diff --git a/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/FxmlConstants.java b/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/FxmlConstants.java
index 0e9f05bfb3a0..6a7364b6b79e 100644
--- a/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/FxmlConstants.java
+++ b/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/FxmlConstants.java
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ public class FxmlConstants {
   @NonNls public static final String FX_DEFINE = "fx:define";
   @NonNls public static final String FX_SCRIPT = "fx:script";
   @NonNls public static final String FX_INCLUDE = "fx:include";
+  @NonNls public static final String FX_ROOT = "fx:root";
+  @NonNls public static final String TYPE = "type";
   
   public static final List<String> FX_DEFAULT_PROPERTIES = Arrays.asList(FX_ID, FX_CONTROLLER, VALUE, FX_VALUE, FX_FACTORY, FX_CONSTANT);
   public static final List<String> FX_DEFAULT_ELEMENTS = Arrays.asList(FX_INCLUDE, FX_REFERENCE, FX_COPY, FX_DEFINE, FX_SCRIPT);
@@ -49,12 +51,15 @@ public class FxmlConstants {
   static {
     FX_ELEMENT_ATTRIBUTES.put(FX_INCLUDE, Arrays.asList(FX_ELEMENT_SOURCE, FX_ID));
     FX_ELEMENT_ATTRIBUTES.put(FX_REFERENCE, Arrays.asList(FX_ELEMENT_SOURCE));
+    FX_ELEMENT_ATTRIBUTES.put(FX_ROOT, Arrays.asList(TYPE));
   }
 
   public static final Map<String, List<String>> FX_REQUIRED_ELEMENT_ATTRIBUTES = new HashMap<String, List<String>>();
+
   static {
     FX_REQUIRED_ELEMENT_ATTRIBUTES.put(FX_INCLUDE, Arrays.asList(FX_ELEMENT_SOURCE));
     FX_REQUIRED_ELEMENT_ATTRIBUTES.put(FX_REFERENCE, Arrays.asList(FX_ELEMENT_SOURCE));
+    FX_REQUIRED_ELEMENT_ATTRIBUTES.put(FX_ROOT, Arrays.asList(TYPE));
   }
   
 }
diff --git a/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/JavaFXNSDescriptor.java b/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/JavaFXNSDescriptor.java
index 231a3c96a7a9..ccc02fd95a11 100644
--- a/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/JavaFXNSDescriptor.java
+++ b/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/JavaFXNSDescriptor.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import com.intellij.xml.XmlNSDescriptor;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 import org.jetbrains.plugins.javaFX.fxml.descriptors.JavaFxClassBackedElementDescriptor;
+import org.jetbrains.plugins.javaFX.fxml.descriptors.JavaFxDefaultPropertyElementDescriptor;
 
 /**
 * User: anna
@@ -22,7 +23,9 @@ public class JavaFXNSDescriptor implements XmlNSDescriptor, Validator<XmlDocumen
   public XmlElementDescriptor getElementDescriptor(@NotNull XmlTag tag) {
     final String name = tag.getName();
 
-    if (JavaFxPsiUtil.isClassTag(name)) {
+    if (tag.getName().equals(FxmlConstants.FX_ROOT)) {
+      return new JavaFxDefaultPropertyElementDescriptor(name, tag);
+    } else if (JavaFxPsiUtil.isClassTag(name)) {
       return new JavaFxClassBackedElementDescriptor(name, tag);
     }
     else {
diff --git a/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/descriptors/JavaFxDefaultPropertyElementDescriptor.java b/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/descriptors/JavaFxDefaultPropertyElementDescriptor.java
index f63e9f8abcee..7614ddb645ba 100644
--- a/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/descriptors/JavaFxDefaultPropertyElementDescriptor.java
+++ b/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/descriptors/JavaFxDefaultPropertyElementDescriptor.java
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public class JavaFxDefaultPropertyElementDescriptor implements XmlElementDescrip
   @Nullable
   @Override
   public XmlElementDescriptor getElementDescriptor(XmlTag childTag, XmlTag contextTag) {
-    if (myName.equals(FxmlConstants.FX_DEFINE)) {
+    if (myName.equals(FxmlConstants.FX_DEFINE) || myName.equals(FxmlConstants.FX_ROOT)) {
       final String name = childTag.getName();
       if (JavaFxPsiUtil.isClassTag(name)) {
         return new JavaFxClassBackedElementDescriptor(name, childTag);
diff --git a/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/refs/FxmlReferencesContributor.java b/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/refs/FxmlReferencesContributor.java
index 148538e77ba1..885441678602 100644
--- a/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/refs/FxmlReferencesContributor.java
+++ b/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/refs/FxmlReferencesContributor.java
@@ -41,6 +41,12 @@ public class FxmlReferencesContributor extends PsiReferenceContributor {
                                           .and(attributeValueInFxml),
                                         CLASS_REFERENCE_PROVIDER);
 
+    registrar.registerReferenceProvider(XmlPatterns.xmlAttributeValue()
+                                          .withParent(XmlPatterns.xmlAttribute().withName("type")
+                                                        .withParent(XmlPatterns.xmlTag().withName(FxmlConstants.FX_ROOT)))
+                                          .and(attributeValueInFxml),
+                                        CLASS_REFERENCE_PROVIDER);
+
     registrar.registerReferenceProvider(XmlPatterns.xmlAttributeValue().withParent(XmlPatterns.xmlAttribute().withName(FxmlConstants.FX_ID))
                                           .and(attributeValueInFxml),
                                         new JavaFxFieldIdReferenceProvider());
diff --git a/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/refs/JavaFxControllerBasedReferenceProvider.java b/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/refs/JavaFxControllerBasedReferenceProvider.java
index dc83e4c8fec5..a200fad4aaba 100644
--- a/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/refs/JavaFxControllerBasedReferenceProvider.java
+++ b/plugins/javaFX/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/refs/JavaFxControllerBasedReferenceProvider.java
@@ -15,16 +15,12 @@
  */
 package org.jetbrains.plugins.javaFX.fxml.refs;
 
