diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/formatter/CodeFormatterVisitor.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/formatter/CodeFormatterVisitor.java
index 1f21cee1d9c..1bbf55ce811 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/formatter/CodeFormatterVisitor.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/formatter/CodeFormatterVisitor.java
@@ -1246,7 +1246,7 @@ public class CodeFormatterVisitor extends CPPASTVisitor {
 		final List initializers = Arrays.asList(node.getInitializers());
 		if (initializers.isEmpty() && preferences.keep_empty_array_initializer_on_one_line) {
 			scribe.printNextToken(Token.tLBRACE, preferences.insert_space_before_opening_brace_in_array_initializer);
-			scribe.printNextToken(Token.tLBRACE, preferences.insert_space_between_empty_braces_in_array_initializer);
+			scribe.printNextToken(Token.tRBRACE, preferences.insert_space_between_empty_braces_in_array_initializer);
 		} else {
 			final int line= scribe.line;
 	        final String brace_position= preferences.brace_position_for_array_initializer;
@@ -1301,7 +1301,39 @@ public class CodeFormatterVisitor extends CPPASTVisitor {
 	}
 
 	private int visit(IASTLiteralExpression node) {
-		scribe.printNextToken(peekNextToken(), scribe.printComment());
+		if (node.getKind() == IASTLiteralExpression.lk_string_literal) {
+			// handle concatentation of string literals
+			if (node.getNodeLocations().length > 1) {
+				// cannot handle embedded macros
+				skipNode(node);
+			} else {
+				int token;
+				boolean needSpace= false;
+				final int line= scribe.line;
+				boolean indented= false;
+				try {
+					while (true) {
+						scribe.printCommentPreservingNewLines();
+						scribe.printNextToken(Token.tSTRING, needSpace);
+						token= peekNextToken();
+						if (token != Token.tSTRING) {
+							break;
+						}
+						needSpace= true;
+						if (!indented && line != scribe.line) {
+							indented= true;
+							scribe.indent();
+						}
+					}
+				} finally {
+					if (indented) {
+						scribe.unIndent();
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		} else {
+			scribe.printNextToken(peekNextToken(), scribe.printComment());
+		}
     	return PROCESS_SKIP;
 	}
 
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/formatter/Scribe.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/formatter/Scribe.java
index 962d64ac67d..ec3c34d5780 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/formatter/Scribe.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/formatter/Scribe.java
@@ -608,8 +608,7 @@ public class Scribe {
 	}
 
 	public void printRaw(int startOffset, int length) {
-		assert length >= 0;
-		if (length == 0) {
+		if (length <= 0) {
 			return;
 		}
 		if (startOffset > scanner.getCurrentPosition()) {
@@ -873,8 +872,9 @@ public class Scribe {
 
 	public void printEndOfTranslationUnit() {
 		int currentTokenStartPosition= scanner.getCurrentPosition();
-		printRaw(currentTokenStartPosition, scannerEndPosition - currentTokenStartPosition + 1);
-		return;
+		if (currentTokenStartPosition <= scannerEndPosition) {
+			printRaw(currentTokenStartPosition, scannerEndPosition - currentTokenStartPosition + 1);
+		}
 	}
 
 	public boolean printComment() {
@@ -1582,4 +1582,14 @@ public class Scribe {
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	public boolean printCommentPreservingNewLines() {
+		final boolean savedPreserveNL= this.preserveNewlines;
+		this.preserveNewlines= true;
+		try {
+			return printComment();
+		} finally {
+			this.preserveNewlines= savedPreserveNL;
+		}
+	}
+
 }
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui.tests/resources/formatter/bugs/After.cpp b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui.tests/resources/formatter/bugs/After.cpp
index 2fb7ce8829a..59ae61da929 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui.tests/resources/formatter/bugs/After.cpp
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui.tests/resources/formatter/bugs/After.cpp
@@ -23,3 +23,7 @@ AClass::AClass(int x) throw(int) :
 // keep space between decl spec and declarator
 int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 }
+// handling of string concat
+char* s1= "this " "is " "one " "string.";
+char* s2= "this " "is "
+	"one " "string.";
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui.tests/resources/formatter/bugs/Before.cpp b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui.tests/resources/formatter/bugs/Before.cpp
index 1163f09a416..233986195ec 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui.tests/resources/formatter/bugs/Before.cpp
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui.tests/resources/formatter/bugs/Before.cpp
@@ -11,3 +11,7 @@ AClass::AClass(int x)throw(int):ABaseClass(x){for (int i=0;i < 12;i++) {}}
 int
 main(int argc, char **argv) {
 }
+// handling of string concat
+char* s1= "this "   "is "  "one ""string.";
+char* s2= "this " "is " 
+"one " "string.";