diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2Tests.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2Tests.java
index e478cff2941..06eaaf0990f 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2Tests.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2Tests.java
@@ -5581,4 +5581,17 @@ public class AST2Tests extends AST2BaseTest {
 			assertEquals(0, children[0].getChildren().length);
 		}
 	}
+	
+	//	struct s {
+	//		int (mem);
+	//	};
+	//	void foo() {
+	//		struct s v;
+	//		v.mem = 1;
+	//	}
+	public void testNestedDeclarator_Bug257540() throws Exception {
+		final String code= getAboveComment();
+		parseAndCheckBindings(code, ParserLanguage.C);
+		parseAndCheckBindings(code, ParserLanguage.CPP);
+	}
 }
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/c/CStructure.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/c/CStructure.java
index 427f729b041..1979afff685 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/c/CStructure.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/c/CStructure.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.c.ICASTCompositeTypeSpecifier;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.c.ICASTElaboratedTypeSpecifier;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.c.ICCompositeTypeScope;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.parser.util.ArrayUtil;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.core.parser.util.CharArrayUtils;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.Linkage;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.parser.ASTInternal;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.internal.core.dom.parser.ProblemBinding;
@@ -156,67 +157,65 @@ public class CStructure extends PlatformObject implements ICompositeType, ICInte
 		return (IField[]) ArrayUtil.trim( IField.class, fields );
 	}
 
-	/* (non-Javadoc)
-	 * @see org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.ICompositeType#findField(org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.IASTName)
-	 */
 	public IField findField(String name) throws DOMException {
-	    if( definition == null ){
-	        ICASTCompositeTypeSpecifier temp = checkForDefinition( (IASTElaboratedTypeSpecifier) declarations[0].getParent() );
-	        if( temp == null )
-	            return new CField.CFieldProblem( declarations[0], IProblemBinding.SEMANTIC_DEFINITION_NOT_FOUND, getNameCharArray() );
-	        definition = temp.getName();
-	    }
-	    
-	    ICCompositeTypeScope scope = (ICCompositeTypeScope) getCompositeScope();
-	    if( scope != null && ASTInternal.isFullyCached(scope) ){
-	        IBinding binding = scope.getBinding( name.toCharArray() );
-	        if( binding instanceof IField )
-	            return (IField) binding;
-	    } else {
-	        ICASTCompositeTypeSpecifier compSpec = (ICASTCompositeTypeSpecifier) definition.getParent();
-	        ICASTCompositeTypeSpecifier [] specStack = null;
-	        int stackIdx = -1;
-	    	IASTDeclaration[] members = compSpec.getMembers();
-	    	IField found = null;
-	    	while( members != null ){
-		    	int size = members.length;
-	    		for( int i = 0; i < size; i++ ){
-	    			IASTNode node = members[i];
-	    			if( node instanceof IASTSimpleDeclaration ){
-	    				IASTDeclarator[] declarators = ((IASTSimpleDeclaration)node).getDeclarators();
-	    				for( int j = 0; j < declarators.length; j++ ){
-	    					IASTDeclarator declarator = declarators[j];
-	    					IASTName dtorName = declarator.getName();
-	    					if( scope != null )
-	    					    ASTInternal.addName( scope,  dtorName );
-	    					if( name.equals( dtorName.toString() ) ){
-	    						IBinding binding = dtorName.resolveBinding();
-	    						if( binding instanceof IField )
-	    							found = (IField) binding;
-	    					}
-	    				}
-	    				//anonymous structurs and unions
-	    				if( declarators.length == 0 && ((IASTSimpleDeclaration)node).getDeclSpecifier() instanceof IASTCompositeTypeSpecifier ){
-	    				    IASTCompositeTypeSpecifier declSpec = (IASTCompositeTypeSpecifier) ((IASTSimpleDeclaration)node).getDeclSpecifier();
-	    				    IASTName n = declSpec.getName();
-	    				    if( n.toCharArray().length == 0 ){
-	    				        specStack = (ICASTCompositeTypeSpecifier[])ArrayUtil.append( ICASTCompositeTypeSpecifier.class, specStack, declSpec );
-	    				    }
-	    				}
-	    			}
-	    		}
-		    	if( specStack != null && ++stackIdx < specStack.length && specStack[stackIdx] != null ){
-		    	    members = specStack[stackIdx].getMembers();
-		    	} else {
-		    	    members = null;
-		    	}
-	    	}
-    		if( scope != null )
-    		    ASTInternal.setFullyCached(scope, true);
-    		if( found != null )
-    		    return found;
-	    }
-	    
+		if (definition == null) {
+			ICASTCompositeTypeSpecifier temp = checkForDefinition((IASTElaboratedTypeSpecifier) declarations[0].getParent());
+			if (temp == null)
+				return new CField.CFieldProblem(declarations[0], IProblemBinding.SEMANTIC_DEFINITION_NOT_FOUND, getNameCharArray());
+			definition = temp.getName();
+		}
+
+		final char[] nchars= name.toCharArray();
+		ICCompositeTypeScope scope = (ICCompositeTypeScope) getCompositeScope();
+		if (scope != null && ASTInternal.isFullyCached(scope)) {
+			IBinding binding = scope.getBinding(nchars);
+			if (binding instanceof IField)
+				return (IField) binding;
+		} else {
+			ICASTCompositeTypeSpecifier compSpec = (ICASTCompositeTypeSpecifier) definition.getParent();
+			ICASTCompositeTypeSpecifier[] specStack = null;
+			int stackIdx = -1;
+			IASTDeclaration[] members = compSpec.getMembers();
+			IField found = null;
+			while (members != null) {
+				int size = members.length;
+				for (int i = 0; i < size; i++) {
+					IASTNode node = members[i];
+					if (node instanceof IASTSimpleDeclaration) {
+						IASTDeclarator[] declarators = ((IASTSimpleDeclaration) node).getDeclarators();
+						for (int j = 0; j < declarators.length; j++) {
+							IASTDeclarator declarator = declarators[j];
+							IASTName dtorName = CVisitor.findInnermostDeclarator(declarator).getName();
+							if (scope != null)
+								ASTInternal.addName(scope, dtorName);
+							if (CharArrayUtils.equals(nchars, dtorName.toCharArray())) {
+								IBinding binding = dtorName.resolveBinding();
+								if (binding instanceof IField)
+									found = (IField) binding;
+							}
+						}
+						// anonymous structures and unions
+						if (declarators.length == 0 && ((IASTSimpleDeclaration) node).getDeclSpecifier() instanceof IASTCompositeTypeSpecifier) {
+							IASTCompositeTypeSpecifier declSpec = (IASTCompositeTypeSpecifier) ((IASTSimpleDeclaration) node).getDeclSpecifier();
+							IASTName n = declSpec.getName();
+							if (n.toCharArray().length == 0) {
+								specStack = (ICASTCompositeTypeSpecifier[]) ArrayUtil.append(ICASTCompositeTypeSpecifier.class, specStack, declSpec);
+							}
+						}
+					}
+				}
+				if (specStack != null && ++stackIdx < specStack.length && specStack[stackIdx] != null) {
+					members = specStack[stackIdx].getMembers();
+				} else {
+					members = null;
+				}
+			}
+			if (scope != null)
+				ASTInternal.setFullyCached(scope, true);
+			if (found != null)
+				return found;
+		}
+
 		return null;
 	}
 
