diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/util/CharTable.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/util/CharTable.java
index 4d26b788b00..fe849e0a6d1 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/util/CharTable.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/util/CharTable.java
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ public class CharTable extends HashTable {
 			return i;
 		
 		// Follow the next chain
-		for (i = nextTable[i] - 1; i >= 0; i = nextTable[i] - 1)
+		for (i = nextTable[i] - 1; i >= 0 && nextTable[i] != i + 1; i = nextTable[i] - 1)
 			if (CharArrayUtils.equals(buffer, start, len, keyTable[i]))
 				return i;
 			
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/util/ObjectTable.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/util/ObjectTable.java
index 01bdb6db5eb..7e99633714b 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/util/ObjectTable.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/util/ObjectTable.java
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ public abstract class ObjectTable extends HashTable implements Cloneable{
 				return i;
 			
 			// Follow the next chain
-			for (i = nextTable[i] - 1; i >= 0; i = nextTable[i] - 1)
+			for (i = nextTable[i] - 1; i >= 0 && nextTable[i] != i + 1; i = nextTable[i] - 1)
 				if ( buffer.equals( keyTable[i] ))
 					return i;