;
@@ -25,10 +24,12 @@ import java.util.Map;
 )
 public class GitExternalLogTabsProperties implements PersistentStateComponent<GitExternalLogTabsProperties.State>, VcsLogTabsProperties {
   @NotNull private final VcsLogApplicationSettings myAppSettings;
+  @NotNull private final ProjectManager myProjectManager;
   private State myState = new State();
 
-  public GitExternalLogTabsProperties(@NotNull VcsLogApplicationSettings settings) {
+  public GitExternalLogTabsProperties(@NotNull VcsLogApplicationSettings settings, @NotNull ProjectManager projectManager) {
     myAppSettings = settings;
+    myProjectManager = projectManager;
   }
 
   @Nullable
@@ -45,10 +46,43 @@ public class GitExternalLogTabsProperties implements PersistentStateComponent<Gi
   @NotNull
   @Override
   public MainVcsLogUiProperties createProperties(@NotNull String id) {
-    myState.TAB_STATES.putIfAbsent(id, new TabState());
+    if (!myState.TAB_STATES.containsKey(id)) {
+      myState.TAB_STATES.put(id, createOrMigrateTabState(id));
+    }
     return new MyVcsLogUiProperties(id);
   }
 
+  @NotNull
+  private TabState createOrMigrateTabState(@NotNull String id) {
+    // migration from VcsLogProjectTabsProperties, to remove after 2018.3 release
+    Project[] projects = myProjectManager.getOpenProjects();
+    for (Project project : projects) {
+      VcsLogProjectTabsProperties projectTabsProperties = ServiceManager.getServiceIfCreated(project, VcsLogProjectTabsProperties.class);
+      if (projectTabsProperties != null) {
+        VcsLogUiPropertiesImpl.State oldState = projectTabsProperties.removeTabState(id);
+        if (oldState != null) {
+          TabState newState = new TabState();
+          newState.SHOW_DETAILS_IN_CHANGES = oldState.SHOW_DETAILS_IN_CHANGES;
+          newState.LONG_EDGES_VISIBLE = oldState.LONG_EDGES_VISIBLE;
+          newState.BEK_SORT_TYPE = oldState.BEK_SORT_TYPE;
+          newState.SHOW_ROOT_NAMES = oldState.SHOW_ROOT_NAMES;
+          newState.RECENT_BRANCH_FILTERS.addAll(ContainerUtil.map(oldState.RECENTLY_FILTERED_BRANCH_GROUPS,
+                                                                  VcsLogProjectTabsProperties.RecentGroup::new));
+          newState.RECENT_USER_FILTERS.addAll(ContainerUtil.map(oldState.RECENTLY_FILTERED_USER_GROUPS,
+                                                                VcsLogProjectTabsProperties.RecentGroup::new));
+          newState.HIGHLIGHTERS.putAll(oldState.HIGHLIGHTERS);
+          newState.FILTERS.putAll(oldState.FILTERS);
+          newState.COLUMN_WIDTH.putAll(oldState.COLUMN_WIDTH);
+          newState.COLUMN_ORDER.addAll(oldState.COLUMN_ORDER);
+          newState.TEXT_FILTER_SETTINGS.MATCH_CASE = oldState.TEXT_FILTER_SETTINGS.MATCH_CASE;
+          newState.TEXT_FILTER_SETTINGS.REGEX = oldState.TEXT_FILTER_SETTINGS.REGEX;
+          return newState;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    return new TabState();
+  }
+
   public static class State {
     @XMap
     public Map<String, TabState> TAB_STATES = ContainerUtil.newTreeMap();