-import com.intellij.openapi.util.text.StringUtil;
 import com.intellij.psi.*;
-import com.intellij.psi.xml.XmlAttribute;
 import com.intellij.psi.xml.XmlAttributeValue;
-import com.intellij.psi.xml.XmlFile;
-import com.intellij.psi.xml.XmlTag;
 import com.intellij.util.ProcessingContext;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
-import org.jetbrains.plugins.javaFX.fxml.FxmlConstants;
 import org.jetbrains.plugins.javaFX.fxml.JavaFxFileTypeFactory;
+import org.jetbrains.plugins.javaFX.fxml.JavaFxPsiUtil;
 
 /**
  * User: anna
@@ -38,21 +34,8 @@ public abstract class JavaFxControllerBasedReferenceProvider extends PsiReferenc
     final PsiFile containingFile = xmlAttrVal.getContainingFile();
     if (!JavaFxFileTypeFactory.isFxml(containingFile)) return PsiReference.EMPTY_ARRAY;
 
-    final XmlTag rootTag = ((XmlFile)containingFile).getRootTag();
-    if (rootTag != null) {
-      final XmlAttribute attribute = rootTag.getAttribute(FxmlConstants.FX_CONTROLLER);
-      if (attribute != null) {
-        final String attributeValue = attribute.getValue();
-        if (!StringUtil.isEmptyOrSpaces(attributeValue)) {
-          final PsiClass controllerClass =
-            JavaPsiFacade.getInstance(xmlAttrVal.getProject()).findClass(attributeValue, xmlAttrVal.getResolveScope());
-          if (controllerClass != null) {
-            return getReferencesByElement(controllerClass, xmlAttrVal, context);
-          }
-        }
-      }
-    }
-    return PsiReference.EMPTY_ARRAY;
+    final PsiClass controllerClass = JavaFxPsiUtil.getControllerClass(containingFile);
+    return controllerClass != null ? getReferencesByElement(controllerClass, xmlAttrVal, context) : PsiReference.EMPTY_ARRAY;
   }
 
   protected abstract PsiReference[] getReferencesByElement(@NotNull PsiClass controllerClass, XmlAttributeValue element, ProcessingContext context);
diff --git a/plugins/javaFX/testData/highlighting/rootTag.fxml b/plugins/javaFX/testData/highlighting/rootTag.fxml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..6fa1c4ac7c85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/javaFX/testData/highlighting/rootTag.fxml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+<?import javafx.scene.control.TextField?>
+<?import javafx.scene.control.Label?>
+
+<fx:root type="javafx.scene.layout.VBox" xmlns:fx="http://javafx.com/fxml">
+  <TextField fx:id="textField" text=""/>
+  <Label text="Hello"/>
+</fx:root>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/javaFX/testData/highlighting/rootTagWithoutType.fxml b/plugins/javaFX/testData/highlighting/rootTagWithoutType.fxml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c7fd34ee6fe6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/javaFX/testData/highlighting/rootTagWithoutType.fxml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+<?import javafx.scene.control.TextField?>
+<?import javafx.scene.control.Label?>
+
+<<error descr="Element fx:root doesn't have required attribute type">fx:root</error> xmlns:fx="http://javafx.com/fxml">
+  <TextField fx:id="textField" text=""/>
+  <Label text="Hello"/>
+</<error descr="Element fx:root doesn't have required attribute type">fx:root</error>>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/javaFX/testData/highlighting/unresolvedRootTag.fxml b/plugins/javaFX/testData/highlighting/unresolvedRootTag.fxml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..650af2aafe84
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/javaFX/testData/highlighting/unresolvedRootTag.fxml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+
+<?import javafx.scene.control.TextField?>
+<?import javafx.scene.control.Label?>
+
+<fx:root type="<error descr="Cannot resolve class or package 'unknownPackage'">unknownPackage</error>.<error descr="Cannot resolve class 'unknownClass'">unknownClass</error>" xmlns:fx="http://javafx.com/fxml">
+  <TextField fx:id="textField" text=""/>
+  <Label text="Hello"/>
+</fx:root>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/javaFX/testSrc/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/JavaFXHighlightingTest.java b/plugins/javaFX/testSrc/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/JavaFXHighlightingTest.java
index 236ca1a6a877..69de76553876 100644
--- a/plugins/javaFX/testSrc/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/JavaFXHighlightingTest.java
+++ b/plugins/javaFX/testSrc/org/jetbrains/plugins/javaFX/fxml/JavaFXHighlightingTest.java
@@ -159,6 +159,18 @@ public class JavaFXHighlightingTest extends DaemonAnalyzerTestCase {
     doTest();
   }
 
+  public void testRootTag() throws Exception {
+    doTest();
+  }
+
+  public void testUnresolvedRootTag() throws Exception {
+    doTest();
+  }
+
+  public void testRootTagWithoutType() throws Exception {
+    doTest();
+  }
+
   @NotNull
   @Override
   protected String getTestDataPath() {