diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/PDOMWriter.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/PDOMWriter.java
index 1c35383ba69..5b7ef7e3d93 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/PDOMWriter.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/PDOMWriter.java
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ abstract public class PDOMWriter {
 							}
 						}
 						else if (name.isReference()) {
-							if (fSkipReferences == SKIP_TYPE_REFERENCES) {
+							if ((fSkipReferences & SKIP_TYPE_REFERENCES) != 0) {
 								if (isTypeReferenceBinding(binding) && !isRequiredReference(name)) {
 									na[0]= null;
 									fStatistics.fReferenceCount--;