diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/pdom/tests/GeneratePDOMApplicationTest.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/pdom/tests/GeneratePDOMApplicationTest.java
index f5e051cb98f..19ef56a0bc4 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/pdom/tests/GeneratePDOMApplicationTest.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/pdom/tests/GeneratePDOMApplicationTest.java
@@ -76,29 +76,21 @@ public class GeneratePDOMApplicationTest extends PDOMTestBase {
 	}	
 
 	public void testBrokenExportProjectProvider1() throws Exception {
-		try {
-			File target= File.createTempFile("test", "pdom");
-			doGenerate(new String[] {
-					GeneratePDOMApplication.OPT_TARGET, target.getAbsolutePath(), 
-					GeneratePDOMApplication.OPT_PROJECTPROVIDER, TestProjectProvider1.class.getName()
-			});
-			fail("Expected exception - IExportProjectProvider implementation returns null for createProject");
-		} catch(CoreException ce) {
-			// correct behaviour
-		}
+		setExpectedNumberOfLoggedNonOKStatusObjects(1); // IExportProjectProvider implementation returns null for createProject 
+		File target= File.createTempFile("test", "pdom");
+		doGenerate(new String[] {
+			GeneratePDOMApplication.OPT_TARGET, target.getAbsolutePath(), 
+			GeneratePDOMApplication.OPT_PROJECTPROVIDER, TestProjectProvider1.class.getName()
+		});
 	}
 
 	public void testBrokenExportProjectProvider2() throws Exception {
-		try {
-			File target= File.createTempFile("test", "pdom");
-			doGenerate(new String[] {
-					GeneratePDOMApplication.OPT_TARGET, target.getAbsolutePath(), 
-					GeneratePDOMApplication.OPT_PROJECTPROVIDER, TestProjectProvider2.class.getName()
-			});
-			fail("Expected exception - IExportProjectProvider implementation returns null for getLocationConverter");
-		} catch(CoreException ce) {
-			// correct behaviour
-		}
+		setExpectedNumberOfLoggedNonOKStatusObjects(1); // IExportProjectProvider implementation returns null for getLocationConverter 
+		File target= File.createTempFile("test", "pdom");
+		doGenerate(new String[] {
+			GeneratePDOMApplication.OPT_TARGET, target.getAbsolutePath(), 
+			GeneratePDOMApplication.OPT_PROJECTPROVIDER, TestProjectProvider2.class.getName()
+		});
 	}
 
 	public void testSimpleExportProjectProvider1() throws Exception {
@@ -137,33 +129,42 @@ public class GeneratePDOMApplicationTest extends PDOMTestBase {
 
 	public void testExternalExportProjectProvider_BadCmdLine1() throws Exception {
 		File target= File.createTempFile("test", "pdom");
-		try {
-			doGenerate(new String[] {
-					GeneratePDOMApplication.OPT_TARGET, target.getAbsolutePath(), 
-					GeneratePDOMApplication.OPT_PROJECTPROVIDER, ExternalExportProjectProvider.class.getName()
-			});
-			assertTrue(target.exists());
-			fail("Expected failure: -source must be specified");
-		} catch(CoreException ce) {
-			// correct behaviour
-		}
+		
+		setExpectedNumberOfLoggedNonOKStatusObjects(1); // Expected failure: -source must be specified
+		
+		doGenerate(new String[] {
+			GeneratePDOMApplication.OPT_TARGET, target.getAbsolutePath(), 
+			GeneratePDOMApplication.OPT_PROJECTPROVIDER, ExternalExportProjectProvider.class.getName()
+		});
+		assertTrue(target.exists());
 	}
 
 	public void testExternalExportProjectProvider_BadCmdLine2() throws Exception {
 		File target= File.createTempFile("test", "pdom");
 		TestProjectProvider4 tpp4= new TestProjectProvider4();
 		ICProject cproject= tpp4.createProject();
-		try {
-			doGenerate(new String[] {
-					GeneratePDOMApplication.OPT_TARGET, target.getAbsolutePath(), 
-					GeneratePDOMApplication.OPT_PROJECTPROVIDER, ExternalExportProjectProvider.class.getName(),
-					ExternalExportProjectProvider.OPT_SOURCE, cproject.getProject().getLocation().toFile().getAbsolutePath()
-			});
-			assertTrue(target.exists());
-			fail("Expected failure: -id must be specified");
-		} catch(CoreException ce) {
-			// correct behaviour
-		}
+		
+		setExpectedNumberOfLoggedNonOKStatusObjects(1); // Expected failure: -id must be specified
+		
+		doGenerate(new String[] {
+			GeneratePDOMApplication.OPT_TARGET, target.getAbsolutePath(), 
+			GeneratePDOMApplication.OPT_PROJECTPROVIDER, ExternalExportProjectProvider.class.getName(),
+			ExternalExportProjectProvider.OPT_SOURCE, cproject.getProject().getLocation().toFile().getAbsolutePath()
+		});
+		assertTrue(target.exists());
+	}
+	
+	public void testExternalExportProjectProvider_BadCmdLine3() throws Exception {
+		File target= File.createTempFile("test", "pdom");
+		TestProjectProvider4 tpp4= new TestProjectProvider4();
+		ICProject cproject= tpp4.createProject();
+		
+		setExpectedNumberOfLoggedNonOKStatusObjects(1); // Expected failure: -target must be specified
+		doGenerate(new String[] {
+			GeneratePDOMApplication.OPT_PROJECTPROVIDER, ExternalExportProjectProvider.class.getName(),
+			ExternalExportProjectProvider.OPT_SOURCE, cproject.getProject().getLocation().toFile().getAbsolutePath()
+		});
+		assertTrue(target.exists());
 	}
 
