diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2Tests.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2Tests.java
index d955457d1c3..158faea8471 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2Tests.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/parser/tests/ast2/AST2Tests.java
@@ -5650,6 +5650,58 @@ public class AST2Tests extends AST2BaseTest {
 		} catch (ExpansionOverlapsBoundaryException e) {}
 	}
 
+	
+	//	#define IF      if
+	//	#define IF_P    if (
+	//	#define IF_P_T  if (1
+	//	#define SEMI_IF ; if 
+	//	#define IF_COND if (1)
+	//  void test() {
+	public void testSyntax_Bug250251() throws Exception {
+		String code= getAboveComment();
+
+		IASTTranslationUnit tu= parseAndCheckBindings(code + "if (1) {};}");
+		IASTFunctionDefinition f= getDeclaration(tu, 0);
+		IASTIfStatement x = getStatement(f, 0);
+		IToken syntax= x.getSyntax();
+		checkToken(syntax, "if", 0); syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		checkToken(syntax, "(",  3);  syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		checkToken(syntax, "1",  4);  syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		checkToken(syntax, ")",  5);  syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		checkToken(syntax, "{",  7);  syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		checkToken(syntax, "}",  8);  syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		assertNull(syntax);
+
+		tu= parseAndCheckBindings(code + "if(  1) {}}");
+		f= getDeclaration(tu, 0); x= getStatement(f, 0); 
+		syntax= x.getSyntax();
+		checkToken(syntax, "if", 0); syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		checkToken(syntax, "(", 2);  syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		checkToken(syntax, "1",  5);  syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		checkToken(syntax, ")",  6);  syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		checkToken(syntax, "{",  8);  syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		checkToken(syntax, "}",  9);  syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		assertNull(syntax);
+
+		tu= parseAndCheckBindings(code + "IF(1) {}}");
+		f= getDeclaration(tu, 0); x= getStatement(f, 0);
+		syntax= x.getSyntax();
+		checkToken(syntax, "IF", 0); syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		checkToken(syntax, "(",  2);  syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		checkToken(syntax, "1",  3);  syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		checkToken(syntax, ")",  4);  syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		checkToken(syntax, "{",  6);  syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		checkToken(syntax, "}",  7);  syntax= syntax.getNext();
+		assertNull(syntax);
+
+		tu= parseAndCheckBindings(code + "SEMI_IF (1) {}}");
+		f= getDeclaration(tu, 0); x= getStatement(f, 1);
+		try {
+			syntax= x.getSyntax();
+			fail();
+		} catch (ExpansionOverlapsBoundaryException e) {}
+	}
+
 	private void checkToken(IToken token, String image, int offset) {
 		assertEquals(image, token.getImage());
 		assertEquals(offset, token.getOffset());
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/dom/ast/IASTNode.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/dom/ast/IASTNode.java
index cc86a5a3302..eaae0d04daa 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/dom/ast/IASTNode.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/core/dom/ast/IASTNode.java
@@ -185,6 +185,19 @@ public interface IASTNode {
 	 */
 	public IToken getTrailingSyntax() throws ExpansionOverlapsBoundaryException, UnsupportedOperationException;
 	
+	/**
+	 * Returns the tokens that make up this node. The tokens are obtained from the lexer,
+	 * no preprocessing is performed.
+	 * The offsets of the tokens are relative to the file-offset of the beginning of this node.
+	 * <p> For examples see {@link #getLeadingSyntax()}.
+	 * @return a chain of tokens or <code>null</code>, if there are none.
+	 * @throws ExpansionOverlapsBoundaryException if one of the boundaries of the node is
+	 * overlapped by a macro-expansion.
+	 * @throws UnsupportedOperationException if invoked on preprocessor nodes, or nodes that are not
+	 * part of a translation unit.
+	 * @since 5.1
+	 */
+	public IToken getSyntax() throws ExpansionOverlapsBoundaryException;
 	
 	/**
 	 * Returns true if this node is frozen, false otherwise.
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/ASTNode.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/ASTNode.java
index 18baaf6b0eb..fe7a16cdeea 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/ASTNode.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/parser/ASTNode.java
@@ -222,6 +222,10 @@ public abstract class ASTNode implements IASTNode {
     	return false;
     }
 
+	public IToken getSyntax() throws ExpansionOverlapsBoundaryException {
+		return getSyntax(offset, offset+length, 0);
+	}
+
 	public IToken getLeadingSyntax() throws ExpansionOverlapsBoundaryException {
 		int left= getBoundary(-1);
 		return getSyntax(left, offset, -1);
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/rewrite/ASTLiteralNode.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/rewrite/ASTLiteralNode.java
index 7cdd2adddfe..37282bb2748 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/rewrite/ASTLiteralNode.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/dom/rewrite/ASTLiteralNode.java
@@ -84,6 +84,10 @@ public class ASTLiteralNode implements IASTNode {
 	public void setPropertyInParent(ASTNodeProperty property) {
 	}
 
+	public IToken getSyntax() {
+		throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
+	}
+
 	public IToken getLeadingSyntax() {
 		throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
 	}
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/dom/PDOMASTAdapter.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/dom/PDOMASTAdapter.java
index e611b5c74ec..799c85f28aa 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/dom/PDOMASTAdapter.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/pdom/dom/PDOMASTAdapter.java
@@ -195,6 +195,11 @@ public class PDOMASTAdapter {
 			return this;
 		}
 
+		public IToken getSyntax() throws ExpansionOverlapsBoundaryException,
+				UnsupportedOperationException {
+			return fDelegate.getSyntax();
+		}
+
 		public IToken getLeadingSyntax() throws ExpansionOverlapsBoundaryException,
 				UnsupportedOperationException {
 			return fDelegate.getLeadingSyntax();