diff --git a/java/compiler/impl/src/com/intellij/compiler/server/BuildManager.java b/java/compiler/impl/src/com/intellij/compiler/server/BuildManager.java
index 5c6aff8553d3..18ab048233b4 100644
--- a/java/compiler/impl/src/com/intellij/compiler/server/BuildManager.java
+++ b/java/compiler/impl/src/com/intellij/compiler/server/BuildManager.java
@@ -104,7 +104,8 @@ import org.jetbrains.jps.cmdline.ClasspathBootstrap;
 import org.jetbrains.jps.incremental.Utils;
 import org.jetbrains.jps.model.serialization.JpsGlobalLoader;
 
-import javax.tools.*;
+import javax.tools.JavaCompiler;
+import javax.tools.ToolProvider;
 import java.awt.*;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -734,7 +735,7 @@ public class BuildManager implements ApplicationComponent{
                 myBuildsInProgress.remove(projectPath);
                 notifySessionTerminationIfNeeded(sessionId, execFailure);
 
-                if (Registry.is("compiler.process.preload") && !project.isDisposed()) {
+                if (isProcessPreloadingEnabled() && !project.isDisposed()) {
                   runCommand(new Runnable() {
                     public void run() {
                       if (!myPreloadedBuilds.containsKey(projectPath)) {
@@ -763,6 +764,11 @@ public class BuildManager implements ApplicationComponent{
     return _future;
   }
 
+  private static boolean isProcessPreloadingEnabled() {
+    // automatically disable process preloading when debugging
+    return Registry.is("compiler.process.preload") && Registry.intValue("compiler.process.debug.port") <= 0 ;
+  }
+
   private void notifySessionTerminationIfNeeded(UUID sessionId, @Nullable Throwable execFailure) {
     if (myMessageDispatcher.getAssociatedChannel(sessionId) == null) {
       // either the connection has never been established (process not started or execution failed), or no messages were sent from the launched process.