diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/CPPQualifierType.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/CPPQualifierType.java
index 0bed871d401..946d02c8a7a 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/CPPQualifierType.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/CPPQualifierType.java
@@ -9,12 +9,9 @@
  *     IBM Corporation - initial API and implementation
  *     Markus Schorn (Wind River Systems)
  *******************************************************************************/
-
-/*
- * Created on Dec 13, 2004
- */
 package org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.parser.cpp;
 
+import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.DOMException;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.IQualifierType;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.IType;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.ITypedef;
@@ -35,16 +32,19 @@ public class CPPQualifierType implements IQualifierType, ITypeContainer {
         this.isVolatile = isVolatile;
     }
     
-    public boolean isSameType( IType o ){
-	    if( o instanceof ITypedef || o instanceof IIndexType)
-	        return o.isSameType( this );
-	    if( !( o instanceof CPPQualifierType ) ) 
-	        return false;
-	    
-	    CPPQualifierType pt = (CPPQualifierType) o;
-	    if( isConst() == pt.isConst() && isVolatile() == pt.isVolatile() )
-	        return type.isSameType( pt.getType() );
-	    return false;
+    public boolean isSameType(IType o) {
+		if (o instanceof ITypedef || o instanceof IIndexType)
+			return o.isSameType(this);
+		if (!(o instanceof IQualifierType))
+			return false;
+
+		IQualifierType pt = (IQualifierType) o;
+		try {
+			if (isConst() == pt.isConst() && isVolatile() == pt.isVolatile())
+				return type.isSameType(pt.getType());
+		} catch (DOMException e) {
+		}
+		return false;
 	}
     
     /* (non-Javadoc)
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/semantics/CPPTemplates.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/semantics/CPPTemplates.java
index 71edfad49b3..e7adbea25f8 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/semantics/CPPTemplates.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/semantics/CPPTemplates.java
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.parser.cpp.CPPMethodTemplateSpecializat
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.parser.cpp.CPPParameter;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.parser.cpp.CPPPointerToMemberType;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.parser.cpp.CPPPointerType;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.parser.cpp.CPPQualifierType;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.parser.cpp.CPPTemplateDefinition;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.parser.cpp.CPPTemplateTemplateParameter;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.parser.cpp.CPPTypedefSpecialization;
@@ -936,22 +937,33 @@ public class CPPTemplates {
 			}		
 
 			if (type instanceof ITypeContainer) {
-				IType temp = ((ITypeContainer) type).getType();
-				IType newType = instantiateType(temp, argMap, within);
+				IType nestedType = ((ITypeContainer) type).getType();
+				IType newNestedType = instantiateType(nestedType, argMap, within);
 				if (type instanceof ICPPPointerToMemberType) {
 					ICPPPointerToMemberType ptm = (ICPPPointerToMemberType) type;
 					IType memberOfClass = ptm.getMemberOfClass();
 					IType newMemberOfClass = instantiateType(memberOfClass, argMap, within);
-					if ((newType != temp || newMemberOfClass != memberOfClass) &&
+					if ((newNestedType != nestedType || newMemberOfClass != memberOfClass) &&
 							newMemberOfClass instanceof ICPPClassType) {
-						return new CPPPointerToMemberType(newType, (ICPPClassType) newMemberOfClass,
+						return new CPPPointerToMemberType(newNestedType, (ICPPClassType) newMemberOfClass,
 								ptm.isConst(), ptm.isVolatile());
 					}
 				}
-				if (newType != temp) {
-					temp = (IType) type.clone();
-					((ITypeContainer) temp).setType(newType);
-					return temp;
+				if (newNestedType != nestedType) {
+					// bug 249085 make sure not to add unnecessary qualifications
+					if (type instanceof IQualifierType) {
+						IQualifierType qt1= (IQualifierType) type;
+						if (newNestedType instanceof IQualifierType) {
+							IQualifierType qt2= (IQualifierType) newNestedType;
+							return new CPPQualifierType(qt2.getType(), qt1.isConst() || qt2.isConst(), qt1.isVolatile() || qt2.isVolatile());
+						} else if (newNestedType instanceof IPointerType) {
+							IPointerType pt2= (IPointerType) newNestedType;
+							return new CPPPointerType(pt2.getType(), qt1.isConst() || pt2.isConst(), qt1.isVolatile() || pt2.isVolatile());
+						}
+					}
+					type = (IType) type.clone();
+					((ITypeContainer) type).setType(newNestedType);
+					return type;
 				} 
 				return type;
 			}