diff --git a/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/navigation/ChooseByNameTest.groovy b/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/navigation/ChooseByNameTest.groovy
index 5e1de973f184..b7c7643ed65f 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/navigation/ChooseByNameTest.groovy
+++ b/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/navigation/ChooseByNameTest.groovy
@@ -323,9 +323,11 @@ class Intf {
       myPopup.close(false)
     }
 
-    def popup = myPopup = ChooseByNamePopup.createPopup(project, model, (PsiElement)context, "")
-    Disposer.register(testRootDisposable, { popup.close(false) } as Disposable)
-    popup
+    edt {
+      def popup = myPopup = ChooseByNamePopup.createPopup(project, model, (PsiElement)context, "")
+      Disposer.register(testRootDisposable, { popup.close(false) } as Disposable)
+    }
+    myPopup
   }
 
   @Override
diff --git a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/util/gotoByName/DefaultChooseByNameItemProvider.java b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/util/gotoByName/DefaultChooseByNameItemProvider.java
index 0f9540af8d76..2c029b745ac6 100644
--- a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/util/gotoByName/DefaultChooseByNameItemProvider.java
+++ b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/ide/util/gotoByName/DefaultChooseByNameItemProvider.java
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.util.TextRange;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.text.StringUtil;
 import com.intellij.psi.PsiCompiledElement;
 import com.intellij.psi.PsiElement;
+import com.intellij.psi.SmartPointerManager;
+import com.intellij.psi.SmartPsiElementPointer;
 import com.intellij.psi.codeStyle.MinusculeMatcher;
 import com.intellij.psi.codeStyle.NameUtil;
 import com.intellij.psi.search.GlobalSearchScope;
@@ -38,16 +40,14 @@ import com.intellij.util.indexing.IdFilter;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 
-import java.lang.ref.Reference;
-import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
 import java.util.*;
 
 public class DefaultChooseByNameItemProvider implements ChooseByNameItemProvider {
   private static final Logger LOG = Logger.getInstance("#com.intellij.ide.util.gotoByName.ChooseByNameIdea");
-  private final Reference<PsiElement> myContext;
+  private final SmartPsiElementPointer myContext;
 
-  public DefaultChooseByNameItemProvider(PsiElement context) {
-    myContext = new WeakReference<PsiElement>(context);
+  public DefaultChooseByNameItemProvider(@Nullable PsiElement context) {
+    myContext = context == null ? null : SmartPointerManager.getInstance(context.getProject()).createSmartPsiElementPointer(context);
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -110,7 +110,9 @@ public class DefaultChooseByNameItemProvider implements ChooseByNameItemProvider
     final Map<Object, MatchResult> qualifierMatchResults = ContainerUtil.newIdentityTroveMap();
 
     Comparator<Object> weightComparator = new Comparator<Object>() {
-      Comparator<Object> modelComparator = model instanceof Comparator ? (Comparator<Object>)model : new PathProximityComparator(myContext.get());
+      Comparator<Object> modelComparator = model instanceof Comparator
+                                           ? (Comparator<Object>)model
+                                           : new PathProximityComparator(myContext == null ? null :myContext.getElement());
 
       @Override
       public int compare(Object o1, Object o2) {