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 39b0507b528..5813e8f400a 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
@@ -2403,6 +2403,22 @@ public class AST2CPPTests extends AST2CPPTestBase {
 		assertSame(friends[1], B);
 	}
 
+	// class B;
+	// class A {
+	//    friend B;
+	// };
+	// class B{};
+	public void testForwardDeclaredFriend_525645() throws Exception {
+		final String code = getAboveComment();
+		BindingAssertionHelper bh = new AST2AssertionHelper(code, true);
+		ICPPClassType A = bh.assertNonProblem("A", 1);
+		ICPPClassType B = bh.assertNonProblem("B", 1);
+
+		IBinding[] friends = A.getFriends();
+		assertEquals(1, friends.length);
+		assertSame(friends[0], B);
+	}
+
 	// class Other {
 	//    void m(); };
 	// class A {
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/ClassTypeHelper.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/ClassTypeHelper.java
index cff9faf585d..4cf03a3d0e7 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/ClassTypeHelper.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/cpp/ClassTypeHelper.java
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.cpp.ICPPASTCompositeTypeSpecifier.ICPPASTBas
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.cpp.ICPPASTDeclSpecifier;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.cpp.ICPPASTElaboratedTypeSpecifier;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.cpp.ICPPASTEnumerationSpecifier;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.cpp.ICPPASTNamedTypeSpecifier;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.cpp.ICPPASTNamespaceDefinition;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.cpp.ICPPASTTemplateDeclaration;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.dom.ast.cpp.ICPPASTUsingDeclaration;
@@ -115,8 +116,12 @@ public class ClassTypeHelper {
 				ICPPASTDeclSpecifier declSpec = (ICPPASTDeclSpecifier) ((IASTSimpleDeclaration) decl).getDeclSpecifier();
 				if (declSpec.isFriend()) {
 					IASTDeclarator[] dtors = ((IASTSimpleDeclaration) decl).getDeclarators();
-					if (declSpec instanceof ICPPASTElaboratedTypeSpecifier && dtors.length == 0) {
-						resultSet.put(((ICPPASTElaboratedTypeSpecifier) declSpec).getName().resolveBinding());
+					if (dtors.length == 0) {
+						if (declSpec instanceof ICPPASTElaboratedTypeSpecifier) {
+							resultSet.put(((ICPPASTElaboratedTypeSpecifier) declSpec).getName().resolveBinding());
+						} else if (declSpec instanceof ICPPASTNamedTypeSpecifier) {
+							resultSet.put(((ICPPASTNamedTypeSpecifier) declSpec).getName().resolveBinding());
+						}
 					} else {
 						for (IASTDeclarator dtor : dtors) {
 							if (dtor == null) break;