 	public void testExternalExportProjectProvider() throws Exception {
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/export/CLIUtil.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/export/CLIUtil.java
index 8a9a6a4d47f..8b086062f16 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/export/CLIUtil.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/export/CLIUtil.java
@@ -16,11 +16,8 @@ import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
-import org.eclipse.cdt.core.CCorePlugin;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.index.export.Messages;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.CoreException;
-import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IStatus;
-import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Status;
 
 /**
  * Helper methods for command-line options
@@ -43,7 +40,7 @@ public class CLIUtil {
 		List list = (List) arguments.get(opt);
 		if(list==null || list.size()!=number) {
 			String msg= MessageFormat.format(Messages.CLIUtil_OptionParametersMismatch, new Object[] {opt, ""+number}); //$NON-NLS-1$
-			throw new CoreException(new Status(IStatus.ERROR, CCorePlugin.PLUGIN_ID, msg));
+			GeneratePDOMApplication.fail(msg);
 		}
 		return list;
 	}
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/export/GeneratePDOM.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/export/GeneratePDOM.java
index f7f94de0a14..ed9704d142a 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/export/GeneratePDOM.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/export/GeneratePDOM.java
@@ -98,6 +98,6 @@ public class GeneratePDOM implements ISafeRunnable {
 	}
 	
 	private void fail(String message) throws CoreException {
-		throw new CoreException(CCorePlugin.createStatus(message));
+		GeneratePDOMApplication.fail(message);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/export/GeneratePDOMApplication.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/export/GeneratePDOMApplication.java
index b1cdedd9312..2759823bb10 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/export/GeneratePDOMApplication.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/export/GeneratePDOMApplication.java
@@ -27,8 +27,10 @@ import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IExtension;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IExtensionPoint;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IExtensionRegistry;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IProgressMonitor;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IStatus;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.NullProgressMonitor;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Platform;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Status;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.jobs.Job;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.jobs.ProgressProvider;
 import org.eclipse.equinox.app.IApplication;
@@ -45,12 +47,34 @@ public class GeneratePDOMApplication implements IApplication {
 	public static final String OPT_QUIET= "-quiet"; //$NON-NLS-1$
 	public static final String OPT_INDEXER_ID= "-indexer"; //$NON-NLS-1$
 
+	/**
+	 * Applications needing to fail in an expected way (without stack dump), should throw
+	 * CoreExceptions with this error code.
+	 */
+	public static final int ECODE_EXPECTED_FAILURE= 1;
+	
 	private static Map/*<String,IProjectForExportManager>*/ projectInitializers;
 
 	/**
 	 * Starts this application
+	 * @throws CoreException on an unexpected failure
 	 */
 	public Object start(IApplicationContext context) throws CoreException {
+		Object result= IApplication.EXIT_OK;
+		try {
+			result= startImpl(context);
+		} catch(CoreException ce) {
+			IStatus s= ce.getStatus();
+			if(s.getCode()==ECODE_EXPECTED_FAILURE) {
+				output(s.getMessage());
+			} else {
+				throw ce;
+			}
+		}
+		return result;
+	}
+	
+	private Object startImpl(IApplicationContext context) throws CoreException {
 		String[] appArgs= (String[]) context.getArguments().get(IApplicationContext.APPLICATION_ARGS);
 		Map arguments= CLIUtil.parseToMap(appArgs);
 		output(Messages.GeneratePDOMApplication_Initializing);
@@ -104,8 +128,16 @@ public class GeneratePDOMApplication implements IApplication {
 		// do nothing
 	}
 
-	private void fail(String message) throws CoreException {
-		throw new CoreException(CCorePlugin.createStatus(message));
+	/**
+	 * Causes the appliation to fail in a way that has been anticipated (e.g. a command-line or interface
+	 * contract violation by a extension implementation)
+	 * @param message
+	 * @throws CoreException
+	 */
+	public static final void fail(String message) throws CoreException {
+		IStatus status= new Status(IStatus.ERROR, CCorePlugin.PLUGIN_ID, ECODE_EXPECTED_FAILURE, message, null);
+		CCorePlugin.log(status);
+		throw new CoreException(status);
 	}
 	
 	/**