diff --git a/openide.awt/src/org/openide/awt/DropDownButton.java b/openide.awt/src/org/openide/awt/DropDownButton.java
--- a/openide.awt/src/org/openide/awt/DropDownButton.java
+++ b/openide.awt/src/org/openide/awt/DropDownButton.java
@@ -90,11 +90,13 @@
     private static final String ICON_ROLLOVER_SELECTED_LINE = "rolloverSelectedLine"; //NOI18N
 
     private PopupMenuListener menuListener;
+    private boolean arrowHasSeparateState;
     
     /** Creates a new instance of MenuToggleButton */
-    public DropDownButton( Icon icon, JPopupMenu popup ) {
+    public DropDownButton( Icon icon, JPopupMenu popup, boolean arrowHasSeparateState) {
         Parameters.notNull("icon", icon); //NOI18N
         assert null != icon;
+        this.arrowHasSeparateState = arrowHasSeparateState;
         
         putClientProperty( DropDownButtonFactory.PROP_DROP_DOWN_MENU, popup );
         
@@ -124,12 +126,16 @@
             
             @Override
             public void mousePressed( MouseEvent e ) {
+                if (!isEnabled()) { // when button is disabled no popup should be shown
+                    return;
+                }
                 popupMenuOperation = false;
                 JPopupMenu menu = getPopupMenu();
                 if ( menu != null && getModel() instanceof Model ) {
                     Model model = (Model) getModel();
                     if ( !model._isPressed() ) {
-                        if( isInArrowArea( e.getPoint() ) && menu.getComponentCount() > 0 ) {
+                        if( (isInArrowArea( e.getPoint() ) || !DropDownButton.this.arrowHasSeparateState)
+                                && menu.getComponentCount() > 0 ) {
                             model._press();
                             menu.addPopupMenuListener( getMenuListener() );
                             menu.show( DropDownButton.this, 0, getHeight() );
@@ -243,7 +249,7 @@
             Icon orig = regIcons.get( ICON_ROLLOVER );
             if( null == orig )
                 orig = regIcons.get( ICON_NORMAL );
-            icon = new IconWithArrow( orig, !mouseInArrowArea );
+            icon = new IconWithArrow( orig, arrowHasSeparateState ? !mouseInArrowArea : false );
             arrowIcons.put( mouseInArrowArea ? ICON_ROLLOVER : ICON_ROLLOVER_LINE, icon );
         }
         return icon;
@@ -258,7 +264,7 @@
                 orig = regIcons.get( ICON_ROLLOVER );
             if( null == orig )
                 orig = regIcons.get( ICON_NORMAL );
-            icon = new IconWithArrow( orig, !mouseInArrowArea );
+            icon = new IconWithArrow( orig, arrowHasSeparateState ? !mouseInArrowArea : false );
             arrowIcons.put( mouseInArrowArea ? ICON_ROLLOVER_SELECTED : ICON_ROLLOVER_SELECTED_LINE, icon );
         }
         return icon;
diff --git a/openide.awt/src/org/openide/awt/DropDownButtonFactory.java b/openide.awt/src/org/openide/awt/DropDownButtonFactory.java
--- a/openide.awt/src/org/openide/awt/DropDownButtonFactory.java
+++ b/openide.awt/src/org/openide/awt/DropDownButtonFactory.java
@@ -80,7 +80,24 @@
      * @return A button that is capable of displaying an 'arrow' in its icon to open a popup menu.
      */
     public static JButton createDropDownButton( Icon icon, JPopupMenu dropDownMenu ) {
-        return new DropDownButton( icon, dropDownMenu );
+        return new DropDownButton( icon, dropDownMenu, true);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Creates JButton badged with a small arrow that shows the provided popup menu when
+     * clicked. Difference from {@link #createDropDownButton(javax.swing.Icon, javax.swing.JPopupMenu)}
+     * is that small arrow and button do not have separate state - they both behave
+     * as a single button which only purpose is to show popup.
+     *
+     * @param icon The default icon, cannot be null
+     * @param dropDownMenu Popup menu to display when the button is clicked. If this parameter is null
+     * then the button doesn't show any arrow and behaves like a regular JButton. It is possible to add
+     * the popup menu later using PROP_DROP_DOWN_MENU client property.
+     * @return A button that is capable of displaying an 'arrow' in its icon to open a popup menu.
+     * @since X.Y
+     */
+    public static JButton createSimpleDropDownButton( Icon icon, JPopupMenu dropDownMenu) {
+        return new DropDownButton( icon, dropDownMenu, false);
     }
     
     /**