diff --git a/compiler/cli/src/org/jetbrains/jet/cli/jvm/K2JVMCompiler.java b/compiler/cli/src/org/jetbrains/jet/cli/jvm/K2JVMCompiler.java
index f7681726e89..efa60eddc5a 100644
--- a/compiler/cli/src/org/jetbrains/jet/cli/jvm/K2JVMCompiler.java
+++ b/compiler/cli/src/org/jetbrains/jet/cli/jvm/K2JVMCompiler.java
@@ -67,8 +67,16 @@ public class K2JVMCompiler extends CLICompiler<K2JVMCompilerArguments> {
                                 "Using Kotlin home directory " + paths.getHomePath(), CompilerMessageLocation.NO_LOCATION);
 
         CompilerConfiguration configuration = new CompilerConfiguration();
-        configuration.addAll(JVMConfigurationKeys.CLASSPATH_KEY, getClasspath(paths, arguments));
-        configuration.addAll(JVMConfigurationKeys.ANNOTATIONS_PATH_KEY, getAnnotationsPath(paths, arguments));
+
+        try {
+            configuration.addAll(JVMConfigurationKeys.CLASSPATH_KEY, getClasspath(paths, arguments));
+            configuration.addAll(JVMConfigurationKeys.ANNOTATIONS_PATH_KEY, getAnnotationsPath(paths, arguments));
+        }
+        catch (Throwable t) {
+            messageCollector.report(CompilerMessageSeverity.EXCEPTION, MessageRenderer.PLAIN.renderException(t),
+                                    CompilerMessageLocation.NO_LOCATION);
+            return INTERNAL_ERROR;
+        }
 
         final List<String> argumentsSourceDirs = arguments.getSourceDirs();
         if (!arguments.script &&
diff --git a/compiler/util/src/org/jetbrains/jet/utils/PathUtil.java b/compiler/util/src/org/jetbrains/jet/utils/PathUtil.java
index 6b92987a052..4b5371f7d90 100644
--- a/compiler/util/src/org/jetbrains/jet/utils/PathUtil.java
+++ b/compiler/util/src/org/jetbrains/jet/utils/PathUtil.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package org.jetbrains.jet.utils;
 
 import com.intellij.openapi.application.PathManager;
+import com.intellij.openapi.util.SystemInfo;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.io.FileUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.VirtualFile;
 import com.intellij.openapi.vfs.VirtualFileManager;
@@ -138,30 +139,25 @@ public class PathUtil {
 
     @NotNull
     public static File findRtJar() {
-        String javaHome = System.getProperty("java.home");
-        if ("jre".equals(new File(javaHome).getName())) {
-            javaHome = new File(javaHome).getParent();
-        }
-
-        File rtJar = findRtJar(javaHome);
-
-        if (rtJar == null || !rtJar.exists()) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("No JDK rt.jar found under " + javaHome);
-        }
-
-        return rtJar;
+        return findRtJar(System.getProperty("java.home"));
     }
 
     private static File findRtJar(String javaHome) {
-        File rtJar = new File(javaHome, "jre/lib/rt.jar");
-        if (rtJar.exists()) {
-            return rtJar;
-        }
+        if (SystemInfo.isMac) {
+            File classesJar = new File(new File(javaHome).getParentFile(), "Classes/classes.jar");
+            if (classesJar.exists()) {
+                return classesJar;
+            }
 
-        File classesJar = new File(new File(javaHome).getParentFile().getAbsolutePath(), "Classes/classes.jar");
-        if (classesJar.exists()) {
-            return classesJar;
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("No classes.jar found under " + classesJar.getParent());
+        }
+        else {
+            File rtJar = new File(javaHome, "lib/rt.jar");
+            if (rtJar.exists()) {
+                return rtJar;
+            }
+
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("No rt.jar found under " + rtJar.getParent());
         }
-        return null;
     }
 }