diff --git a/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/kotlin/FileBasedKotlinClass.java b/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/kotlin/FileBasedKotlinClass.java
index 95ff01d4864..641cb62d7ee 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/kotlin/FileBasedKotlinClass.java
+++ b/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/kotlin/FileBasedKotlinClass.java
@@ -81,8 +81,9 @@ public abstract class FileBasedKotlinClass implements KotlinJvmBinaryClass {
     @NotNull
     protected abstract byte[] getFileContents();
 
+    // TODO public to be accessible in class object of subclass, workaround for KT-3974
     @Nullable
-    protected static <T extends FileBasedKotlinClass> T create(
+    public static <T extends FileBasedKotlinClass> T create(
             @NotNull byte[] fileContents,
             @NotNull Function3<ClassId, KotlinClassHeader, InnerClassesInfo, T> factory
     ) {