diff --git a/python/edu/learn-python/src/com/jetbrains/python/edu/StudyDirectoryProjectGenerator.java b/python/edu/learn-python/src/com/jetbrains/python/edu/StudyDirectoryProjectGenerator.java
index 41990be866b4..b8edda7b94ee 100644
--- a/python/edu/learn-python/src/com/jetbrains/python/edu/StudyDirectoryProjectGenerator.java
+++ b/python/edu/learn-python/src/com/jetbrains/python/edu/StudyDirectoryProjectGenerator.java
@@ -310,6 +310,13 @@ public class StudyDirectoryProjectGenerator extends PythonProjectGenerator imple
     File cashFile = new File(myCoursesDir, CACHE_NAME);
     PrintWriter writer = null;
     try {
+      if (!cashFile.exists()) {
+        final boolean created = cashFile.createNewFile();
+        if (!created) {
+          LOG.error("Cannot flush courses cache. Can't create " + CACHE_NAME + " file");
+          return;
+        }
+      }
       writer = new PrintWriter(cashFile);
       for (Map.Entry<CourseInfo, File> course : myCourses.entrySet()) {
         CourseInfo courseInfo = course.getKey();
@@ -322,6 +329,9 @@ public class StudyDirectoryProjectGenerator extends PythonProjectGenerator imple
     catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
       LOG.error(e);
     }
+    catch (IOException e) {
+      LOG.error(e);
+    }
     finally {
       StudyUtils.closeSilently(writer);
     }