diff --git a/platform/core-api/src/com/intellij/lang/Language.java b/platform/core-api/src/com/intellij/lang/Language.java
index 501942ce5506..ce492fe1a63e 100644
--- a/platform/core-api/src/com/intellij/lang/Language.java
+++ b/platform/core-api/src/com/intellij/lang/Language.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public abstract class Language extends UserDataHolderBase {
   private final String myID;
   private final String[] myMimeTypes;
   private List<Language> myDialects = new ArrayList<Language>();
-  public static final Language ANY = new Language("*") {
+  public static final Language ANY = new Language("") {
     @Override
     public String toString() {
       //noinspection HardCodedStringLiteral
diff --git a/platform/core-api/src/com/intellij/lang/LanguageExtension.java b/platform/core-api/src/com/intellij/lang/LanguageExtension.java
index 88537e7a1219..ab552739f047 100644
--- a/platform/core-api/src/com/intellij/lang/LanguageExtension.java
+++ b/platform/core-api/src/com/intellij/lang/LanguageExtension.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public class LanguageExtension<T> extends KeyedExtensionCollector<T, Language> {
 
   @Override
   protected String keyToString(final Language key) {
-    return key.getID();
+    return key == Language.ANY ? "*" : key.getID();
   }
 
   @Nullable