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/c/CVisitor.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/c/CVisitor.java
index 2ec27e2a0be..cfdbd85c075 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/c/CVisitor.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/c/CVisitor.java
@@ -886,32 +886,18 @@ public class CVisitor {
 
 	private static IBinding createBinding(IASTDeclarator declarator) {
 		IASTNode parent = declarator.getParent();
-
 		while (parent instanceof IASTDeclarator) {
 			parent = parent.getParent();
 		}
 
-		while (declarator.getNestedDeclarator() != null)
-			declarator = declarator.getNestedDeclarator();
-		
+		declarator= CVisitor.findInnermostDeclarator(declarator);
+		IASTDeclarator typeRelevant= CVisitor.findTypeRelevantDeclarator(declarator);
 		IASTFunctionDeclarator funcDeclarator= null;
-		IASTNode node= declarator;
-		do {
-			if (node instanceof IASTFunctionDeclarator) {
-				funcDeclarator= (IASTFunctionDeclarator) node;
-				break;
-			}
-			if (((IASTDeclarator) node).getPointerOperators().length > 0 ||
-					node.getPropertyInParent() != IASTDeclarator.NESTED_DECLARATOR) {
-				break;
-			}
-			node= node.getParent();
+		if (typeRelevant instanceof IASTFunctionDeclarator) {
+			funcDeclarator= (IASTFunctionDeclarator) typeRelevant;
 		}
-		while (node instanceof IASTDeclarator)
-			;
-			
-		IScope scope =  getContainingScope(parent);
 		
+		IScope scope= getContainingScope(parent);
 		ASTNodeProperty prop = parent.getPropertyInParent();
 		if (prop == IASTDeclarationStatement.DECLARATION) {
 		    //implicit scope, see 6.8.4-3