diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext/src/org/eclipse/xtext/generator/trace/DefaultTraceURIConverter.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext/src/org/eclipse/xtext/generator/trace/DefaultTraceURIConverter.java
index 619e33fb1..dd3718cbc 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext/src/org/eclipse/xtext/generator/trace/DefaultTraceURIConverter.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext/src/org/eclipse/xtext/generator/trace/DefaultTraceURIConverter.java
@@ -19,8 +19,12 @@ public class DefaultTraceURIConverter implements ITraceURIConverter {
 
 	public URI getURIForTrace(XtextResource context) {
 		URI uri = context.getURI();
+		return getURIForTrace(uri);
+	}
+
+	public URI getURIForTrace(URI uri) {
 		if (uri.isPlatform()) {
-			// create a URI that is relative to the contained project.
+			// create a URI that is relative to the contained projects.
 			List<String> segments = uri.segmentsList().subList(2, uri.segmentCount());
 			return URI.createHierarchicalURI(segments.toArray(new String[segments.size()]), null, null);
 		}
@@ -44,5 +48,4 @@ public class DefaultTraceURIConverter implements ITraceURIConverter {
 				return false;
 		return true;
 	}
-
 }
diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext/src/org/eclipse/xtext/generator/trace/ITraceURIConverter.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext/src/org/eclipse/xtext/generator/trace/ITraceURIConverter.java
index 200ee9e4e..b36bd46c8 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext/src/org/eclipse/xtext/generator/trace/ITraceURIConverter.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext/src/org/eclipse/xtext/generator/trace/ITraceURIConverter.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import com.google.inject.ImplementedBy;
  * environments outside of the JARs, such as project name and source folders.
  * 
  * @author Moritz Eysholdt - Initial contribution and API
+ * @author Holger Schill
  */
 @ImplementedBy(DefaultTraceURIConverter.class)
 public interface ITraceURIConverter {
@@ -27,4 +28,9 @@ public interface ITraceURIConverter {
 	 */
 	URI getURIForTrace(XtextResource context);
 
+	/**
+	 * Converts an absolute URI into a format that can be persisted in a trace file.
+	 */
+	URI getURIForTrace(URI uri);
+
 }