diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/db/DBStatus.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/db/DBStatus.java
index 94fd4bf1d76..b4e5e9f9032 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/db/DBStatus.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/db/DBStatus.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*******************************************************************************
- * Copyright (c) 2005, 2007 QNX Software Systems and others.
+ * Copyright (c) 2005, 2012 QNX Software Systems and others.
  * All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials
  * are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0
  * which accompanies this distribution, and is available at
@@ -26,4 +26,8 @@ public class DBStatus extends Status {
 	public DBStatus(IOException exception) {
 		super(IStatus.ERROR, CCorePlugin.PLUGIN_ID, 0, "IOException", exception); //$NON-NLS-1$
 	}
+
+	public DBStatus(String msg) {
+		super(IStatus.ERROR, CCorePlugin.PLUGIN_ID, 0, "Error", null); //$NON-NLS-1$
+	}
 }
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/db/Database.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/db/Database.java
index 33248fba103..6e5bdc27242 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/db/Database.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/db/Database.java
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IStatus;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Status;
 import org.eclipse.osgi.util.NLS;
 
+import com.ibm.icu.text.MessageFormat;
+
 /**
  * Database encapsulates access to a flat binary format file with a memory-manager-like API for
  * obtaining and releasing areas of storage (memory).
@@ -263,7 +265,10 @@ public class Database {
 
 		synchronized (fCache) {
 			assert fLocked;
-			final int index = (int)long_index;
+			final int index = (int) long_index;
+			if (index < 0 || index >= fChunks.length) {
+				databaseCorruptionDetected();
+			}
 			Chunk chunk= fChunks[index];
 			if (chunk == null) {
 				cacheMisses++;
@@ -277,6 +282,12 @@ public class Database {
 		}
 	}
 
+	private void databaseCorruptionDetected() throws CoreException {
+		String msg = MessageFormat.format(Messages.getString("Database.CorruptedDatabase"), //$NON-NLS-1$
+				new Object[] { fLocation.getName() });
+		throw new CoreException(new DBStatus(msg));
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Allocate a block out of the database.
 	 */ 
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/db/messages.properties b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/db/messages.properties
index b342cac1136..e3e7e208ab8 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/db/messages.properties
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/db/messages.properties
@@ -16,3 +16,4 @@ BTree.IntegrityErrorA=[{0} blanks inconsistent b={1} nb={2}]
 BTree.IntegrityErrorB=[{0} wrong number of children with respect to key count]
 BTree.IntegrityErrorC=[{0} key count out of range]
 BTree.IntegrityErrorD=Leaf nodes at differing depths
+Database.CorruptedDatabase=Corrupted database: {0}