diff --git a/php.project/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/project/util/PhpProjectUtils.java b/php.project/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/project/util/PhpProjectUtils.java
--- a/php.project/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/project/util/PhpProjectUtils.java
+++ b/php.project/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/project/util/PhpProjectUtils.java
@@ -95,6 +95,9 @@
      */
     public static PhpProject getPhpProject(FileObject fo) {
         assert fo != null;
+        if (!fastCheckIsPossibleProject(fo)) {
+            return null;
+        }
 
         Project project = FileOwnerQuery.getOwner(fo);
         if (project == null) {
@@ -103,6 +106,17 @@
         return project.getLookup().lookup(PhpProject.class);
     }
 
+    private static boolean fastCheckIsPossibleProject(FileObject fo) {
+        while (fo != null) {
+            FileObject projDir = fo.getFileObject("nbproject"); //NOI18N
+            if (projDir != null) {
+                return true;
+            }
+            fo = fo.getParent();
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
     public static XMLReader createXmlReader() throws SAXException {
         SAXParserFactory factory = SAXParserFactory.newInstance();
         factory.setValidating(false);