diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/pdom/tests/DBTest.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/pdom/tests/DBTest.java
index 8653795fe13..4ab425c4527 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/pdom/tests/DBTest.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core.tests/parser/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/pdom/tests/DBTest.java
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ public class DBTest extends BaseTestCase {
 		final int realsize = 42;
 		final int blocksize = (realsize / Database.MIN_SIZE + 1) * Database.MIN_SIZE;
 		
+		db.setWritable();
 		int mem = db.malloc(realsize);
 		assertEquals(-blocksize, db.getInt(mem - Database.INT_SIZE));
 		db.free(mem);
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ public class DBTest extends BaseTestCase {
 		final int realsize = 42;
 		final int blocksize = (realsize / Database.MIN_SIZE + 1) * Database.MIN_SIZE;
 
+		db.setWritable();
 		int mem1 = db.malloc(realsize);
 		int mem2 = db.malloc(realsize);
 		db.free(mem1);
@@ -87,7 +89,8 @@ public class DBTest extends BaseTestCase {
 		assertEquals(0, db.getInt(mem1 + Database.INT_SIZE));
 	}
 	
-	public void testSimpleAllocationLifecycle() throws Exception {		
+	public void testSimpleAllocationLifecycle() throws Exception {	
+		db.setWritable();
 		int mem1 = db.malloc(42);
 		db.free(mem1);
 		int mem2 = db.malloc(42);
@@ -241,10 +244,12 @@ public class DBTest extends BaseTestCase {
 	{
 		char[] acs = a.toCharArray();
 		char[] bcs = b.toCharArray();
+		db.setWritable();
 		IString aiss = db.newString(a);
 		IString biss = db.newString(b);
 		IString aisc = db.newString(acs);
 		IString bisc = db.newString(bcs);
+		db.setReadOnly();
 		
 		assertSignEquals(expected, aiss.compare(bcs, caseSensitive));
 		assertSignEquals(expected, aiss.compare(biss, caseSensitive));