diff --git a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/mi/service/MIVariableManager.java b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/mi/service/MIVariableManager.java
index ae82b13282b..536ccc62619 100644
--- a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/mi/service/MIVariableManager.java
+++ b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/mi/service/MIVariableManager.java
@@ -1541,14 +1541,24 @@ public class MIVariableManager implements ICommandControl {
 												childVar.deleteInGdb();
 												childVar = null;
 											} else {
+												// The child already exists so we can re-use it.
 												childVar.hasCastToBaseClassWorkaround = childHasCastToBaseClassWorkaround;
 												if (fakeChild) {
 													// I don't think this should happen, but we put it just in case
 													addRealChildrenOfFake(childVar,	exprDmc, realChildren,
 															arrayPosition, countingRm);
 												} else {
-													// This is a real child
-													realChildren[arrayPosition] = new ExpressionInfo[] { childVar.exprInfo };
+													// This is a real child, use it directly, however, we must
+													// make sure that its relative expression is expressed with respect
+													// to its parent, which may not be the case already, since that child
+													// might have been created directly (not through the parent).
+													// That is why we set the relative expression explicitly
+													// See bug 432888
+													ExpressionInfo oldInfo = childVar.getExpressionInfo();
+													realChildren[arrayPosition] = 
+															new ExpressionInfo[] { new ExpressionInfo(
+																	oldInfo.getFullExpr(), child.getExp(), oldInfo.isDynamic(), 
+																	oldInfo.getParent(), oldInfo.getIndexInParentExpression()) };
 													countingRm.done();
 												}
 											}
diff --git a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.tests.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/tests/dsf/gdb/tests/MIExpressionsTest.java b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.tests.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/tests/dsf/gdb/tests/MIExpressionsTest.java
index 229211f6a2e..9c67ea49cb3 100644
--- a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.tests.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/tests/dsf/gdb/tests/MIExpressionsTest.java
+++ b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.tests.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/tests/dsf/gdb/tests/MIExpressionsTest.java
@@ -4117,7 +4117,8 @@ public class MIExpressionsTest extends BaseTestCase {
         
         final String PARENT_EXPR = "b";
         final String CHILD_EXPR = "((b).d)";
-        
+        final String CHILD__REL_EXPR = "d";
+
     	// Fetch the child directly
         final IExpressionDMContext childDmc = SyncUtil.createExpression(frameDmc, CHILD_EXPR);
     	Query<String> query = new Query<String>() {
@@ -4154,12 +4155,19 @@ public class MIExpressionsTest extends BaseTestCase {
     								return;
     							}
     							
-    							IExpressionDMContext firstChildContext = getData()[0];
+    							MIExpressionDMC firstChildContext = (MIExpressionDMC)getData()[0];
     							if (firstChildContext.getExpression().equals(CHILD_EXPR) == false) {
     					            rm.done(new Status(IStatus.ERROR, TestsPlugin.PLUGIN_ID, 
     					            		"Got wrong first child. Expected " + CHILD_EXPR + " but got " +  firstChildContext.getExpression(), null));
     								return;
     							}
+
+    							if (firstChildContext.getRelativeExpression().equals(CHILD__REL_EXPR) == false) {
+    					            rm.done(new Status(IStatus.ERROR, TestsPlugin.PLUGIN_ID, 
+    					            		"Got wrong relative expression. Expected " + CHILD__REL_EXPR + " but got " +  firstChildContext.getRelativeExpression(), null));
+    								return;
+    							}
+    							
     							fExpService.getFormattedExpressionValue(
     									fExpService.getFormattedValueContext(firstChildContext, IFormattedValues.NATURAL_FORMAT), 
     									new ImmediateDataRequestMonitor<FormattedValueDMData>(rm) {