diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vfs/newvfs/persistent/PersistentFSImpl.java b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vfs/newvfs/persistent/PersistentFSImpl.java
index 159e9e67f1a8..48cbab0df088 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vfs/newvfs/persistent/PersistentFSImpl.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vfs/newvfs/persistent/PersistentFSImpl.java
@@ -378,9 +378,22 @@ public class PersistentFSImpl extends PersistentFS implements ApplicationCompone
 
   @Override
   public int getId(@NotNull final VirtualFile parent, @NotNull final String childName, @NotNull final NewVirtualFileSystem fs) {
-    final int parentId = getFileId(parent);
+    int parentId = getFileId(parent);
 
-    final int[] children = FSRecords.list(parentId);
+    if (parent == myFakeRoot) {
+      // children of the fake root must be the FS roots only
+      myRootsLock.readLock().lock();
+      try {
+        String rootUrl = fs.getProtocol() + "://" + VfsImplUtil.normalize(fs, childName);
+        VirtualFileSystemEntry root = myRoots.get(rootUrl);
+        return root == null ? 0 : root.getId();
+      }
+      finally {
+        myRootsLock.readLock().unlock();
+      }
+    }
+
+    int[] children = FSRecords.list(parentId);
 
     if (children.length > 0) {
       // fast path, check that some child has same nameId as given name, this avoid O(N) on retrieving names for processing non-cached children
diff --git a/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/util/io/PersistentFSTest.java b/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/util/io/PersistentFSTest.java
index 6692086ca057..f48e2470808e 100644
--- a/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/util/io/PersistentFSTest.java
+++ b/platform/platform-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/util/io/PersistentFSTest.java
@@ -45,4 +45,19 @@ public class PersistentFSTest extends PlatformTestCase {
 
     assertNull(PersistentFS.getInstance().findFileById(id));
   }
+
+  public void testListChildrenOfTheRootOfTheRoot() {
+    PersistentFS fs = PersistentFS.getInstance();
+    VirtualFile fakeRoot = fs.findRoot("", LocalFileSystem.getInstance());
+    int users = fs.getId(fakeRoot, "Users", LocalFileSystem.getInstance());
+    assertEquals(0, users);
+    int win = fs.getId(fakeRoot, "Windows", LocalFileSystem.getInstance());
+    assertEquals(0, win);
+
+    VirtualFile[] roots = fs.getRoots(LocalFileSystem.getInstance());
+    for (VirtualFile root : roots) {
+      int rid = fs.getId(fakeRoot, root.getName(), LocalFileSystem.getInstance());
+      assertTrue(0 != rid);
+    }
+  }
 }