diff --git a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/checkers/CheckerTestUtil.java b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/checkers/CheckerTestUtil.java
index 2c2fe61cb1a..9efe7057327 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/checkers/CheckerTestUtil.java
+++ b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/checkers/CheckerTestUtil.java
@@ -375,7 +375,9 @@ public class CheckerTestUtil {
     public static class SyntaxErrorDiagnosticFactory extends DiagnosticFactory {
         public static final SyntaxErrorDiagnosticFactory INSTANCE = new SyntaxErrorDiagnosticFactory();
 
-        private SyntaxErrorDiagnosticFactory() {}
+        private SyntaxErrorDiagnosticFactory() {
+            super(Severity.ERROR);
+        }
 
         @NotNull
         @Override
@@ -397,6 +399,7 @@ public class CheckerTestUtil {
 
         private final String name;
         private DebugInfoDiagnosticFactory(String name) {
+            super(Severity.ERROR);
             this.name = name;
         }
 
diff --git a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory.java b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory.java
index 3367d4f4ff0..07e41d0b8d9 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory.java
+++ b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory.java
@@ -21,7 +21,12 @@ import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 public abstract class DiagnosticFactory {
 
     private String name = null;
-    
+    private final Severity severity;
+
+    protected DiagnosticFactory(@NotNull Severity severity) {
+        this.severity = severity;
+    }
+
     /*package*/ void setName(@NotNull String name) {
         this.name = name;
     }
@@ -31,6 +36,11 @@ public abstract class DiagnosticFactory {
         return name;
     }
 
+    @NotNull
+    public Severity getSeverity() {
+        return severity;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public String toString() {
         return getName();
diff --git a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory0.java b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory0.java
index 92ea6574e69..dcddb16857e 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory0.java
+++ b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory0.java
@@ -35,6 +35,6 @@ public class DiagnosticFactory0<E extends PsiElement> extends DiagnosticFactoryW
 
     @NotNull
     public SimpleDiagnostic<E> on(@NotNull E element) {
-        return new SimpleDiagnostic<E>(element, this, severity);
+        return new SimpleDiagnostic<E>(element, this, getSeverity());
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory1.java b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory1.java
index 44ce1732682..f1dbd821742 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory1.java
+++ b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory1.java
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
 public class DiagnosticFactory1<E extends PsiElement, A> extends DiagnosticFactoryWithPsiElement<E> {
     @NotNull
     public ParametrizedDiagnostic<E> on(@NotNull E element, @NotNull A argument) {
-        return new DiagnosticWithParameters1<E, A>(element, argument, this, severity);
+        return new DiagnosticWithParameters1<E, A>(element, argument, this, getSeverity());
     }
 
     protected DiagnosticFactory1(Severity severity, PositioningStrategy<? super E> positioningStrategy) {
diff --git a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory2.java b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory2.java
index 6b53dd591f8..bb0496ec2c8 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory2.java
+++ b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory2.java
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ public class DiagnosticFactory2<E extends PsiElement, A, B> extends DiagnosticFa
 
     @NotNull
     public ParametrizedDiagnostic<E> on(@NotNull E element, @NotNull A a, @NotNull B b) {
-        return new DiagnosticWithParameters2<E, A, B>(element, a, b, this, severity);
+        return new DiagnosticWithParameters2<E, A, B>(element, a, b, this, getSeverity());
     }
 
     private DiagnosticFactory2(Severity severity, PositioningStrategy<? super E> positioningStrategy) {
diff --git a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory3.java b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory3.java
index 991b53a813f..a53027f54a1 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory3.java
+++ b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactory3.java
@@ -35,6 +35,6 @@ public class DiagnosticFactory3<E extends PsiElement, A, B, C> extends Diagnosti
 
     @NotNull
     public ParametrizedDiagnostic<E> on(@NotNull E element, @NotNull A a, @NotNull B b, @NotNull C c) {
-        return new DiagnosticWithParameters3<E, A, B, C>(element, a, b, c, this, severity);
+        return new DiagnosticWithParameters3<E, A, B, C>(element, a, b, c, this, getSeverity());
     }
 }
diff --git a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactoryWithPsiElement.java b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactoryWithPsiElement.java
index 5ecd61ed04b..e35731c9c1b 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactoryWithPsiElement.java
+++ b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/diagnostics/DiagnosticFactoryWithPsiElement.java
@@ -22,11 +22,10 @@ import com.intellij.psi.PsiElement;
 import java.util.List;
 
 public abstract class DiagnosticFactoryWithPsiElement<E extends PsiElement> extends DiagnosticFactory {
-    protected final Severity severity;
     protected final PositioningStrategy<? super E> positioningStrategy;
 
     public DiagnosticFactoryWithPsiElement(Severity severity, PositioningStrategy<? super E> positioningStrategy) {
-        this.severity = severity;
+        super(severity);
         this.positioningStrategy = positioningStrategy;
     }