diff --git a/java/java-analysis-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/HighlightUtil.java b/java/java-analysis-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/HighlightUtil.java
index 80ce625903ce..f2c5b5139498 100644
--- a/java/java-analysis-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/HighlightUtil.java
+++ b/java/java-analysis-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/daemon/impl/analysis/HighlightUtil.java
@@ -1391,7 +1391,13 @@ public class HighlightUtil extends HighlightUtilBase {
   @Nullable
   static HighlightInfo checkNotAStatement(@NotNull PsiStatement statement) {
     if (!PsiUtil.isStatement(statement) && !PsiUtilCore.hasErrorElementChild(statement)) {
-      String description = JavaErrorMessages.message("not.a.statement");
+      boolean isDeclarationNotAllowed = false;
+      if (statement instanceof PsiDeclarationStatement) {
+        final PsiElement parent = statement.getParent();
+        isDeclarationNotAllowed = parent instanceof PsiIfStatement || parent instanceof PsiLoopStatement;
+      }
+      
+      String description = JavaErrorMessages.message(isDeclarationNotAllowed ? "declaration.not.allowed" : "not.a.statement");
       return HighlightInfo.newHighlightInfo(HighlightInfoType.ERROR).range(statement).descriptionAndTooltip(description).create();
     }
     return null;
diff --git a/java/java-psi-impl/src/messages/JavaErrorMessages.properties b/java/java-psi-impl/src/messages/JavaErrorMessages.properties
index d03c02b68c72..4befd0929037 100644
--- a/java/java-psi-impl/src/messages/JavaErrorMessages.properties
+++ b/java/java-psi-impl/src/messages/JavaErrorMessages.properties
@@ -401,3 +401,4 @@ feature.type.annotations=Type annotations
 feature.type.receivers=Receiver parameters
 feature.try.with.resources.refs=Resource references
 insufficient.language.level={0} are not supported at this language level
+declaration.not.allowed=Declaration not allowed here
diff --git a/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting/InvalidExpressions.java b/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting/InvalidExpressions.java
index 79ab2bdd2748..abff05e7ed60 100644
--- a/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting/InvalidExpressions.java
+++ b/java/java-tests/testData/codeInsight/daemonCodeAnalyzer/advHighlighting/InvalidExpressions.java
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@ public class a12 {
     <error descr="Not a statement">new int[]{1};</error>
     <error descr="Not a statement">new String[]{new String()};</error>
     if (i==1)
-      <error descr="Not a statement">String s00 = "";</error>
+      <error descr="Declaration not allowed here">String s00 = "";</error>
     for (;;)
-      <error descr="Not a statement">String s01 = "";</error>
+      <error descr="Declaration not allowed here">String s01 = "";</error>
 
     
     for (<error descr="Not a statement">1==2,i=3;</error> i<3; <error descr="Not a statement">!(1==2)</error>);