diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2BaseTest.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2BaseTest.java
index 16f08ce31e2..a113588c3dc 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2BaseTest.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2BaseTest.java
@@ -619,7 +619,12 @@ public class AST2BaseTest extends BaseTestCase {
 	}
 
 	final protected IASTTranslationUnit parseAndCheckBindings(String code, ParserLanguage lang, boolean useGnuExtensions) throws Exception {
-		IASTTranslationUnit tu = parse(code, lang, useGnuExtensions); 
+		return parseAndCheckBindings(code, lang, useGnuExtensions, false);
+	}
+	
+	final protected IASTTranslationUnit parseAndCheckBindings(String code, ParserLanguage lang, boolean useGnuExtensions,
+			boolean skipTrivialInitializers) throws Exception {
+		IASTTranslationUnit tu = parse(code, lang, useGnuExtensions, skipTrivialInitializers); 
 		CNameCollector col = new CNameCollector();
 		tu.accept(col);
 		assertNoProblemBindings(col);
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2Tests.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2Tests.java
index d7a556fc512..a4409097aca 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2Tests.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2Tests.java
@@ -7202,4 +7202,10 @@ public class AST2Tests extends AST2BaseTest {
 			IASTTranslationUnit tu = parseAndCheckBindings(code, lang);
 	    }
 	}
+	
+	//	static a[2]= {0,0};
+	public void testSkipAggregateInitializer_297550() throws Exception {
+        final String code = getAboveComment();
+		parseAndCheckBindings(code, ParserLanguage.C, false, true);
+	}
 }
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 2b725d9a2bf..3f19de9a2f4 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
@@ -90,8 +90,9 @@ import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.parser.scanner.ILocationResolver;
 public abstract class AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser implements ISourceCodeParser {
 	protected static class FoundAggregateInitializer extends Exception {
 		public final IASTDeclarator fDeclarator;
-		public IASTDeclSpecifier fDeclSpec;
-		public FoundAggregateInitializer(IASTDeclarator d) {
+		public final IASTDeclSpecifier fDeclSpec;
+		public FoundAggregateInitializer(IASTDeclSpecifier declSpec, IASTDeclarator d) {
+			fDeclSpec= declSpec;
 			fDeclarator= d;
 		}
 	}
@@ -1566,10 +1567,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser implements ISourceCodeParser {
 		try {
 			// declarator for first variant
 			dtor1= initDeclarator(declspec1, option);
-    	} catch (FoundAggregateInitializer e) {
-    		e.fDeclSpec= declspec1;
-    		throw e;
-		} catch (BacktrackException e) {
+    	} catch (BacktrackException e) {
 			if (acceptEmpty) {
 				backup(dtorMark1);
 				return result.set(declspec1, null, null);
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 5f775f2fbae..7c2c647b234 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
@@ -1281,7 +1281,7 @@ public class GNUCSourceParser extends AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser {
 		}
 		
         if (lt1 == IToken.tASSIGN && LT(2) == IToken.tLBRACE) 
-        	throw new FoundAggregateInitializer(d);
+        	throw new FoundAggregateInitializer(declspec, d);
        
         IASTInitializer i = optionalCInitializer();
         if (i != null) {
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 e05a14bc0bc..98d5a71f0af 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
@@ -2515,7 +2515,7 @@ public class GNUCPPSourceParser extends AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser {
     	IASTDeclarator dtor2= null;
     	BacktrackException bt= null;
     	try {
-    		dtor1= initDeclarator(DtorStrategy.PREFER_FUNCTION, option);
+    		dtor1= initDeclarator(DtorStrategy.PREFER_FUNCTION, declspec, option);
     		verifyDtor(declspec, dtor1, option);
     		
     		int lt1= LTcatchEOF(1);
@@ -2555,7 +2555,7 @@ public class GNUCPPSourceParser extends AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser {
 
     	backup(mark);
     	try {
-    		dtor2= initDeclarator(DtorStrategy.PREFER_NESTED, option);
+    		dtor2= initDeclarator(DtorStrategy.PREFER_NESTED, declspec, option);
     		if (dtor1 == null) { 
     			return dtor2;
     		}
@@ -2671,12 +2671,12 @@ public class GNUCPPSourceParser extends AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser {
      *             request a backtrack
 	 * @throws FoundAggregateInitializer 
      */
-    protected IASTDeclarator initDeclarator(DtorStrategy strategy, DeclarationOptions option)
+    private IASTDeclarator initDeclarator(DtorStrategy strategy, IASTDeclSpecifier declspec, DeclarationOptions option)
             throws EndOfFileException, BacktrackException, FoundAggregateInitializer {
     	final IASTDeclarator dtor= declarator(strategy, option);
         if (option.fAllowInitializer) {
             if (LTcatchEOF(1) == IToken.tASSIGN && LTcatchEOF(2) == IToken.tLBRACE) 
-            	throw new FoundAggregateInitializer(dtor);
+            	throw new FoundAggregateInitializer(declspec, dtor);
 
         	IASTInitializer initializer= optionalCPPInitializer(dtor, option);
         	if (initializer != null) {