diff --git a/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/java/kotlinSignature/TypeTransformingVisitor.java b/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/java/kotlinSignature/TypeTransformingVisitor.java
index 9330249ed21..6d21152685b 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/java/kotlinSignature/TypeTransformingVisitor.java
+++ b/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/java/kotlinSignature/TypeTransformingVisitor.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.jet.lang.descriptors.TypeParameterDescriptor;
 import org.jetbrains.jet.lang.descriptors.TypeParameterDescriptorImpl;
 import org.jetbrains.jet.lang.psi.*;
 import org.jetbrains.jet.lang.resolve.DescriptorUtils;
+import org.jetbrains.jet.lang.resolve.TypeResolver;
 import org.jetbrains.jet.lang.resolve.java.JavaToKotlinClassMap;
 import org.jetbrains.jet.lang.resolve.java.JvmClassName;
 import org.jetbrains.jet.lang.resolve.java.KotlinToJavaTypesMap;
@@ -186,18 +187,7 @@ public class TypeTransformingVisitor extends JetVisitor<JetType, Void> {
         Variance altProjectionKind;
         if (type instanceof JetUserType) {
             JetTypeProjection typeProjection = ((JetUserType) type).getTypeArguments().get(i);
-            switch (typeProjection.getProjectionKind()) {
-                case IN:
-                    altProjectionKind = Variance.IN_VARIANCE;
-                    break;
-                case OUT:
-                    altProjectionKind = Variance.OUT_VARIANCE;
-                    break;
-                case STAR:
-                    throw new IllegalStateException("star projection should have been processed above");
-                default:
-                    altProjectionKind = Variance.INVARIANT;
-            }
+            altProjectionKind = TypeResolver.resolveProjectionKind(typeProjection.getProjectionKind());
             if (altProjectionKind != projectionKind && projectionKind != Variance.INVARIANT) {
                 throw new AlternativeSignatureMismatchException("Projection kind mismatch, actual: %s, in alternative signature: %s",
                                                                 projectionKind, altProjectionKind);
diff --git a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/TypeResolver.java b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/TypeResolver.java
index 1a5a8f8a3bf..359755c8d53 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/TypeResolver.java
+++ b/compiler/frontend/src/org/jetbrains/jet/lang/resolve/TypeResolver.java
@@ -304,19 +304,7 @@ public class TypeResolver {
             else {
                 // TODO : handle the Foo<in *> case
                 type = resolveType(scope, argumentElement.getTypeReference(), trace, checkBounds);
-                Variance kind = null;
-                switch (projectionKind) {
-                    case IN:
-                        kind = IN_VARIANCE;
-                        break;
-                    case OUT:
-                        kind = OUT_VARIANCE;
-                        break;
-                    case NONE:
-                        kind = INVARIANT;
-                        break;
-                }
-                assert kind != null;
+                Variance kind = resolveProjectionKind(projectionKind);
                 if (constructor.getParameters().size() > i) {
                     TypeParameterDescriptor parameterDescriptor = constructor.getParameters().get(i);
                     if (kind != INVARIANT && parameterDescriptor.getVariance() != INVARIANT) {
@@ -334,6 +322,26 @@ public class TypeResolver {
         return arguments;
     }
 
+    @NotNull
+    public static Variance resolveProjectionKind(@NotNull JetProjectionKind projectionKind) {
+        Variance kind = null;
+        switch (projectionKind) {
+            case IN:
+                kind = IN_VARIANCE;
+                break;
+            case OUT:
+                kind = OUT_VARIANCE;
+                break;
+            case NONE:
+                kind = INVARIANT;
+                break;
+            default:
+                // NOTE: Star projections must be handled before this method is called
+                throw new IllegalStateException("Illegal projection kind:" + projectionKind);
+        }
+        return kind;
+    }
+
     @Nullable
     public ClassifierDescriptor resolveClass(JetScope scope, JetUserType userType, BindingTrace trace) {
         Collection<? extends DeclarationDescriptor> descriptors = qualifiedExpressionResolver.lookupDescriptorsForUserType(userType, scope, trace);