diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/core/model/LanguageManager.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/core/model/LanguageManager.java
index ed93e4fb78a..add6fae6581 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/core/model/LanguageManager.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/core/model/LanguageManager.java
@@ -302,8 +302,7 @@ public class LanguageManager {
 	 * TODO:  implement other mapping levels besides project level and content type level
 	 */
 	public ILanguage getLanguageForFile(String fullPathToFile, IProject project) throws CoreException {
-		
-		if(project == null)
+		if (project == null)
 			throw new IllegalArgumentException("project must not be null in call to LanguageManager.getLanguageForFile(String, IProject)");
 		
 		IContentType contentType = CContentTypes.getContentType(project, fullPathToFile);
@@ -341,25 +340,36 @@ public class LanguageManager {
 	 * * TODO:  implement other mapping levels besides project level and content type level 
 	 */
 	public ILanguage getLanguageForFile(IPath pathToFile, IProject project) throws CoreException {
-		IResource resource = ResourcesPlugin.getWorkspace().getRoot().getFileForLocation(pathToFile);
-		
-			
-		IContentType contentType = CContentTypes.getContentType(project, pathToFile.toString());
-		
-		if(contentType == null)
-		{
-			return null;
+		return getLanguageForFile(pathToFile, project, null);
+	}
+	
+	/**
+	 * @since 4.0
+	 * @return an ILanguage representing the language to be used for the given file
+	 * @param pathToFile the path to the file for which the language is requested.
+	 * The path can be either workspace or project relative.
+	 * @param project the project that this file should be parsed in context of.  This field is optional and may
+	 * be set to null.  If the project is null then this method tries to determine the project context via workspace APIs.
+	 * @param contentTypeID id of the content type, may be <code>null</code>.
+	 * @throws CoreException
+	 * * TODO:  implement other mapping levels besides project level and content type level 
+	 */
+	public ILanguage getLanguageForFile(IPath pathToFile, IProject project, String contentTypeID) throws CoreException {
+		if (project == null) {
+			IResource resource = ResourcesPlugin.getWorkspace().getRoot().getFileForLocation(pathToFile);
+			if (resource == null) {
+				return null;
+			}
+			project= resource.getProject();
 		}
-		
-		String contentTypeID = contentType.getId();
-				
-		// if we don't have a project but have an IResource then we can infer the project
-		if (project == null && resource != null) {
-			project = ResourcesPlugin.getWorkspace().getRoot().getProject(
-					pathToFile.segment(0));
-
+		if (contentTypeID==null) {
+			IContentType ct= CContentTypes.getContentType(project, pathToFile.toString());
+			if (ct == null) {
+				return null;
+			}
+			contentTypeID= ct.getId();
 		}
-		
+								
 		// TODO: other mappings would go here
 		
 		// Project-level mappings
@@ -383,23 +393,43 @@ public class LanguageManager {
 	 * TODO:  implement other mapping levels besides project level and content type level 
 	 */
 	public ILanguage getLanguageForFile(IFile file) throws CoreException {
+		return getLanguageForFile(file, null);
+	}
+	
+	
+	/**
+	 * @since 4.0
+	 * @return an ILanguage representing the language to be used for the given file
+	 * @param file the file for which the language is requested
+	 * @param contentTypeID id of the content type, may be <code>null</code>.
+	 * @throws CoreException
+	 * TODO:  implement other mapping levels besides project level and content type level 
+	 */
+	public ILanguage getLanguageForFile(IFile file, String contentTypeId) throws CoreException {
 		IProject project = file.getProject();
 		
-		IContentType contentType = CContentTypes.getContentType(project, file.getLocation().toString());
-				
+		if (contentTypeId == null) {
+			IContentType contentType= 
+				CContentTypes.getContentType(project, file.getLocation().toString());
+			if (contentType == null) {
+				return null;
+			}
+			contentTypeId= contentType.getId();
+		}
+		
 		// TODO: other mappings would go here
 		
 		// Project-level mappings
 		LanguageMappingConfiguration mappings = getLanguageMappingConfiguration(project);
 		if (mappings != null) {
-			String id = (String) mappings.getProjectMappings().get(contentType.getId());
+			String id = (String) mappings.getProjectMappings().get(contentTypeId);
 			if (id != null) {
 				return getLanguage(id);
 			}
 		}
 		
 		// Content type mappings
-		return getLanguageForContentTypeID(contentType.getId());
+		return getLanguageForContentTypeID(contentTypeId);
 	}
 
 }
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/TranslationUnit.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/TranslationUnit.java
index 4c19b78df95..1c3af7a605c 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/TranslationUnit.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.core/model/org/eclipse/cdt/internal/core/model/TranslationUnit.java
@@ -59,9 +59,7 @@ import org.eclipse.core.runtime.CoreException;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IPath;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IProgressMonitor;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.OperationCanceledException;
-import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Platform;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.content.IContentType;
-import org.eclipse.core.runtime.content.IContentTypeManager;
 
 /**
  * @see ITranslationUnit
@@ -70,7 +68,6 @@ public class TranslationUnit extends Openable implements ITranslationUnit {
 
 	private IPath location = null;
 	private String contentTypeId;
-	private ILanguage language;
 
 	/**
 	 * If set, this is the problem requestor which will be used to notify problems
@@ -683,23 +680,16 @@ public class TranslationUnit extends Openable implements ITranslationUnit {
 	}
 
 	public ILanguage getLanguage() throws CoreException {
-	
 		ILanguage language = null;
-		
-		language = LanguageManager.getInstance().getLanguageForFile(getLocation(), getCProject().getProject());
-	
-		return language;
-	}
 
-	private ILanguage computeLanguage(String contentTypeId) throws CoreException {
-		// Look for the language extension registered against the
-		// content type string
-		IContentTypeManager manager = Platform.getContentTypeManager();
-		IContentType contentType = manager.getContentType(contentTypeId);
-		if (contentType != null) {
-			return LanguageManager.getInstance().getLanguage(contentType);
+		IFile file= getFile();
+		if (file != null) {
+			language= LanguageManager.getInstance().getLanguageForFile(file, contentTypeId);
 		}
-		return null;
+		else {
+			language = LanguageManager.getInstance().getLanguageForFile(getLocation(), getCProject().getProject(), contentTypeId);
+		}
+		return language;
 	}
 
 	public String getContentTypeId() {