diff --git a/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/structure/impl/JavaMethodImpl.java b/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/structure/impl/JavaMethodImpl.java
index f3298b2e712..91927c71d3a 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/structure/impl/JavaMethodImpl.java
+++ b/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/structure/impl/JavaMethodImpl.java
@@ -64,9 +64,10 @@ public class JavaMethodImpl extends JavaMemberImpl<PsiMethod> implements JavaMet
     }
 
     @Override
-    @Nullable
+    @NotNull
     public JavaType getReturnType() {
         PsiType psiType = getPsi().getReturnType();
-        return psiType == null ? null : JavaTypeImpl.create(psiType);
+        assert psiType != null : "Method is not a constructor and has no return type: " + getName();
+        return JavaTypeImpl.create(psiType);
     }
 }
diff --git a/core/descriptor.loader.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/lazy/descriptors/LazyJavaClassMemberScope.kt b/core/descriptor.loader.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/lazy/descriptors/LazyJavaClassMemberScope.kt
index ff353cf30bf..0d915a9c960 100644
--- a/core/descriptor.loader.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/lazy/descriptors/LazyJavaClassMemberScope.kt
+++ b/core/descriptor.loader.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/lazy/descriptors/LazyJavaClassMemberScope.kt
@@ -31,14 +31,20 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.load.java.lazy.LazyJavaResolverContext
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.load.java.lazy.child
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.load.java.lazy.resolveAnnotations
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.load.java.lazy.types.toAttributes
-import org.jetbrains.kotlin.load.java.structure.*
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.load.java.structure.JavaArrayType
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.load.java.structure.JavaClass
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.load.java.structure.JavaConstructor
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.load.java.structure.JavaMethod
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.name.Name
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.DescriptorFactory
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.DescriptorUtils
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.resolve.scopes.DescriptorKindFilter
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.types.JetType
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.types.TypeUtils
-import org.jetbrains.kotlin.utils.*
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.utils.addIfNotNull
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.utils.emptyOrSingletonList
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.utils.ifEmpty
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.utils.valuesToMap
 import java.util.ArrayList
 import java.util.Collections
 import java.util.LinkedHashSet
@@ -204,7 +210,7 @@ public class LazyJavaClassMemberScope(
         assert(methodsNamedValue.size() <= 1) { "There can't be more than one method named 'value' in annotation class: $jClass" }
         val methodNamedValue = methodsNamedValue.firstOrNull()
         if (methodNamedValue != null) {
-            val parameterNamedValueJavaType = methodNamedValue.getAnnotationMethodReturnJavaType()
+            val parameterNamedValueJavaType = methodNamedValue.getReturnType()
             val (parameterType, varargType) =
                     if (parameterNamedValueJavaType is JavaArrayType)
                         Pair(c.typeResolver.transformArrayType(parameterNamedValueJavaType, attr, isVararg = true),
@@ -217,18 +223,13 @@ public class LazyJavaClassMemberScope(
 
         val startIndex = if (methodNamedValue != null) 1 else 0
         for ((index, method) in otherMethods.withIndex()) {
-            val parameterType = c.typeResolver.transformJavaType(method.getAnnotationMethodReturnJavaType(), attr)
+            val parameterType = c.typeResolver.transformJavaType(method.getReturnType(), attr)
             result.addAnnotationValueParameter(constructor, index + startIndex, method, parameterType, null)
         }
 
         return result
     }
 
-    private fun JavaMethod.getAnnotationMethodReturnJavaType(): JavaType {
-        assert(getValueParameters().isEmpty()) { "Annotation method can't have parameters: $this" }
-        return getReturnType() ?: throw AssertionError("Annotation method has no return type: $this")
-    }
-
     private fun MutableList<ValueParameterDescriptor>.addAnnotationValueParameter(
             constructor: ConstructorDescriptor,
             index: Int,
diff --git a/core/descriptor.loader.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/lazy/descriptors/LazyJavaMemberScope.kt b/core/descriptor.loader.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/lazy/descriptors/LazyJavaMemberScope.kt
index 556890a9074..536569cb0ae 100644
--- a/core/descriptor.loader.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/lazy/descriptors/LazyJavaMemberScope.kt
+++ b/core/descriptor.loader.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/lazy/descriptors/LazyJavaMemberScope.kt
@@ -153,9 +153,8 @@ public abstract class LazyJavaMemberScope(
                 allowFlexible = !annotationMethod,
                 isForAnnotationParameter = annotationMethod
         )
-        val returnJavaType = method.getReturnType() ?: throw IllegalStateException("Constructor passed as method: $method")
-        // Annotation arguments are never null in Java
-        return c.typeResolver.transformJavaType(returnJavaType, returnTypeAttrs).let {
+        return c.typeResolver.transformJavaType(method.getReturnType(), returnTypeAttrs).let {
+            // Annotation arguments are never null in Java
             if (annotationMethod) TypeUtils.makeNotNullable(it) else it
         }
     }
diff --git a/core/descriptor.loader.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/structure/JavaMethod.java b/core/descriptor.loader.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/structure/JavaMethod.java
index 1511b7bbc2d..def254fe374 100644
--- a/core/descriptor.loader.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/structure/JavaMethod.java
+++ b/core/descriptor.loader.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/load/java/structure/JavaMethod.java
@@ -29,6 +29,6 @@ public interface JavaMethod extends JavaMember, JavaTypeParameterListOwner {
 
     boolean hasAnnotationParameterDefaultValue();
 
-    @Nullable
+    @NotNull
     JavaType getReturnType();
 }