diff --git a/java/debugger/impl/resources/META-INF/java-debugger.xml b/java/debugger/impl/resources/META-INF/java-debugger.xml
index 45f3c5279d1b..3fa283e22f3b 100644
--- a/java/debugger/impl/resources/META-INF/java-debugger.xml
+++ b/java/debugger/impl/resources/META-INF/java-debugger.xml
@@ -178,6 +178,10 @@
 
     <feedback.idleFeedbackSurvey implementation="com.intellij.debugger.feedback.KotlinDebuggerFeedbackSurvey"/>
     <debugger.steppingListener implementation="com.intellij.debugger.engine.CancelingSteppingListener"/>
+
+    <registryKey defaultValue="[off*|auto|always]"
+                 key="debugger.evaluate.method.helper"
+                 description="Use helper to invoke methods avoiding the immediate return value collection"/>
   </extensions>
 
   <actions>
diff --git a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/MethodInvokeUtils.kt b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/MethodInvokeUtils.kt
index 867313811224..e3ca0dc2afed 100644
--- a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/MethodInvokeUtils.kt
+++ b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/MethodInvokeUtils.kt
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.application.ApplicationManager
 import com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.Attachment
 import com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.RuntimeExceptionWithAttachments
 import com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.logger
+import com.intellij.openapi.util.Key
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.registry.Registry
 import com.intellij.psi.CommonClassNames
 import com.intellij.rt.debugger.MethodInvoker
@@ -25,6 +26,9 @@ import org.jetbrains.annotations.ApiStatus
 
 @ApiStatus.Internal
 object MethodInvokeUtils {
+  @JvmStatic
+  internal val INVOKE_WITH_HELPER_KEY: Key<Boolean> = Key<Boolean>("invoke.with.helper")
+
   fun getHelperExceptionStackTrace(evaluationContext: EvaluationContextImpl, e: Exception): String? {
     if (e !is EvaluateException) return null
     val exceptionFromTargetVM = e.exceptionFromTargetVM ?: return null
@@ -83,8 +87,10 @@ internal fun tryInvokeWithHelper(
   invocationOptions: Int,
   internalEvaluate: Boolean,
 ): InvocationResult {
+  val useHelper = Registry.get("debugger.evaluate.method.helper").selectedOption
   if (internalEvaluate ||
-      !Registry.`is`("debugger.evaluate.method.helper") ||
+      ("auto" == useHelper && evaluationContext.getUserData(MethodInvokeUtils.INVOKE_WITH_HELPER_KEY) != true) ||
+      "off" == useHelper ||
       isSet(invocationOptions, INVOKE_NONVIRTUAL) || //TODO: support
       isPrimitiveType(method.returnTypeName()) ||
       (isVoid(method) && !method.isConstructor) ||
diff --git a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/evaluation/expression/EvaluatorBuilderImpl.java b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/evaluation/expression/EvaluatorBuilderImpl.java
index 4338e30399a3..3fb3f2cc9cdf 100644
--- a/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/evaluation/expression/EvaluatorBuilderImpl.java
+++ b/java/debugger/impl/src/com/intellij/debugger/engine/evaluation/expression/EvaluatorBuilderImpl.java
@@ -1450,7 +1450,6 @@ public final class EvaluatorBuilderImpl implements EvaluatorBuilder {
       PsiElement qualifier = expression.getQualifier();
       PsiType interfaceType = expression.getFunctionalInterfaceType();
       if (!Registry.is("debugger.compiling.evaluator.method.refs") &&
-          !Registry.is("debugger.evaluate.method.helper") &&
           interfaceType != null &&
           qualifier != null) {
         String code = null;
diff --git a/platform/testFramework/src/com/intellij/testFramework/UsefulTestCase.java b/platform/testFramework/src/com/intellij/testFramework/UsefulTestCase.java
index 50f31ac75d7b..cda74d60ccde 100644
--- a/platform/testFramework/src/com/intellij/testFramework/UsefulTestCase.java
+++ b/platform/testFramework/src/com/intellij/testFramework/UsefulTestCase.java
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright 2000-2024 JetBrains s.r.o. and contributors. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license.
+// Copyright 2000-2025 JetBrains s.r.o. and contributors. Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license.
 package com.intellij.testFramework;
 
 import com.intellij.codeInsight.CodeInsightSettings;
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.util.JDOMUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.io.FileUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.io.FileUtilRt;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.registry.Registry;
+import com.intellij.openapi.util.registry.RegistryValue;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.text.StringUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.text.Strings;
 import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.LocalFileSystem;
@@ -1239,8 +1240,14 @@ Most likely there was an uncaught exception in asynchronous execution that resul
   }
 
   protected void setRegistryPropertyForTest(@NotNull String property, @SuppressWarnings("SameParameterValue") @NotNull String value) {
-    Registry.get(property).setValue(value);
-    Disposer.register(getTestRootDisposable(), () -> Registry.get(property).resetToDefault());
+    RegistryValue registryValue = Registry.get(property);
+    if (registryValue.isMultiValue()) {
+      registryValue.setSelectedOption(value);
+    }
+    else {
+      registryValue.setValue(value);
+    }
+    Disposer.register(getTestRootDisposable(), () -> registryValue.resetToDefault());
   }
 
   protected void allowAccessToDirsIfExists(@NotNull String @NotNull ... dirNames) {
diff --git a/platform/util/resources/misc/registry.properties b/platform/util/resources/misc/registry.properties
index af2f68fa0500..3341d1a0d5e6 100644
--- a/platform/util/resources/misc/registry.properties
+++ b/platform/util/resources/misc/registry.properties
@@ -660,8 +660,6 @@ debugger.attach.to.process.action=false
 debugger.sa.jdwp.debug=false
 debugger.add.rt.jar=true
 debugger.add.rt.jar.description=Add rt.jar to the classpath
-debugger.evaluate.method.helper=false
-debugger.evaluate.method.helper.description=Use helper to invoke methods avoiding the immediate return value collection
 debugger.evaluate.single.threaded.timeout=1000
 debugger.evaluate.single.threaded.timeout.description=Number of milliseconds to evaluate resuming only the current thread, then resume all threads
 debugger.evaluate.load.helper.in.separate.classloader=false
diff --git a/plugins/stream-debugger/test/com/intellij/debugger/streams/exec/EvaluationFailedTest.java b/plugins/stream-debugger/test/com/intellij/debugger/streams/exec/EvaluationFailedTest.java
index abc7e073bfee..fade1a3a1ffd 100644
--- a/plugins/stream-debugger/test/com/intellij/debugger/streams/exec/EvaluationFailedTest.java
+++ b/plugins/stream-debugger/test/com/intellij/debugger/streams/exec/EvaluationFailedTest.java
@@ -27,13 +27,13 @@ import static org.junit.Assume.assumeTrue;
 public class EvaluationFailedTest extends FailEvaluationTestCase {
   @Test
   public void testEvaluationExceptionDetected() {
-    assumeFalse(Registry.is("debugger.evaluate.method.helper"));
+    assumeTrue("off".equals(Registry.get("debugger.evaluate.method.helper").getSelectedOption()));
     doTest(true, "EvaluationExceptionDetected");
   }
 
   @Test
   public void testEvaluationExceptionDetectedHelper() {
-    assumeTrue(Registry.is("debugger.evaluate.method.helper"));
+    assumeTrue("always".equals(Registry.get("debugger.evaluate.method.helper").getSelectedOption()));
     doTest(true, "EvaluationExceptionDetected");
   }