diff --git a/launch/org.eclipse.cdt.launch/src/org/eclipse/cdt/launch/internal/ui/LaunchMessages.java b/launch/org.eclipse.cdt.launch/src/org/eclipse/cdt/launch/internal/ui/LaunchMessages.java
index 51bde012206..f31a9cbda7b 100644
--- a/launch/org.eclipse.cdt.launch/src/org/eclipse/cdt/launch/internal/ui/LaunchMessages.java
+++ b/launch/org.eclipse.cdt.launch/src/org/eclipse/cdt/launch/internal/ui/LaunchMessages.java
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@ public class LaunchMessages extends NLS {
 	public static String CMainTab_Choose_program_to_run;
 	public static String CMainTab_Choose_program_to_run_from_NAME;
 	public static String CMainTab_UseTerminal;
-	public static String CMainTab_Program_is_not_a_recongnized_executable;
 	public static String CMainTab_Program_invalid_proj_path;
 	public static String CMainTab_Build_Config;
 	public static String CMainTab_Use_Active;
@@ -93,7 +92,6 @@ public class LaunchMessages extends NLS {
 	public static String CMainTab_Workspace_settings_button_label;
 	public static String CMainTab_Workspace_settings_button_tooltip;
 	public static String CMainTab_Workspace_settings_link_label;
-	public static String CMainTab_Workspace_settings_page_id;
 	public static String CDebuggerTab_Advanced_Options_Dialog_Title;
 	public static String CDebuggerTab_Stop_at_main_on_startup;
 	public static String CDebuggerTab_Automatically_track_values_of;
diff --git a/launch/org.eclipse.cdt.launch/src/org/eclipse/cdt/launch/internal/ui/LaunchMessages.properties b/launch/org.eclipse.cdt.launch/src/org/eclipse/cdt/launch/internal/ui/LaunchMessages.properties
index 49272e05d87..8174765b70f 100644
--- a/launch/org.eclipse.cdt.launch/src/org/eclipse/cdt/launch/internal/ui/LaunchMessages.properties
+++ b/launch/org.eclipse.cdt.launch/src/org/eclipse/cdt/launch/internal/ui/LaunchMessages.properties
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ CMainTab_Search=Searc&h Project...
 CMainTab_Choose_program_to_run=Choose a &program to run:
 CMainTab_Choose_program_to_run_from_NAME=Choose a program to run from {0}:
 CMainTab_UseTerminal=Connect process input && output to a terminal.
-CMainTab_Program_is_not_a_recongnized_executable=Program is not a recognized executable.
 CMainTab_Program_invalid_proj_path=Program specification is not a valid project-relative path.
 CMainTab_Build_Config=Build configuration:
 CMainTab_Use_Active=Use Active
@@ -100,7 +99,6 @@ CMainTab_Enable_build_button_tooltip=Always build project before launching (this
 CMainTab_Workspace_settings_button_label=Use workspace settings
 CMainTab_Workspace_settings_button_tooltip=Use workspace settings
 CMainTab_Workspace_settings_link_label=<a>Configure Workspace Settings...</a>
-CMainTab_Workspace_settings_page_id=org.eclipse.debug.ui.LaunchingPreferencePage
 
 CDebuggerTab_Advanced_Options_Dialog_Title=Advanced Options
 CDebuggerTab_Stop_at_main_on_startup=Stop on startup at:
diff --git a/launch/org.eclipse.cdt.launch/src/org/eclipse/cdt/launch/ui/CAbstractMainTab.java b/launch/org.eclipse.cdt.launch/src/org/eclipse/cdt/launch/ui/CAbstractMainTab.java
index 887798badac..b79349318b5 100644
--- a/launch/org.eclipse.cdt.launch/src/org/eclipse/cdt/launch/ui/CAbstractMainTab.java
+++ b/launch/org.eclipse.cdt.launch/src/org/eclipse/cdt/launch/ui/CAbstractMainTab.java
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ import org.eclipse.ui.dialogs.PreferencesUtil;
  * @since 6.1
  */
 public abstract class CAbstractMainTab extends CLaunchConfigurationTab {
+	private static final String LAUNCHING_PREFERENCE_PAGE_ID = "org.eclipse.debug.ui.LaunchingPreferencePage"; //$NON-NLS-1$
 	protected static final String EMPTY_STRING = ""; //$NON-NLS-1$
 	protected String filterPlatform = EMPTY_STRING;
 
@@ -246,7 +247,7 @@ public abstract class CAbstractMainTab extends CLaunchConfigurationTab {
 
 			ICProject cProject = getCProject();
 			if (cProject != null) {
-				dialog.setInitialSelections(new Object[]{cProject});
+				dialog.setInitialSelections(new Object[] { cProject });
 			}
 			if (dialog.open() == Window.OK) {
 				return (ICProject)dialog.getFirstResult();
@@ -394,7 +395,7 @@ public abstract class CAbstractMainTab extends CLaunchConfigurationTab {
 			public void widgetSelected(SelectionEvent e) {
 				PreferencesUtil.createPreferenceDialogOn(
 						parent.getShell(), 
-						LaunchMessages.CMainTab_Workspace_settings_page_id, 
+						LAUNCHING_PREFERENCE_PAGE_ID,
 						null, 
 						null).open();
 			}
diff --git a/launch/org.eclipse.cdt.launch/src/org/eclipse/cdt/launch/ui/CMainTab.java b/launch/org.eclipse.cdt.launch/src/org/eclipse/cdt/launch/ui/CMainTab.java
index 82951c864ae..a50691d0da0 100644
--- a/launch/org.eclipse.cdt.launch/src/org/eclipse/cdt/launch/ui/CMainTab.java
+++ b/launch/org.eclipse.cdt.launch/src/org/eclipse/cdt/launch/ui/CMainTab.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
  *     QNX Software Systems - initial API and implementation
  *     Ken Ryall (Nokia) - bug 178731
  *	   IBM Corporation
+ *	   Sergey Prigogin (Google)
  *******************************************************************************/
 package org.eclipse.cdt.launch.ui;
 
@@ -59,10 +60,9 @@ import org.eclipse.ui.dialogs.TwoPaneElementSelector;
  * <p>
  * This class may be instantiated. This class is not intended to be subclassed.
  * </p>
- * 
+ * @noextend This class is not intended to be subclassed by clients.
  * @since 2.0
  */
-
 public class CMainTab extends CAbstractMainTab {
 
     /**
@@ -474,16 +474,9 @@ public class CMainTab extends CAbstractMainTab {
 					setErrorMessage(fPreviouslyCheckedProgramErrorMsg = LaunchMessages.CMainTab_Program_does_not_exist); 
 					return (fPreviouslyCheckedProgramIsValid = false);
 				}
-				try {
-					if (!isBinary(project, exePath)) {
-						setErrorMessage(fPreviouslyCheckedProgramErrorMsg = LaunchMessages.CMainTab_Program_is_not_a_recongnized_executable); 
-						return (fPreviouslyCheckedProgramIsValid = false);
-					}
-				} catch (CoreException e) {
-					LaunchUIPlugin.log(e);
-					setErrorMessage(fPreviouslyCheckedProgramErrorMsg = e.getLocalizedMessage());
-					return (fPreviouslyCheckedProgramIsValid = false);
-				}
+				// Notice that we don't check if exePath points to a valid executable since such
+				// check is too expensive to be done on the UI thread.
+				// See "https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=328012".
 			}
 		}