diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/parser/ElfBinaryArchive.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/parser/ElfBinaryArchive.java
index 4ec3a24ea9a..bb3514be1d0 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/parser/ElfBinaryArchive.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/parser/ElfBinaryArchive.java
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@ public class ElfBinaryArchive extends PlatformObject implements IBinaryArchive {
 	ArrayList children;
 	long timestamp;
 	
-	public ElfBinaryArchive(IPath p) {
+	public ElfBinaryArchive(IPath p) throws IOException {
 		path = p;
+		new AR(path.toOSString()).dispose(); // check file type
 		children = new ArrayList(5);
 	}
 
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/parser/ElfBinaryFile.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/parser/ElfBinaryFile.java
index 61f2509cf96..7a8480d4320 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/parser/ElfBinaryFile.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/parser/ElfBinaryFile.java
@@ -274,9 +274,15 @@ public class ElfBinaryFile extends PlatformObject implements IBinaryFile, IBinar
 	}
 
 	protected void loadInformation() throws IOException {
-		ElfHelper helper = getElfHelper();
-		loadInformation(helper);
-		helper.dispose();
+		ElfHelper helper = null;
+		try {
+			helper = getElfHelper();
+			loadInformation(helper);
+		} finally {
+			if (helper != null) {
+				helper.dispose();
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	private void loadInformation(ElfHelper helper) throws IOException {
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/parser/ElfParser.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/parser/ElfParser.java
index 8defeef32c0..ffad041aaff 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/parser/ElfParser.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/parser/ElfParser.java
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.AbstractCExtension;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.IBinaryParser;
-import org.eclipse.cdt.utils.elf.AR;
-import org.eclipse.cdt.utils.elf.Elf;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IPath;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Path;
 
@@ -25,16 +23,13 @@ public class ElfParser extends AbstractCExtension implements IBinaryParser {
 		if (path == null ) {
 			path = new Path("");
 		}
+		IBinaryFile bFile;
 		try {
-			Elf e = new Elf(path.toOSString());
-			e.dispose();
-			return new ElfBinaryFile(path);
+			 bFile = new ElfBinaryFile(path);
 		} catch (IOException e) {
+			bFile = new ElfBinaryArchive(path);
 		}
-		// Is it an Archive.
-		AR ar = new AR(path.toOSString()); 
-		ar.dispose();
-		return new ElfBinaryArchive(path);
+		return bFile;
 	}
 
 	/**