diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser.java
index f4109ac8784..1d5744f71e7 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser.java
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@
  * IBM Rational Software - Initial API and implementation */
 package org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.parser;
 
-import java.util.List;
-
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.ASTCompletionNode;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.IASTASMDeclaration;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.IASTBinaryExpression;
@@ -2058,11 +2056,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser implements ISourceCodeParser {
      * @param declarators
      * @return
      */
-    protected int figureEndOffset(IASTDeclSpecifier declSpec, List declarators) {
-        if (declarators.isEmpty())
+    protected int figureEndOffset(IASTDeclSpecifier declSpec, IASTDeclarator [] declarators) {
+        if (declarators.length == 0 )
             return calculateEndOffset(declSpec);
-        return calculateEndOffset((IASTDeclarator) declarators.get(declarators
-                .size() - 1));
+        return calculateEndOffset(declarators[ declarators.length - 1 ] );
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/c/GNUCSourceParser.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/c/GNUCSourceParser.java
index 0e27ef08368..f27a0d6f4b1 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/c/GNUCSourceParser.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/c/GNUCSourceParser.java
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ import org.eclipse.cdt.core.parser.IScanner;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.parser.IToken;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.parser.ParseError;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.parser.ParserMode;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.core.parser.util.ArrayUtil;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.parser.util.CharArrayUtils;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.parser.ASTNode;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.parser.AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser;
@@ -106,8 +107,6 @@ public class GNUCSourceParser extends AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser {
 
     private final boolean supportGCCStyleDesignators;
 
-    private static final int DEFAULT_DECLARATOR_LIST_SIZE = 4;
-
     /**
      * @param scanner
      * @param parserMode
@@ -433,16 +432,16 @@ public class GNUCSourceParser extends AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser {
 
         IASTDeclSpecifier declSpec = declSpecifierSeq(false);
 
-        List declarators = Collections.EMPTY_LIST;
+        IASTDeclarator [] declarators = new IASTDeclarator[2];
         if (LT(1) != IToken.tSEMI) {
-            declarators = new ArrayList(DEFAULT_DECLARATOR_LIST_SIZE);
-            declarators.add(initDeclarator());
+            declarators = (IASTDeclarator[]) ArrayUtil.append( IASTDeclarator.class, declarators, initDeclarator());
 
             while (LT(1) == IToken.tCOMMA) {
                 consume(IToken.tCOMMA);
-                declarators.add(initDeclarator());
+                declarators = (IASTDeclarator[]) ArrayUtil.append( IASTDeclarator.class, declarators, initDeclarator());
             }
         }
+        declarators = (IASTDeclarator[]) ArrayUtil.removeNulls( IASTDeclarator.class, declarators );
 
         boolean hasFunctionBody = false;
         boolean hasFunctionTryBlock = false;
@@ -470,10 +469,10 @@ public class GNUCSourceParser extends AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser {
         }
 
         if (hasFunctionBody) {
-            if (declarators.size() != 1)
+            if (declarators.length != 1)
                 throwBacktrack(firstOffset, LA(1).getEndOffset());
 
-            IASTDeclarator declarator = (IASTDeclarator) declarators.get(0);
+            IASTDeclarator declarator = declarators[0];
             if (!(declarator instanceof IASTFunctionDeclarator))
                 throwBacktrack(firstOffset, LA(1).getEndOffset());
 
@@ -508,8 +507,8 @@ public class GNUCSourceParser extends AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser {
         declSpec.setParent(simpleDeclaration);
         declSpec.setPropertyInParent(IASTSimpleDeclaration.DECL_SPECIFIER);
 
