diff -r fe7d4d503415 openide.explorer/src/org/openide/explorer/view/VisualizerEvent.java
--- a/openide.explorer/src/org/openide/explorer/view/VisualizerEvent.java	Mon Jun 18 06:29:24 2012 -0700
+++ b/openide.explorer/src/org/openide/explorer/view/VisualizerEvent.java	Tue Jun 19 11:02:09 2012 +0200
@@ -158,8 +158,10 @@
     }
     
     static final class Destroyed extends VisualizerEvent implements Runnable {
-        public Destroyed(VisualizerChildren ch, NodeEvent ev) {
+        private final VisualizerNode toNull;
+        public Destroyed(VisualizerChildren ch, NodeEvent ev, VisualizerNode toNull) {
             super(ch, null, ev, null);
+            this.toNull = toNull;
         }
         
         @Override
@@ -171,7 +173,7 @@
                     v.nodeDestroyed(originalEvent);
                 }
             }
-            
+            toNull.parent = null;
         }
     }
 }
diff -r fe7d4d503415 openide.explorer/src/org/openide/explorer/view/VisualizerNode.java
--- a/openide.explorer/src/org/openide/explorer/view/VisualizerNode.java	Mon Jun 18 06:29:24 2012 -0700
+++ b/openide.explorer/src/org/openide/explorer/view/VisualizerNode.java	Tue Jun 19 11:02:09 2012 +0200
@@ -399,8 +399,7 @@
     @Override
     public void nodeDestroyed(NodeEvent ev) {
         node = Node.EMPTY;
-        parent = null;
-        QUEUE.runSafe(new VisualizerEvent.Destroyed(getChildren(false), ev));
+        QUEUE.runSafe(new VisualizerEvent.Destroyed(getChildren(false), ev, this));
     }
 
     /** Change in the node properties (icon, etc.)
diff -r fe7d4d503415 openide.explorer/test/unit/src/org/openide/explorer/view/NodeTreeModelTest.java
--- a/openide.explorer/test/unit/src/org/openide/explorer/view/NodeTreeModelTest.java	Mon Jun 18 06:29:24 2012 -0700
+++ b/openide.explorer/test/unit/src/org/openide/explorer/view/NodeTreeModelTest.java	Tue Jun 19 11:02:09 2012 +0200
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
         Keys keys = new Keys(true);
         AbstractNode an = new AbstractNode(keys);
 
-        NodeTreeModel model = new NodeTreeModel();
+        final NodeTreeModel model = new NodeTreeModel();
         model.setNode(an);
 
         assertEquals("Node set", Visualizer.findVisualizer(an), model.getRoot());
@@ -87,9 +87,34 @@
         assertEquals("3 children", 3, model.getChildCount(model.getRoot()));
         keys.keys("2", "1", "3");
         assertEquals("still 3 children", 3, model.getChildCount(model.getRoot()));
+        model.addTreeModelListener(new TreeModelListener() {
+            @Override
+            public void treeNodesChanged(TreeModelEvent e) {
+            }
+
+            @Override
+            public void treeNodesInserted(TreeModelEvent e) {
+            }
+
+            @Override
+            public void treeNodesRemoved(TreeModelEvent e) {
+                for (Object ch : e.getChildren()) {
+                    VisualizerNode vn = (VisualizerNode)ch;
+                    assertNotNull("No null to begin with", vn);
+                    while (vn != model.getRoot()) {
+                        assertNotNull("Each removed node should be under the root: " + ch, vn);
+                        vn = (VisualizerNode) vn.getParent();
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            @Override
+            public void treeStructureChanged(TreeModelEvent e) {
+            }
+        });
+
         keys.keys("2");
         assertEquals("1 children", 1, model.getChildCount(model.getRoot()));
-
         assertEquals("No nodes created yet", 0, keys.cnt);
     }