diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/newui/AbstractLangsListTab.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/newui/AbstractLangsListTab.java
index 354891faf92..dc5365bbd7b 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/newui/AbstractLangsListTab.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/newui/AbstractLangsListTab.java
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractLangsListTab extends AbstractCPropertyTab {
 					ICLanguageSetting langSetting = (ICLanguageSetting) items[0].getData();
 					if (langSetting != null) {
 						lang = langSetting;
-						selectedLanguageId = lang.getLanguageId();
+						selectedLanguageId = getLanguageId(lang);
 						update();
 					}
 				}
@@ -380,20 +380,11 @@ public abstract class AbstractLangsListTab extends AbstractCPropertyTab {
 			for (ICLanguageSetting langSetting : ls) {
 				if ((langSetting.getSupportedEntryKinds() & getKind()) != 0) {
 					TreeItem t = new TreeItem(langTree, SWT.NONE);
-					String langId = langSetting.getLanguageId();
-					if (langId != null && !langId.equals(EMPTY_STR)) {
-						// Bug #178033: get language name via LangManager.
-						ILanguageDescriptor langDes = LanguageManager.getInstance().getLanguageDescriptor(langId);
-						if (langDes == null)
-							langId = null;
-						else
-							langId = langDes.getName();
-					}
-					if (langId == null || langId.equals(EMPTY_STR))
-						langId = langSetting.getName();
+					String langId = getLanguageId(langSetting);
 					t.setText(0, langId);
 					t.setData(langSetting);
-					if (selectedItem == null || langSetting.getLanguageId().equals(selectedLanguageId)) {
+					if (selectedItem == null
+							|| (selectedLanguageId != null && selectedLanguageId.equals(langId))) {
 						selectedItem = t;
 						lang = langSetting;
 					}
@@ -407,6 +398,21 @@ public abstract class AbstractLangsListTab extends AbstractCPropertyTab {
 		update();
 	}
 
+	private String getLanguageId(ICLanguageSetting langSetting) {
+		String langId = langSetting.getLanguageId();
+		if (langId != null && !langId.equals(EMPTY_STR)) {
+			// Bug #178033: get language name via LangManager.
+			ILanguageDescriptor langDes = LanguageManager.getInstance().getLanguageDescriptor(langId);
+			if (langDes == null)
+				langId = null;
+			else
+				langId = langDes.getName();
+		}
+		if (langId == null || langId.equals(EMPTY_STR))
+			langId = langSetting.getName();
+		return langId;
+	}
+
 	private void updateExport() {
 		exported = new ArrayList<ICSettingEntry>();
 		ICExternalSetting[] extSettings = getResDesc().getConfiguration().getExternalSettings();