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 274597bbc43..bdfba2e8b17 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
@@ -5827,6 +5827,19 @@ public class AST2Tests extends AST2BaseTest {
 		return runtime.totalMemory()-runtime.freeMemory();
 	}
 
+	// int n= 0;
+	// int a[]= {0x00, sizeof(n)};
+	public void testNonTrivialInitializer_Bug253690() throws Exception {
+		final String code= getAboveComment();
+		for (ParserLanguage lang : ParserLanguage.values()) {
+			IASTTranslationUnit tu= parse(code, lang, false, true, true);
+			IASTSimpleDeclaration d= getDeclaration(tu, 0);
+			IBinding b= d.getDeclarators()[0].getName().resolveBinding();
+			IASTName[] refs = tu.getReferences(b);
+			assertEquals(1, refs.length);
+		}
+	}
+
 	// void test() {
 	//    const void* p = 1+2;
 	// }
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/dom/ast/ASTVisitor.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/dom/ast/ASTVisitor.java
index 26fc1e04d0d..5d42d03657f 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/dom/ast/ASTVisitor.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/dom/ast/ASTVisitor.java
@@ -127,7 +127,9 @@ public abstract class ASTVisitor {
 	public boolean includeInactiveNodes= false;
 	
 	/**
-	 * For internal use, only.
+	 * Normally neither ambiguous nodes nor their children are visited. By setting
+	 * this flag to <code>true</code> ambiguous nodes are visited, their children
+	 * are not.
 	 * @noreference This field is not intended to be referenced by clients.
 	 */
 	public boolean shouldVisitAmbiguousNodes = false;
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/ASTQueries.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/ASTQueries.java
index 409c10fa1c1..c45479f48de 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/ASTQueries.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/ASTQueries.java
@@ -45,6 +45,15 @@ public class ASTQueries {
 			fFound= true;
 			return PROCESS_ABORT;
 		}
+		@Override
+		public int visit(ASTAmbiguousNode node) {
+			IASTNode[] alternatives= node.getNodes();
+			for (IASTNode alt : alternatives) {
+				if (!alt.accept(this))
+					return PROCESS_ABORT;
+			}
+			return PROCESS_CONTINUE;
+		}
 	}
 	private static NameSearch NAME_SEARCH= new NameSearch();
 	
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 9d8466c55bd..f9d579f9d23 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
@@ -121,6 +121,17 @@ public abstract class AbstractGNUSourceCodeParser implements ISourceCodeParser {
 			((ASTNode) node).setInactive();
 			return PROCESS_CONTINUE;
 		}
+		
+		@Override
+		public int visit(ASTAmbiguousNode node) {
+			node.setInactive();
+			IASTNode[] alternatives= node.getNodes();
+			for (IASTNode alt : alternatives) {
+				if (!alt.accept(this))
+					return PROCESS_ABORT;
+			}
+			return PROCESS_CONTINUE;
+		}
 	};
 
 	protected static final int DEFAULT_DESIGNATOR_LIST_SIZE = 4;