diff --git a/plugins/ui-designer/src/com/intellij/uiDesigner/designSurface/DesignDropTargetListener.java b/plugins/ui-designer/src/com/intellij/uiDesigner/designSurface/DesignDropTargetListener.java
index 058961f120ce..7e1c548f8c49 100644
--- a/plugins/ui-designer/src/com/intellij/uiDesigner/designSurface/DesignDropTargetListener.java
+++ b/plugins/ui-designer/src/com/intellij/uiDesigner/designSurface/DesignDropTargetListener.java
@@ -196,7 +196,9 @@ class DesignDropTargetListener implements DropTargetListener {
 
   public void drop(final DropTargetDropEvent dtde) {
     try {
-      myComponentTree.setDropTargetComponent(null);
+      if (myComponentTree != null) {
+        myComponentTree.setDropTargetComponent(null);
+      }
 
 
       final DraggedComponentList dcl = DraggedComponentList.fromTransferable(dtde.getTransferable());