diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/misc/org/eclipse/cdt/core/internal/errorparsers/tests/ErrorParserManagerTest.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/misc/org/eclipse/cdt/core/internal/errorparsers/tests/ErrorParserManagerTest.java
index d13659d8cdc..ba7b678556c 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/misc/org/eclipse/cdt/core/internal/errorparsers/tests/ErrorParserManagerTest.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/misc/org/eclipse/cdt/core/internal/errorparsers/tests/ErrorParserManagerTest.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*******************************************************************************
- * Copyright (c) 2008, 2010 QNX Software Systems and others.
+ * Copyright (c) 2008, 2011 QNX Software Systems and others.
  * All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials
  * are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0
  * which accompanies this distribution, and is available at
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import org.eclipse.cdt.core.model.ICProject;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.testplugin.CProjectHelper;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.testplugin.CTestPlugin;
 import org.eclipse.core.internal.registry.ExtensionRegistry;
+import org.eclipse.core.resources.IMarker;
 import org.eclipse.core.resources.IResource;
 import org.eclipse.core.resources.IWorkspace;
 import org.eclipse.core.resources.IWorkspaceDescription;
@@ -305,4 +306,24 @@ public class ErrorParserManagerTest extends TestCase {
 		assertEquals(" la la 99 ",end);
 	}
 
+	public static class TestParser4 implements IErrorParser {
+		public boolean processLine(String line, ErrorParserManager eoParser) {
+			ProblemMarkerInfo problemMarkerInfo = new ProblemMarkerInfo(null, 0, "Workspace level marker", IMarker.SEVERITY_INFO, null);
+			eoParser.addProblemMarker(problemMarkerInfo);
+			return true;
+		}
+	}
+	public void testWorkspaceLevelError() throws IOException {
+		String id = addErrorParserExtension("test4", TestParser4.class);
+		epManager = new ErrorParserManager(null, markerGenerator, new String[] { id });
+		
+		StringBuffer buf = new StringBuffer("errorT: ");
+		output(buf.toString()+"\n");
+		end();
+		assertEquals(1, errorList.size());
+		ProblemMarkerInfo problemMarkerInfo = errorList.get(0);
+		assertEquals("Workspace level marker", problemMarkerInfo.description);
+		assertTrue(problemMarkerInfo.file instanceof IWorkspaceRoot);
+	}
+	
 }
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/ErrorParserManager.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/ErrorParserManager.java
index 33b7302e2bd..862c790ea04 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/ErrorParserManager.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/ErrorParserManager.java
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public class ErrorParserManager extends OutputStream {
 	 * @param parsersIDs - array of error parsers' IDs.
 	 */
 	public ErrorParserManager(IProject project, IMarkerGenerator markerGenerator, String[] parsersIDs) {
-		this(project, project.getLocationURI(), markerGenerator, parsersIDs);
+		this(project, (URI)null, markerGenerator, parsersIDs);
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -154,8 +154,10 @@ public class ErrorParserManager extends OutputStream {
 
 		if (baseDirectoryURI != null)
 			fBaseDirectoryURI = baseDirectoryURI;
-		else
+		else if (project != null)
 			fBaseDirectoryURI = project.getLocationURI();
+		else
+			fBaseDirectoryURI = org.eclipse.core.filesystem.URIUtil.toURI(System.getProperty("user.dir")); // CWD  //$NON-NLS-1$
 	}
 
 	private void enableErrorParsers(String[] parsersIDs) {
@@ -420,12 +422,15 @@ outer:
 		// Try to find best match considering known partial path
 		if (file==null) {
 			path = path.setDevice(null);
-			IProject[] prjs = new IProject[] { fProject };
-			IFile[] files = ResourceLookup.findFilesByName(path, prjs, false);
-			if (files.length == 0)
-				files = ResourceLookup.findFilesByName(path, prjs, /* ignoreCase */ true);
-			if (files.length == 0) {
-				prjs = ResourcesPlugin.getWorkspace().getRoot().getProjects();
+			IFile[] files = null;
+			if (fProject != null) {
+				IProject[] prjs = new IProject[] { fProject };
+				files = ResourceLookup.findFilesByName(path, prjs, false);
+				if (files.length == 0)
+					files = ResourceLookup.findFilesByName(path, prjs, /* ignoreCase */ true);
+			}
+			if (files == null || files.length == 0) {
+				IProject[] prjs = ResourcesPlugin.getWorkspace().getRoot().getProjects();
 				files = ResourceLookup.findFilesByName(path, prjs, false);
 				if (files.length == 0)
 					files = ResourceLookup.findFilesByName(path, prjs, /* ignoreCase */ true);
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/ProblemMarkerInfo.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/ProblemMarkerInfo.java
index b33287aac0f..b44f270c0b5 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/ProblemMarkerInfo.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/core/ProblemMarkerInfo.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.resources.ACBuilder;
 import org.eclipse.core.resources.IMarker;
 import org.eclipse.core.resources.IResource;
+import org.eclipse.core.resources.ResourcesPlugin;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IPath;
 
 /**
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@ public  class ProblemMarkerInfo {
 		 * @param variableName - the name of the variable involved in the error if any.
 		 */
 		public ProblemMarkerInfo(IResource file, int lineNumber, String description, int severity, String variableName) {
-			this.file = file;
+			this.file = (file != null) ? file : ResourcesPlugin.getWorkspace().getRoot();
 			this.lineNumber = lineNumber;
 			this.description = description;
 			this.severity = severity;