diff --git a/platform/core-api/src/com/intellij/psi/util/PsiUtilCore.java b/platform/core-api/src/com/intellij/psi/util/PsiUtilCore.java
index 1f5b24660cd0..dd4ceaa5d1a4 100644
--- a/platform/core-api/src/com/intellij/psi/util/PsiUtilCore.java
+++ b/platform/core-api/src/com/intellij/psi/util/PsiUtilCore.java
@@ -704,4 +704,9 @@ public class PsiUtilCore {
       return "NULL_PSI_FILE";
     }
   }
+
+  @NotNull
+  public static <E extends PsiElement> SmartPsiElementPointer<E> createSmartPsiElementPointer(@NotNull E element) {
+    return SmartPointerManager.getInstance(element.getProject()).createSmartPsiElementPointer(element);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/impl/ProjectViewSelectInTarget.java b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/impl/ProjectViewSelectInTarget.java
index cd87c874ae96..3d2887c208ba 100644
--- a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/impl/ProjectViewSelectInTarget.java
+++ b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/impl/ProjectViewSelectInTarget.java
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.function.Supplier;
 
 public abstract class ProjectViewSelectInTarget extends SelectInTargetPsiWrapper implements CompositeSelectInTarget {
   private String mySubId;
@@ -77,10 +78,14 @@ public abstract class ProjectViewSelectInTarget extends SelectInTargetPsiWrapper
       return result;
     }
 
+    Supplier<Object> toSelectSupplier = toSelect instanceof PsiElement
+                                        ? PsiUtilCore.createSmartPsiElementPointer((PsiElement)toSelect)::getElement
+                                        : () -> toSelect;
+
     ToolWindowManager windowManager = ToolWindowManager.getInstance(project);
     final ToolWindow projectViewToolWindow = windowManager.getToolWindow(ToolWindowId.PROJECT_VIEW);
     final Runnable runnable = () -> {
-      Runnable r = () -> projectView.selectCB(toSelect, virtualFile, requestFocus).notify(result);
+      Runnable r = () -> projectView.selectCB(toSelectSupplier.get(), virtualFile, requestFocus).notify(result);
       projectView.changeViewCB(ObjectUtils.chooseNotNull(viewId, ProjectViewPane.ID), subviewId).doWhenProcessed(r);
     };