diff --git a/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/localstore/FileSystemResourceManager.java b/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/localstore/FileSystemResourceManager.java
index 14f6a86bfa5..15931305333 100644
--- a/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/localstore/FileSystemResourceManager.java
+++ b/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/localstore/FileSystemResourceManager.java
@@ -972,7 +972,7 @@ public ProjectDescription read(IProject target, boolean creation) throws CoreExc
 			String msg = NLS.bind(Messages.resources_readProjectMeta, target.getName());
 			error = new ResourceException(IResourceStatus.FAILED_READ_METADATA, target.getFullPath(), msg, e);
 		} catch (IOException ex) {
-			// ignore
+			Policy.log(ex);
 		}
 		if (error == null && description == null) {
 			String msg = NLS.bind(Messages.resources_readProjectMeta, target.getName());
diff --git a/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/resources/ProjectDescription.java b/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/resources/ProjectDescription.java
index 8a6506c484c..3502ac2f9a7 100644
--- a/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/resources/ProjectDescription.java
+++ b/resources/bundles/org.eclipse.core.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/internal/resources/ProjectDescription.java
@@ -19,13 +19,35 @@
 package org.eclipse.core.internal.resources;
 
 import java.net.URI;
-import java.util.*;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.LinkedHashSet;
+import java.util.LinkedList;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
+import java.util.Set;
 import org.eclipse.core.filesystem.URIUtil;
 import org.eclipse.core.internal.events.BuildCommand;
 import org.eclipse.core.internal.utils.FileUtil;
-import org.eclipse.core.resources.*;
-import org.eclipse.core.runtime.*;
+import org.eclipse.core.resources.IBuildConfiguration;
+import org.eclipse.core.resources.ICommand;
+import org.eclipse.core.resources.IDynamicReferenceProvider;
+import org.eclipse.core.resources.IProject;
+import org.eclipse.core.resources.IProjectDescription;
+import org.eclipse.core.resources.ResourcesPlugin;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Assert;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.CoreException;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IConfigurationElement;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IExtension;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IPath;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IProgressMonitor;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.IStatus;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Platform;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Status;
 
 public class ProjectDescription extends ModelObject implements IProjectDescription {
 	// constants
@@ -100,7 +122,7 @@ public class ProjectDescription extends ModelObject implements IProjectDescripti
 
 	// fields
 	protected URI location = null;
-	protected String[] natures = EMPTY_STRING_ARRAY;
+	protected volatile String[] natures = EMPTY_STRING_ARRAY;
 	protected URI snapshotLocation = null;
 
 	public ProjectDescription() {
diff --git a/resources/tests/org.eclipse.core.tests.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/tests/resources/NatureTest.java b/resources/tests/org.eclipse.core.tests.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/tests/resources/NatureTest.java
index ea86481c65f..c5483cd4bc9 100644
--- a/resources/tests/org.eclipse.core.tests.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/tests/resources/NatureTest.java
+++ b/resources/tests/org.eclipse.core.tests.resources/src/org/eclipse/core/tests/resources/NatureTest.java
@@ -277,12 +277,13 @@ public void testBug297871() throws Throwable {
 		assertHasEnabledNature(NATURE_EARTH);
 		assertThat(project.getNature(NATURE_EARTH)).isNotNull();
 
+		Files.copy(descTmp.toPath(), desc.toPath(), StandardCopyOption.REPLACE_EXISTING);
 		// Make sure enough time has past to bump file's
 		// timestamp during the copy
-		Thread.sleep(1000);
-
-		Files.copy(descTmp.toPath(), desc.toPath(), StandardCopyOption.REPLACE_EXISTING);
+		org.eclipse.core.tests.resources.ResourceTestUtil
+				.touchInFilesystem(project.getFile(IProjectDescription.DESCRIPTION_FILE_NAME));
 
+		// should read file from filesystem, creating new IProjectDescription:
 		project.refreshLocal(IResource.DEPTH_INFINITE, createTestMonitor());
 		assertDoesNotHaveNature(NATURE_EARTH);
 		assertThat(project.getNature(NATURE_EARTH)).isNull();