diff --git a/java/java-analysis-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInspection/dataFlow/StateMerger.java b/java/java-analysis-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInspection/dataFlow/StateMerger.java
index 3fbb6084c851..a9286654bbc1 100644
--- a/java/java-analysis-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInspection/dataFlow/StateMerger.java
+++ b/java/java-analysis-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInspection/dataFlow/StateMerger.java
@@ -205,8 +205,10 @@ class StateMerger {
               @Override
               public boolean value(DfaMemoryStateImpl another) {
                 return seemCompatible(state, another, var) &&
+                       another.getVariableState(var).myInstanceofValues.contains(notInstanceof) &&
                        varStateWithoutType.equals(getVarStateWithoutType(another, var, notInstanceof)) &&
-                       areEquivalentModuloVar(another, state, var);
+                       areEquivalentModuloVar(another, state, var) && 
+                       !(state.isNull(var) && another.isNotNull(var));
               }
             });
           if (complementaryStates.isEmpty()) {
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/inspection/dataFlow/fixture/DontForgetEqInfoWhenMergingByType.java b/java/java-tests/testData/inspection/dataFlow/fixture/DontForgetEqInfoWhenMergingByType.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..572b2fc2c4fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/inspection/dataFlow/fixture/DontForgetEqInfoWhenMergingByType.java
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+class Some {
+
+  private boolean canBePatternVariable(PsiElement element) {
+    if (element instanceof LeafElement) {
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    while (!(element instanceof LeafElement) && element != null) {
+      element = getNextObject(element);
+    }
+    return element != null;
+  }
+
+  PsiElement getNextObject(PsiElement element) { return element; }
+  
+  class LeafElement {}
+  interface PsiElement {}
+
+}
+
+
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/codeInspection/DataFlowInspectionTest.java b/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/codeInspection/DataFlowInspectionTest.java
index e99c0eb5704e..c5158a430b7b 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/codeInspection/DataFlowInspectionTest.java
+++ b/java/java-tests/testSrc/com/intellij/codeInspection/DataFlowInspectionTest.java
@@ -309,6 +309,7 @@ public class DataFlowInspectionTest extends LightCodeInsightFixtureTestCase {
   public void testVariablesDiverge() { doTest(); }
   public void testMergeByNullability() { doTest(); }
   public void testDontForgetInstanceofInfoWhenMerging() { doTest(); }
+  public void testDontForgetEqInfoWhenMergingByType() { doTest(); }
   public void testDontMakeNullableAfterInstanceof() { doTest(); }
   
   public void _testNullCheckBeforeInstanceof() { doTest(); } // http://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/IDEA-113220