diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/Binary.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/Binary.java
index e7d2a457daf..80e63c1d9d7 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/Binary.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/Binary.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import org.eclipse.cdt.core.model.ICElement;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.model.ICProject;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.resources.ResourceLookup;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.util.MementoTokenizer;
+import org.eclipse.core.filesystem.URIUtil;
 import org.eclipse.core.resources.IFile;
 import org.eclipse.core.resources.IResource;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Assert;
@@ -339,8 +340,16 @@ public class Binary extends Openable implements IBinary {
 				TranslationUnit tu;
 				if (wkspFile != null)
 					tu = new TranslationUnit(this, wkspFile, id);
-				else
-					tu = new ExternalTranslationUnit(this, Path.fromOSString(filename), id);
+				else {
+					IPath path = Path.fromOSString(filename);
+					if (path.toFile().exists()) {
+						tu = new ExternalTranslationUnit(this, path, id);
+					}
+					else {
+						// filename may be a UNIX path; don't convert to c:\ on Windows. 
+						tu = new ExternalTranslationUnit(this, URIUtil.toURI(filename), id);						
+					}
+				}
 
 				if (! info.includesChild(tu))
 					info.addChild(tu);