diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2CPPTests.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2CPPTests.java
index 5e128e06319..c6aee05d55b 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2CPPTests.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2CPPTests.java
@@ -4198,6 +4198,11 @@ public class AST2CPPTests extends AST2BaseTest {
 		}
 	}
 	
+	private void assertProblemBinding(int id, IBinding b) {
+		assertTrue(b instanceof IProblemBinding);
+		assertEquals(id, ((IProblemBinding) b).getID());
+	}
+
 	protected void assertProblemBindings(CPPNameCollector col, int count) {
 		Iterator i = col.nameList.iterator();
 		int sum = 0;
@@ -6202,4 +6207,22 @@ public class AST2CPPTests extends AST2BaseTest {
 		exstmt= getStatement(fdef, 1);
 		assertInstance(exstmt.getExpression(), IASTBinaryExpression.class);
     }
+    
+    //    template <int E> class A;
+    //    class A {};
+    //    class A;
+    //    class B;
+    //    template <int E> class B;
+    //    template <int E> class B {};
+    public void testInvalidClassRedeclaration_254961() throws Exception {
+		final String code = getAboveComment();
+		IASTTranslationUnit tu= parse(code, ParserLanguage.CPP, true, false);
+		CPPNameCollector nc= new CPPNameCollector();
+		tu.accept(nc);
+		assertProblemBindings(nc, 4);
+		assertProblemBinding(IProblemBinding.SEMANTIC_INVALID_REDEFINITION, nc.getName(2).resolveBinding());
+		assertProblemBinding(IProblemBinding.SEMANTIC_INVALID_REDECLARATION, nc.getName(3).resolveBinding());
+		assertProblemBinding(IProblemBinding.SEMANTIC_INVALID_REDECLARATION, nc.getName(6).resolveBinding());
+		assertProblemBinding(IProblemBinding.SEMANTIC_INVALID_REDEFINITION, nc.getName(8).resolveBinding());
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/semantics/CPPSemantics.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/semantics/CPPSemantics.java
index 347b680899a..942d226eb25 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/semantics/CPPSemantics.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/semantics/CPPSemantics.java
@@ -1737,7 +1737,9 @@ public class CPPSemantics {
 	        } else {
 	            continue;
 	        }
-
+	        // select among those bindings that have been created without problems.
+	        if (temp instanceof IProblemBinding)
+	        	continue;
 	        if (!(temp instanceof ICPPMember) && !declaredBefore)
                 continue;
 	        if (temp instanceof ICPPUsingDeclaration) {
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/semantics/CPPVisitor.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/semantics/CPPVisitor.java
index d7327833bb3..deb1168146d 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/semantics/CPPVisitor.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/semantics/CPPVisitor.java
@@ -395,7 +395,12 @@ public class CPPVisitor extends ASTQueries {
     				ASTInternal.addName(scope,  elabType.getName());
     			}
     		} else {
-    			((ICPPInternalBinding)binding).addDeclaration(elabType);
+				if ((binding instanceof ICPPClassTemplate) == template) {
+					((ICPPInternalBinding)binding).addDeclaration(elabType);
+				} else {
+    				binding = new ProblemBinding(name,
+    						IProblemBinding.SEMANTIC_INVALID_REDECLARATION, name.toCharArray());
+    			}
     		}
         } catch (DOMException e) {
             binding = e.getProblem();
@@ -435,7 +440,8 @@ public class CPPVisitor extends ASTQueries {
 				}
     		} else {
     			ICPPInternalBinding internal = (ICPPInternalBinding) binding;
-    			if (internal.getDefinition() == null) {
+    			if (internal.getDefinition() == null &&
+    					(binding instanceof ICPPClassTemplate) == template) {
     				internal.addDefinition(compType);
     		    } else {
     				binding = new ProblemBinding(name,