diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext.junit4/src/org/eclipse/xtext/junit4/validation/ValidationTestHelper.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext.junit4/src/org/eclipse/xtext/junit4/validation/ValidationTestHelper.java
index afc1c1296..c111b8e76 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext.junit4/src/org/eclipse/xtext/junit4/validation/ValidationTestHelper.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext.junit4/src/org/eclipse/xtext/junit4/validation/ValidationTestHelper.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import org.eclipse.xtext.validation.CheckMode;
 import org.eclipse.xtext.validation.IResourceValidator;
 import org.eclipse.xtext.validation.Issue;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Joiner;
 import com.google.common.base.Predicate;
 import com.google.common.collect.Iterables;
 
@@ -146,6 +147,7 @@ public class ValidationTestHelper {
 					.append(eObject.eClass().getName())
 					.append("\n");
 			}
+			assertEquals(Joiner.on('\n').join(messageParts), message.toString());
 			fail(message.toString());
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext/src/org/eclipse/xtext/validation/EObjectDiagnosticImpl.java b/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext/src/org/eclipse/xtext/validation/EObjectDiagnosticImpl.java
index 7bdee71a9..9a152f18c 100644
--- a/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext/src/org/eclipse/xtext/validation/EObjectDiagnosticImpl.java
+++ b/plugins/org.eclipse.xtext/src/org/eclipse/xtext/validation/EObjectDiagnosticImpl.java
@@ -50,19 +50,28 @@ public class EObjectDiagnosticImpl extends AbstractDiagnostic {
 
 	@Override
 	protected INode getNode() {
-		if (problematicObject == null)
+		return doGetNode(problematicObject, problematicFeature, indexOfProblemanticValueInFeature);
+	}
+	
+	protected INode doGetNode(EObject object, EStructuralFeature feature, int idx) {
+		if (object == null)
 			return null;
-		if (problematicFeature == null)
-			return NodeModelUtils.findActualNodeFor(problematicObject);
-			
-		List<INode> nodesForFeature = NodeModelUtils.findNodesForFeature(problematicObject, problematicFeature);
-		if (nodesForFeature.isEmpty()) {
-			return NodeModelUtils.findActualNodeFor(problematicObject);
+		if (feature == null) {
+			INode result = NodeModelUtils.findActualNodeFor(object);
+			if (result != null) {
+				return result;
+			}
+			return doGetNode(object.eContainer(), object.eContainmentFeature(), -1);
 		}
-		if (nodesForFeature.size() == 1 && indexOfProblemanticValueInFeature == -1)
+			
+		List<INode> nodesForFeature = NodeModelUtils.findNodesForFeature(object, feature);
+		if (nodesForFeature.isEmpty()) {
+			return doGetNode(object, null, -1);
+		}
+		if (nodesForFeature.size() == 1 && idx == -1)
 			return nodesForFeature.get(0);
-		if (nodesForFeature.size() > indexOfProblemanticValueInFeature ) {
-			return nodesForFeature.get(indexOfProblemanticValueInFeature);
+		if (nodesForFeature.size() > idx ) {
+			return nodesForFeature.get(idx);
 		}
 		return null;
 	}