diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/CElementLabelProvider.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/CElementLabelProvider.java
index db555899cb7..b25d6af8340 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/CElementLabelProvider.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/CElementLabelProvider.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ package org.eclipse.cdt.ui;
 
 import org.eclipse.jface.viewers.LabelProvider;
 import org.eclipse.swt.graphics.Image;
+import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display;
 import org.eclipse.ui.model.WorkbenchLabelProvider;
 
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.model.ICElement;
@@ -82,7 +83,7 @@ public class CElementLabelProvider extends LabelProvider {
 	
 	public final static int SHOW_DEFAULT= new Integer(SHOW_PARAMETERS | SHOW_OVERLAY_ICONS).intValue();
 	
-	private WorkbenchLabelProvider fWorkbenchLabelProvider;
+	private volatile WorkbenchLabelProvider fWorkbenchLabelProvider;
 	protected CElementImageProvider fImageLabelProvider;
 	private CUILabelProvider fCElementLabelProvider;
 
@@ -95,7 +96,19 @@ public class CElementLabelProvider extends LabelProvider {
 	}
 
 	public CElementLabelProvider(int flags) {
-		fWorkbenchLabelProvider= new WorkbenchLabelProvider();
+		// WorkbenchLabelProvider may only be initialized on the UI thread
+		// http://bugs.eclipse.org/247274
+		if (Display.getCurrent() != null) {
+			fWorkbenchLabelProvider= new WorkbenchLabelProvider();
+		} else {
+			// Delay initialization
+			CUIPlugin.getStandardDisplay().asyncExec(new Runnable() {
+				public void run() {
+					if (fCElementLabelProvider != null) {
+						fWorkbenchLabelProvider= new WorkbenchLabelProvider();
+					}
+				}});
+		}
 		fImageLabelProvider= new CElementImageProvider();
 
 		fFlags = flags;
@@ -107,7 +120,10 @@ public class CElementLabelProvider extends LabelProvider {
 		if (element instanceof ICElement) {
 			return fCElementLabelProvider.getText(element);
 		}
-		return fWorkbenchLabelProvider.getText(element);
+		if (fWorkbenchLabelProvider != null) {
+			return fWorkbenchLabelProvider.getText(element);
+		}
+		return super.getText(element);
 	}
 
 	@Override