diff --git a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/psi/JetConstructorCalleeExpression.java b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/psi/JetConstructorCalleeExpression.java
index 44f274d2d90..e10b5460cba 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/psi/JetConstructorCalleeExpression.java
+++ b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/psi/JetConstructorCalleeExpression.java
@@ -37,10 +37,9 @@ public class JetConstructorCalleeExpression extends JetExpressionImpl {
             return null;
         }
         JetTypeElement typeElement = typeReference.getTypeElement();
-        if (typeElement == null) {
+        if (!(typeElement instanceof JetUserType)) {
             return null;
         }
-        assert typeElement instanceof JetUserType : typeElement;
         return ((JetUserType) typeElement).getReferenceExpression();
     }
 
diff --git a/compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/incompleteCode/diagnosticWithSyntaxError/typeReferenceError.kt b/compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/incompleteCode/diagnosticWithSyntaxError/typeReferenceError.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d95c892e593
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/incompleteCode/diagnosticWithSyntaxError/typeReferenceError.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+package typeReferenceError
+
+class <!ABSTRACT_MEMBER_NOT_IMPLEMENTED!>Pair<!><<!SYNTAX!><!>:(val c: <!SYNTAX!><!SYNTAX!><!>fun<!><!SYNTAX!><!> <!UNRESOLVED_REFERENCE!>main<!>()
+
diff --git a/compiler/tests/org/jetbrains/jet/checkers/JetDiagnosticsTestGenerated.java b/compiler/tests/org/jetbrains/jet/checkers/JetDiagnosticsTestGenerated.java
index 8fa2ff57d6e..c00b50dc8b5 100644
--- a/compiler/tests/org/jetbrains/jet/checkers/JetDiagnosticsTestGenerated.java
+++ b/compiler/tests/org/jetbrains/jet/checkers/JetDiagnosticsTestGenerated.java
@@ -1949,6 +1949,11 @@ public class JetDiagnosticsTestGenerated extends AbstractDiagnosticsTestWithEage
                     doTest("compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/incompleteCode/diagnosticWithSyntaxError/namedFun.kt");
                 }
                 
+                @TestMetadata("typeReferenceError.kt")
+                public void testTypeReferenceError() throws Exception {
+                    doTest("compiler/testData/diagnostics/tests/incompleteCode/diagnosticWithSyntaxError/typeReferenceError.kt");
+                }
+                
             }
             
             public static Test innerSuite() {