diff --git a/src/AddIns/Misc/Debugger/Debugger.AddIn/Project/Src/Pads/BaseClassItem.cs b/src/AddIns/Misc/Debugger/Debugger.AddIn/Project/Src/Pads/BaseClassItem.cs
index 8567093e10..46766be377 100644
--- a/src/AddIns/Misc/Debugger/Debugger.AddIn/Project/Src/Pads/BaseClassItem.cs
+++ b/src/AddIns/Misc/Debugger/Debugger.AddIn/Project/Src/Pads/BaseClassItem.cs
@@ -12,21 +12,16 @@ using DebuggerLibrary;
 
 namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Gui.Pads
 {
-	class BaseClassItem: VariableListItem
+	class BaseClassItem: VariableItem
 	{
-		ObjectVariable variable;
-
-		public override bool IsValid {
-			get {
-				return variable != null &&
-				       variable.HasBaseClass &&
-				       variable.BaseClass.Type != "System.Object";
-			}
-		}
-
-		public BaseClassItem(Variable baseClassOfVariable): base()
+		public BaseClassItem(Variable uncastedVariable)
 		{
-			this.variable = baseClassOfVariable as ObjectVariable;
+			ObjectVariable variable = uncastedVariable as ObjectVariable;
+			if (variable != null && variable.HasBaseClass && variable.BaseClass.Type != "System.Object") {
+				this.Variable = variable.BaseClass;
+			} else {
+				this.Variable = null;
+			}
 			Refresh();
 		}
 
@@ -35,15 +30,19 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Gui.Pads
 			if (!IsValid) {
 				return;
 			}
-
+			
 			SetTexts("<Base class>",
-			         variable.BaseClass.Value.ToString(),
-			         variable.BaseClass.Type);
-
+			         Variable.Value.ToString(),
+			         Variable.Type);
+			
 			ImageIndex = 0; // Class
-
-			if (variable.BaseClass.MayHaveSubVariables) { // Always true
-				Items.Add(new PlaceHolderItem()); // Show plus icon
+			
+			if (IsExpanded) {
+				UpdateSubVariables();
+			} else {
+				if (Variable.MayHaveSubVariables) { // Always true
+					Items.Add(new PlaceHolderItem()); // Show plus icon
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/AddIns/Misc/Debugger/Debugger.AddIn/Project/Src/Pads/LocalVarPad.cs b/src/AddIns/Misc/Debugger/Debugger.AddIn/Project/Src/Pads/LocalVarPad.cs
index efb23dcb16..c4beb546cb 100644
--- a/src/AddIns/Misc/Debugger/Debugger.AddIn/Project/Src/Pads/LocalVarPad.cs
+++ b/src/AddIns/Misc/Debugger/Debugger.AddIn/Project/Src/Pads/LocalVarPad.cs
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Gui.Pads
 				}
 
 				VariableItem variableItem = item as VariableItem;
-				if (variableItem != null && !variables.Contains(variableItem.Variable.Name)) {
+				if (variableItem != null && !(item is BaseClassItem) && !variables.Contains(variableItem.Variable.Name)) {
 					toBeRemoved.Add(item);
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/src/AddIns/Misc/Debugger/Debugger.AddIn/Project/Src/Pads/VariableItem.cs b/src/AddIns/Misc/Debugger/Debugger.AddIn/Project/Src/Pads/VariableItem.cs
index 96a1e27612..eb3f8118ef 100644
--- a/src/AddIns/Misc/Debugger/Debugger.AddIn/Project/Src/Pads/VariableItem.cs
+++ b/src/AddIns/Misc/Debugger/Debugger.AddIn/Project/Src/Pads/VariableItem.cs
@@ -33,7 +33,12 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Gui.Pads
 				       !variable.Name.StartsWith("CS$");
 			}
 		}
-
+		
+		protected VariableItem()
+		{
+			
+		}
+		
 		public VariableItem(Variable variable): base()
 		{
 			this.variable = variable;
@@ -62,17 +67,17 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.SharpDevelop.Gui.Pads
 			} else {
 				ImageIndex = 1; // Field
 			}
-
-			if (variable.MayHaveSubVariables && !IsExpanded) {
-				Items.Add(new PlaceHolderItem()); // Show plus icon
-			}
-
+			
 			if (IsExpanded) {
 				UpdateSubVariables();
+			} else {
+				if (variable.MayHaveSubVariables) {
+					Items.Add(new PlaceHolderItem()); // Show plus icon
+				}
 			}
 		}
 
-		void UpdateSubVariables() {
+		protected void UpdateSubVariables() {
 			if (!baseClassItemAdded) {
 				VariableListItem baseClassItem = new BaseClassItem(variable);
 				if (baseClassItem.IsValid) {
diff --git a/src/AddIns/Misc/Debugger/Debugger.Core/Project/Src/Variables/ObjectVariable.cs b/src/AddIns/Misc/Debugger/Debugger.Core/Project/Src/Variables/ObjectVariable.cs
index 76fc7131df..aa1962a9b0 100644
--- a/src/AddIns/Misc/Debugger/Debugger.Core/Project/Src/Variables/ObjectVariable.cs
+++ b/src/AddIns/Misc/Debugger/Debugger.Core/Project/Src/Variables/ObjectVariable.cs
@@ -101,7 +101,13 @@ namespace DebuggerLibrary
 
 		public bool HasBaseClass {
 			get {
-				if (baseClass == null) baseClass = GetBaseClass();
+				if (baseClass == null) {
+					try {
+						baseClass = GetBaseClass();
+					} catch (DebuggerException) {
+						baseClass = null;
+					}
+				}
 				return (baseClass != null);
 			}
 		}
@@ -129,12 +135,11 @@ namespace DebuggerLibrary
 					corModuleSuperclass = m.CorModule;
 					break; 
 				}
-				if (classProps.SuperClassToken == 0) throw new DebuggerException("Unable to get base class: " + fullTypeName);
 			}
 
 			// If it has no base class
 			if ((classProps.SuperClassToken & 0x00FFFFFF) == 0)	{
-				return null;
+				throw new DebuggerException("Unable to get base class: " + fullTypeName);
 			} else {
 				ICorDebugClass superClass;
 				corModuleSuperclass.GetClassFromToken(classProps.SuperClassToken, out superClass);