diff --git a/plugins/gradle/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/gradle/service/project/GradleProjectOpenProcessor.java b/plugins/gradle/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/gradle/service/project/GradleProjectOpenProcessor.java
index fdc7f0c66112..be3fedbb6840 100644
--- a/plugins/gradle/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/gradle/service/project/GradleProjectOpenProcessor.java
+++ b/plugins/gradle/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/gradle/service/project/GradleProjectOpenProcessor.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.project.DumbService;
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.ProjectManager;
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.ex.ProjectManagerEx;
+import com.intellij.openapi.projectRoots.JdkUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.projectRoots.Sdk;
 import com.intellij.openapi.roots.ModifiableRootModel;
 import com.intellij.openapi.roots.ui.configuration.ModulesProvider;
@@ -286,7 +287,7 @@ public class GradleProjectOpenProcessor extends ProjectOpenProcessor {
   private static boolean setupGradleJvm(@Nullable Project project, @NotNull GradleProjectSettings projectSettings) {
     final Pair<String, Sdk> sdkPair = ExternalSystemJdkUtil.getAvailableJdk(project);
     if (!ExternalSystemJdkUtil.USE_INTERNAL_JAVA.equals(sdkPair.first) ||
-        ExternalSystemJdkUtil.isValidJdk(sdkPair.second.getHomePath())) {
+        (!StringUtil.isEmptyOrSpaces(sdkPair.second.getHomePath()) && JdkUtil.checkForJdk(sdkPair.second.getHomePath()))) {
       projectSettings.setGradleJvm(sdkPair.first);
       return true;
     }