diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/ChangeLog b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/ChangeLog
index edce4e6458c..c7bf891c0ec 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/ChangeLog
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+2004-06-09 David Inglis
+
+	added new ICDescriptor manager method to get a descriptor with the option of creating 
+	one if it does not exists.
+	
+	* src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/ICDescriptorManager.java
+	* src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/CCorePlugin.java
+	* src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/CDescriptorManager.java
+	
 2004-06-08 Tanya Wolff
 
 	Fix for I18N defect 66136
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/CCorePlugin.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/CCorePlugin.java
index cfbd102a160..037fee6a105 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/CCorePlugin.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/CCorePlugin.java
@@ -703,10 +703,29 @@ public class CCorePlugin extends Plugin {
 		return fCoreModel;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @param project
+	 * @return
+	 * @throws CoreException
+	 * @deprecated use getCProjetDescription(IProject project, boolean create)
+	 */
 	public ICDescriptor getCProjectDescription(IProject project) throws CoreException {
 		return fDescriptorManager.getDescriptor(project);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Get the ICDescriptor for the given project, if <b>create</b> is <b>true</b> then a descriptor will be created
+	 * if one does not exist.
+	 * 
+	 * @param project
+	 * @param create
+	 * @return ICDescriptor or <b>null</b> if <b>create</b> is <b>false</b> and no .cdtproject file exists on disk.
+	 * @throws CoreException
+	 */
+	public ICDescriptor getCProjectDescription(IProject project, boolean create) throws CoreException {
+		return fDescriptorManager.getDescriptor(project, create);
+	}
+
 	public void mapCProjectOwner(IProject project, String id, boolean override) throws CoreException {
 		if (!override) {
 			fDescriptorManager.configure(project, id);
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/ICDescriptorManager.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/ICDescriptorManager.java
index b27bc4b5ed0..67fe30ae6f9 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/ICDescriptorManager.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/ICDescriptorManager.java
@@ -14,13 +14,50 @@ import org.eclipse.core.runtime.CoreException;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IProgressMonitor;
 
 public interface ICDescriptorManager {
+
+	/**
+	 * @param project
+	 * @param id
+	 * @throws CoreException
+	 */
 	public void configure(IProject project, String id) throws CoreException;
+	/**
+	 * @param project
+	 * @param id
+	 * @throws CoreException
+	 */
 	public void convert(IProject project, String id) throws CoreException;
 		
+	/**
+	 * @param project
+	 * @return
+	 * @throws CoreException
+	 */
 	public ICDescriptor getDescriptor(IProject project) throws CoreException;
+	
+	/**
+	 * @param project
+	 * @param forceCreation
+	 * @return
+	 * @throws CoreException
+	 */
+	public ICDescriptor getDescriptor(IProject project, boolean create) throws CoreException;
 
+	/**
+	 * @param project
+	 * @param op
+	 * @param monitor
+	 * @throws CoreException
+	 */
 	public void runDescriptorOperation(IProject project, ICDescriptorOperation op, IProgressMonitor monitor) throws CoreException;
 	
+	/**
+	 * @param listener
+	 */
 	public void addDescriptorListener(ICDescriptorListener listener);
+
+	/**
+	 * @param listener
+	 */
 	public void removeDescriptorListener(ICDescriptorListener listener);
 }
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/CDescriptorManager.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/CDescriptorManager.java
index 2939a6a302c..9eff7f22ba3 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/CDescriptorManager.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/CDescriptorManager.java
@@ -231,8 +231,12 @@ public class CDescriptorManager implements ICDescriptorManager, IResourceChangeL
 	}
 
 	synchronized public ICDescriptor getDescriptor(IProject project) throws CoreException {
+		return getDescriptor(project, true);
+	}
+	
+	synchronized public ICDescriptor getDescriptor(IProject project, boolean create) throws CoreException {
 		CDescriptor descriptor = (CDescriptor)fDescriptorMap.get(project);
-		if (descriptor == null) {
+		if (descriptor == null && create) {
 			descriptor = new CDescriptor(this, project);
 			fDescriptorMap.put(project, descriptor);
 		}
@@ -338,7 +342,10 @@ public class CDescriptorManager implements ICDescriptorManager, IResourceChangeL
 	}
 
 	public void runDescriptorOperation(IProject project, ICDescriptorOperation op, IProgressMonitor monitor) throws CoreException {
-		ICDescriptor descriptor = getDescriptor(project);
+		ICDescriptor descriptor = getDescriptor(project, false);
+		if (descriptor == null) {
+			throw new CoreException(new Status(IStatus.ERROR, CCorePlugin.PLUGIN_ID, -1, "Project does not have descriptor", null)); //$NON-NLS-1$
+		}
 		CDescriptorEvent event = null;
 		synchronized (descriptor) {
 			beginOperation(descriptor);