diff --git a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/changeSignature/ChangeSignatureDialogBase.java b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/changeSignature/ChangeSignatureDialogBase.java
index 1f062fbc0b41..3f937843e557 100644
--- a/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/changeSignature/ChangeSignatureDialogBase.java
+++ b/platform/lang-impl/src/com/intellij/refactoring/changeSignature/ChangeSignatureDialogBase.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2000-2011 JetBrains s.r.o.
+ * Copyright 2000-2012 JetBrains s.r.o.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ public abstract class ChangeSignatureDialogBase<
   private final Alarm myUpdateSignatureAlarm = new Alarm(Alarm.ThreadToUse.SWING_THREAD);
 
   protected VisibilityPanelBase<Visibility> myVisibilityPanel;
+
+  @Nullable
   protected PsiCodeFragment myReturnTypeCodeFragment;
   private DelegationPanel myDelegationPanel;
   protected AnActionButton myPropagateParamChangesButton;
diff --git a/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/refactoring/changeSignature/GrChangeSignatureDialog.java b/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/refactoring/changeSignature/GrChangeSignatureDialog.java
index 505c956bcfd2..0ef19f3fc3b6 100644
--- a/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/refactoring/changeSignature/GrChangeSignatureDialog.java
+++ b/plugins/groovy/src/org/jetbrains/plugins/groovy/refactoring/changeSignature/GrChangeSignatureDialog.java
@@ -156,7 +156,9 @@ public class GrChangeSignatureDialog extends ChangeSignatureDialogBase<GrParamet
   private CanonicalTypes.Type getReturnType() {
     PsiType returnType = null;
     try {
-      returnType = ((PsiTypeCodeFragment)myReturnTypeCodeFragment).getType();
+      if (myReturnTypeCodeFragment != null) {
+        returnType = ((PsiTypeCodeFragment)myReturnTypeCodeFragment).getType();
+      }
     }
     catch (PsiTypeCodeFragment.TypeSyntaxException ignored) {
     }
@@ -211,7 +213,7 @@ public class GrChangeSignatureDialog extends ChangeSignatureDialogBase<GrParamet
       return message("name.is.wrong", getMethodName());
     }
 
-    if (!checkType((PsiTypeCodeFragment)myReturnTypeCodeFragment, true)) {
+    if (myReturnTypeCodeFragment != null && !checkType((PsiTypeCodeFragment)myReturnTypeCodeFragment, true)) {
       return message("return.type.is.wrong");
     }
 
@@ -296,7 +298,7 @@ public class GrChangeSignatureDialog extends ChangeSignatureDialogBase<GrParamet
   @Override
   protected String calculateSignature() {
     String name = getMethodName();
-    String type = myReturnTypeCodeFragment.getText().trim();
+    String type = myReturnTypeCodeFragment != null ? myReturnTypeCodeFragment.getText().trim() : "";
 
     StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();
     builder.append(myVisibilityPanel.getVisibility()).append(' ');