diff --git a/cpp/ycm/ClangCompleter/ClangCompleter.cpp b/cpp/ycm/ClangCompleter/ClangCompleter.cpp
index c83c4d6a..88404564 100644
--- a/cpp/ycm/ClangCompleter/ClangCompleter.cpp
+++ b/cpp/ycm/ClangCompleter/ClangCompleter.cpp
@@ -140,6 +140,9 @@ bool ClangCompleter::UpdatingTranslationUnit( const std::string &filename ) {
   if ( !unit )
     return false;
 
+  // Thankfully, an invalid, sentinel TU always returns true for
+  // IsCurrentlyUpdating, so no caller will try to rely on the TU object, even
+  // if unit is currently pointing to a sentinel.
   return unit->IsCurrentlyUpdating();
 }
 
@@ -366,14 +369,23 @@ shared_ptr< TranslationUnit > ClangCompleter::GetTranslationUnitForFile(
       translation_unit_created = false;
       return it->second;
     }
+
+    // We create and store an invalid, sentinel TU so that other threads don't
+    // try to create a TU for the same file while we are trying to create this
+    // TU object. When we are done creating the TU, we will overwrite this value
+    // with the valid object.
+    filename_to_translation_unit_[ filename ] =
+      make_shared< TranslationUnit >();
   }
 
   shared_ptr< TranslationUnit > unit;
 
+
   try {
     unit = make_shared< TranslationUnit >(
              filename, unsaved_files, flags, clang_index_ );
   } catch ( ClangParseError & ) {
+    Erase( filename_to_translation_unit_, filename );
     return unit;
   }
 
diff --git a/cpp/ycm/ClangCompleter/TranslationUnit.cpp b/cpp/ycm/ClangCompleter/TranslationUnit.cpp
index 4f54a4db..c33bfb1e 100644
--- a/cpp/ycm/ClangCompleter/TranslationUnit.cpp
+++ b/cpp/ycm/ClangCompleter/TranslationUnit.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@ namespace YouCompleteMe {
 typedef shared_ptr <
 remove_pointer< CXCodeCompleteResults >::type > CodeCompleteResultsWrap;
 
+TranslationUnit::TranslationUnit()
+  : filename_(""),
+    clang_translation_unit_( NULL ) {
+}
+
 TranslationUnit::TranslationUnit(
   const std::string &filename,
   const std::vector< UnsavedFile > &unsaved_files,
@@ -85,6 +90,10 @@ void TranslationUnit::Destroy() {
 
 std::vector< Diagnostic > TranslationUnit::LatestDiagnostics() {
   std::vector< Diagnostic > diagnostics;
+
+  if ( !clang_translation_unit_ )
+    return diagnostics;
+
   unique_lock< mutex > lock( diagnostics_mutex_ );
 
   // We don't need the latest diags after we return them once so we swap the
@@ -103,6 +112,11 @@ std::vector< Diagnostic > TranslationUnit::LatestDiagnostics() {
 
 
 bool TranslationUnit::IsCurrentlyUpdating() const {
+  // We return true when the TU is invalid; an invalid TU also acts a sentinel,
+  // preventing other threads from trying to use it.
+  if ( !clang_translation_unit_ )
+    return true;
+
   unique_lock< mutex > lock( clang_access_mutex_, try_to_lock_t() );
   return !lock.owns_lock();
 }
diff --git a/cpp/ycm/ClangCompleter/TranslationUnit.h b/cpp/ycm/ClangCompleter/TranslationUnit.h
index 8d0834d8..313e7d60 100644
--- a/cpp/ycm/ClangCompleter/TranslationUnit.h
+++ b/cpp/ycm/ClangCompleter/TranslationUnit.h
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ typedef boost::shared_ptr< std::vector< CompletionData > > AsyncCompletions;
 class TranslationUnit : boost::noncopyable {
 public:
 
+  // This constructor creates an invalid, sentinel TU. All of it's methods
+  // return empty vectors, and IsCurrentlyUpdating always returns true so that
+  // no callers try to rely on the invalid TU.
+  TranslationUnit();
+
   TranslationUnit(
     const std::string &filename,
     const std::vector< UnsavedFile > &unsaved_files,