diff --git a/platform/testFramework/src/com/intellij/testFramework/ExpectedHighlightingData.java b/platform/testFramework/src/com/intellij/testFramework/ExpectedHighlightingData.java
index 0994431d375b..bca230cc6985 100644
--- a/platform/testFramework/src/com/intellij/testFramework/ExpectedHighlightingData.java
+++ b/platform/testFramework/src/com/intellij/testFramework/ExpectedHighlightingData.java
@@ -297,9 +297,10 @@ public class ExpectedHighlightingData {
 
     TextAttributes forcedAttributes = null;
     if (foregroundColor != null) {
-      @JdkConstants.FontStyle int ft = Integer.parseInt(fontType);
+      @JdkConstants.FontStyle int ft = fontType != null ? Integer.parseInt(fontType) : 0;
       forcedAttributes = new TextAttributes(
-        Color.decode(foregroundColor), Color.decode(backgroundColor), Color.decode(effectColor), EffectType.valueOf(effectType), ft);
+        Color.decode(foregroundColor), backgroundColor != null ? Color.decode(backgroundColor) : null, effectColor != null ? Color.decode(effectColor) : null, 
+        effectType != null ? EffectType.valueOf(effectType) : null, ft);
     }
 
     int rangeStart = textOffset.get();