diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/dom/ast/ASTTypeUtil.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/dom/ast/ASTTypeUtil.java
index 0ea597d0485..60dab642d73 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/dom/ast/ASTTypeUtil.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/dom/ast/ASTTypeUtil.java
@@ -649,8 +649,9 @@ public class ASTTypeUtil {
 				// requirement of appendStringReference().
 				if (cachedResult.length() > TYPE_STRING_LENGTH_THRESHOLD) {
 					appendStringReference(cachedResult, result);
+				} else {
+					result.append(cachedResult);
 				}
-				result.append(cachedResult);
 				return;
 			}
 		}