diff --git a/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/launcher/AbstractPluginBlock.java b/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/launcher/AbstractPluginBlock.java
index aa6ae9a798..0bf97106e6 100644
--- a/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/launcher/AbstractPluginBlock.java
+++ b/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/launcher/AbstractPluginBlock.java
@@ -151,8 +151,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractPluginBlock {
 
 	private PluginStatusDialog fDialog;
 
-	private boolean fControlCreated;
-
 	class PluginModelNameBuffer {
 		private final Set<String> nameSet;
 
@@ -460,8 +458,6 @@ public void createControl(Composite parent, int span, int indent) {
 
 		SWTUtil.setButtonDimensionHint(fValidateButton);
 		fValidateButton.addSelectionListener(fListener);
-
-		fControlCreated = true;
 	}
 
 	private Button createButton(Composite parent, int span, int indent, String text) {
@@ -947,12 +943,6 @@ private int countChecked(Object[] elements) {
 	}
 
 	public void performApply(ILaunchConfigurationWorkingCopy config) {
-		if (!fControlCreated) {
-			// This method is also being called before the proper UI elements
-			// are created, which might cause a NPE
-			return;
-		}
-
 		if (fAutoIncludeRequirementsButtonChanged) {
 			boolean includeRequirements = fAutoIncludeRequirementsButton.getSelection();
 			config.setAttribute(IPDELauncherConstants.AUTOMATIC_INCLUDE_REQUIREMENTS, includeRequirements);
diff --git a/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/ui/launcher/PluginsTab.java b/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/ui/launcher/PluginsTab.java
index be7c2b6954..02496a126e 100644
--- a/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/ui/launcher/PluginsTab.java
+++ b/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/ui/launcher/PluginsTab.java
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 import org.eclipse.pde.internal.ui.launcher.PluginBlock;
 import org.eclipse.pde.launching.IPDELauncherConstants;
 import org.eclipse.swt.SWT;
-import org.eclipse.swt.custom.BusyIndicator;
 import org.eclipse.swt.events.ModifyEvent;
 import org.eclipse.swt.events.ModifyListener;
 import org.eclipse.swt.events.SelectionAdapter;
@@ -60,7 +59,7 @@ public class PluginsTab extends AbstractLauncherTab {
 	private Combo fDefaultAutoStart;
 	private Spinner fDefaultStartLevel;
 	private final Listener fListener;
-	private boolean fActivated;
+	private boolean fActivated = false;
 
 	private static final int DEFAULT_SELECTION = 0;
 	private static final int PLUGIN_SELECTION = 1;
@@ -168,30 +167,27 @@ public void activated(ILaunchConfigurationWorkingCopy configuration) {
 			return;
 		}
 
-		BusyIndicator.showWhile(getControl().getDisplay(), () -> {
-			try {
-				int index = DEFAULT_SELECTION;
-				if (configuration.getAttribute(IPDELauncherConstants.USE_CUSTOM_FEATURES, false)) {
-					index = FEATURE_SELECTION;
-				} else if (!configuration.getAttribute(IPDELauncherConstants.USE_DEFAULT, true)) {
-					index = PLUGIN_SELECTION;
-				}
-				fSelectionCombo.select(index);
-				fBlock.setActiveBlock(index);
-				boolean custom = fSelectionCombo.getSelectionIndex() == PLUGIN_SELECTION;
-				fBlock.initializeFrom(configuration, custom);
-				boolean auto = configuration.getAttribute(IPDELauncherConstants.DEFAULT_AUTO_START, false);
-				fDefaultAutoStart.setText(Boolean.toString(auto));
-				int level = configuration.getAttribute(IPDELauncherConstants.DEFAULT_START_LEVEL, 4);
-				fDefaultStartLevel.setSelection(level);
-
-				// If everything ran smoothly, this tab is activated
-				fActivated = true;
-			} catch (CoreException e) {
-				PDEPlugin.log(e);
+		try {
+			int index = DEFAULT_SELECTION;
+			if (configuration.getAttribute(IPDELauncherConstants.USE_CUSTOM_FEATURES, false)) {
+				index = FEATURE_SELECTION;
+			} else if (!configuration.getAttribute(IPDELauncherConstants.USE_DEFAULT, true)) {
+				index = PLUGIN_SELECTION;
 			}
-		});
-
+			fSelectionCombo.select(index);
+			fBlock.setActiveBlock(index);
+			boolean custom = fSelectionCombo.getSelectionIndex() == PLUGIN_SELECTION;
+			fBlock.initializeFrom(configuration, custom);
+			boolean auto = configuration.getAttribute(IPDELauncherConstants.DEFAULT_AUTO_START, false);
+			fDefaultAutoStart.setText(Boolean.toString(auto));
+			int level = configuration.getAttribute(IPDELauncherConstants.DEFAULT_START_LEVEL, 4);
+			fDefaultStartLevel.setSelection(level);
+
+			// If everything ran smoothly, this tab is activated
+			fActivated = true;
+		} catch (CoreException e) {
+			PDEPlugin.log(e);
+		}
 	}
 
 	@Override
@@ -206,7 +202,9 @@ public void performApply(ILaunchConfigurationWorkingCopy configuration) {
 		int index = fSelectionCombo.getSelectionIndex();
 		configuration.setAttribute(IPDELauncherConstants.USE_DEFAULT, index == DEFAULT_SELECTION);
 		configuration.setAttribute(IPDELauncherConstants.USE_CUSTOM_FEATURES, index == FEATURE_SELECTION);
-		fBlock.performApply(configuration);
+		if (fActivated) {
+			fBlock.performApply(configuration);
+		}
 		// clear default values for auto-start and start-level if default
 		String autoText = fDefaultAutoStart.getText();
 		if (Boolean.toString(false).equals(autoText)) {