diff --git a/php-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/php/checks/EmptyMethodCheck.java b/php-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/php/checks/EmptyMethodCheck.java
index fda79ae212..fd79d4d649 100644
--- a/php-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/php/checks/EmptyMethodCheck.java
+++ b/php-checks/src/main/java/org/sonar/php/checks/EmptyMethodCheck.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 import org.sonar.check.Rule;
 import org.sonar.php.tree.TreeUtils;
+import org.sonar.php.tree.impl.PHPTree;
 import org.sonar.plugins.php.api.tree.Tree.Kind;
 import org.sonar.plugins.php.api.tree.declaration.ClassDeclarationTree;
 import org.sonar.plugins.php.api.tree.declaration.FunctionDeclarationTree;
@@ -47,7 +48,7 @@ public class EmptyMethodCheck extends PHPVisitorCheck {
 
   @Override
   public void visitMethodDeclaration(MethodDeclarationTree tree) {
-    if (tree.body().is(Kind.BLOCK) && !(hasValuableBody((BlockTree) tree.body()) || isClassAbstract(tree) || hasCommentAbove(tree.modifiers().get(0)))) {
+    if (tree.body().is(Kind.BLOCK) && !(hasValuableBody((BlockTree) tree.body()) || isClassAbstract(tree) || hasCommentAbove(((PHPTree) tree).getFirstToken()))) {
       commitIssue(tree, "method");
     }
 
@@ -56,7 +57,7 @@ public void visitMethodDeclaration(MethodDeclarationTree tree) {
 
   @Override
   public void visitFunctionDeclaration(FunctionDeclarationTree tree) {
-    if (!(hasValuableBody(tree.body()) || hasCommentAbove(tree.functionToken()))) {
+    if (!(hasValuableBody(tree.body()) || hasCommentAbove(((PHPTree) tree).getFirstToken()))) {
       commitIssue(tree, "function");
     }
 
diff --git a/php-checks/src/test/resources/checks/EmptyMethodCheck.php b/php-checks/src/test/resources/checks/EmptyMethodCheck.php
index 37846bb1b9..b9dd690ec8 100644
--- a/php-checks/src/test/resources/checks/EmptyMethodCheck.php
+++ b/php-checks/src/test/resources/checks/EmptyMethodCheck.php
@@ -38,6 +38,9 @@ public function method10() {
 
   // Comment
   public function method11() {} // Compliant
+
+  // Comment
+  function method11() {} // Compliant
 }
 
 abstract class AbstractClass {