-        for (int i = 0; i < declarators.size(); ++i) {
-            IASTDeclarator declarator = (IASTDeclarator) declarators.get(i);
+        for (int i = 0; i < declarators.length; ++i) {
+            IASTDeclarator declarator = declarators[i];
             simpleDeclaration.addDeclarator(declarator);
             declarator.setParent(simpleDeclaration);
             declarator.setPropertyInParent(IASTSimpleDeclaration.DECLARATOR);
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/GNUCPPSourceParser.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/GNUCPPSourceParser.java
index ed31dff855f..7fcb5b8da8d 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/GNUCPPSourceParser.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/GNUCPPSourceParser.java
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ import org.eclipse.cdt.core.parser.IToken;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.parser.ITokenDuple;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.parser.ParseError;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.parser.ParserMode;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.core.parser.util.ArrayUtil;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.parser.ASTNode;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.parser.AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.parser.BacktrackException;
@@ -1860,7 +1861,6 @@ public class GNUCPPSourceParser extends AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser {
    private final boolean    supportLongLong;
 
    private static final int DEFAULT_PARM_LIST_SIZE              = 4;
-   private static final int DEFAULT_DECLARATOR_LIST_SIZE        = 4;
    private static final int DEFAULT_POINTEROPS_LIST_SIZE        = 4;
    private static final int DEFAULT_SIZE_EXCEPTIONS_LIST        = 2;
    private static final int DEFAULT_CONSTRUCTOR_CHAIN_LIST_SIZE = 4;
@@ -2697,16 +2697,17 @@ public class GNUCPPSourceParser extends AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser {
 
       ICPPASTDeclSpecifier declSpec = declSpecifierSeq(false,
             strategy == SimpleDeclarationStrategy.TRY_CONSTRUCTOR);
-      List declarators = Collections.EMPTY_LIST;
+      IASTDeclarator [] declarators = new IASTDeclarator[2];
       if (LT(1) != IToken.tSEMI && LT(1) != IToken.tEOC) {
-         declarators = new ArrayList(DEFAULT_DECLARATOR_LIST_SIZE);
-         declarators.add(initDeclarator(strategy));
+         declarators = (IASTDeclarator []) ArrayUtil.append( IASTDeclarator.class, declarators,initDeclarator(strategy) );
          while (LT(1) == IToken.tCOMMA) {
             consume(IToken.tCOMMA);
-            declarators.add(initDeclarator(strategy));
+            declarators = (IASTDeclarator []) ArrayUtil.append( IASTDeclarator.class, declarators,initDeclarator(strategy) );
          }
       }
 
+      declarators = (IASTDeclarator[]) ArrayUtil.removeNulls( IASTDeclarator.class, declarators );
+      
       boolean hasFunctionBody = false;
       boolean hasFunctionTryBlock = false;
       boolean consumedSemi = false;
@@ -2756,10 +2757,10 @@ public class GNUCPPSourceParser extends AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser {
       }
 
       if (hasFunctionBody) {
-         if (declarators.size() != 1)
+         if (declarators.length != 1)
             throwBacktrack(firstOffset, LA(1).getEndOffset() - firstOffset);
 
-         IASTDeclarator declarator = (IASTDeclarator) declarators.get(0);
+         IASTDeclarator declarator = declarators[0];
          if (!(declarator instanceof IASTStandardFunctionDeclarator))
             throwBacktrack(firstOffset, LA(1).getEndOffset() - firstOffset);
 
@@ -2835,8 +2836,8 @@ public class GNUCPPSourceParser extends AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser {
       declSpec.setParent(simpleDeclaration);
       declSpec.setPropertyInParent(IASTSimpleDeclaration.DECL_SPECIFIER);
 
-      for (int i = 0; i < declarators.size(); ++i) {
-         IASTDeclarator declarator = (IASTDeclarator) declarators.get(i);
+      for (int i = 0; i < declarators.length; ++i) {
+         IASTDeclarator declarator = declarators[i];
          simpleDeclaration.addDeclarator(declarator);
          declarator.setParent(simpleDeclaration);
          declarator.setPropertyInParent(IASTSimpleDeclaration.DECLARATOR);