diff --git a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/editorActions/BackspaceHandler.java b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/editorActions/BackspaceHandler.java
index c88309abe221..b7b4d760442b 100644
--- a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/editorActions/BackspaceHandler.java
+++ b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/codeInsight/editorActions/BackspaceHandler.java
@@ -157,8 +157,6 @@ public class BackspaceHandler extends EditorWriteActionHandler {
     if (caretPos.line == 0 || caretPos.column == 0) {
       return null;
     }
-    final int startCheckRange = editor.getDocument().getLineStartOffset(caretPos.line);
-    final int endCheckRange = startCheckRange + caretPos.column;
 
     final CharSequence charSeq = editor.getDocument().getCharsSequence();
     // smart backspace is activated only if all characters in the check range are whitespace characters
@@ -166,9 +164,11 @@ public class BackspaceHandler extends EditorWriteActionHandler {
       // use logicalPositionToOffset to make sure tabs are handled correctly
       final LogicalPosition checkPos = new LogicalPosition(caretPos.line, pos);
       final int offset = editor.logicalPositionToOffset(checkPos);
-      final char c = charSeq.charAt(offset);
-      if (c != '\t' && c != ' ' && c != '\n') {
-        return null;
+      if (offset < charSeq.length()) {
+        final char c = charSeq.charAt(offset);
+        if (c != '\t' && c != ' ' && c != '\n') {
+          return null;
+        }
       }
     }