diff --git a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/strings/ConsecutiveAppendsShouldReuseRule.java b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/strings/ConsecutiveAppendsShouldReuseRule.java
index f9991f4ee0..9bb25b1cb2 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/strings/ConsecutiveAppendsShouldReuseRule.java
+++ b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/strings/ConsecutiveAppendsShouldReuseRule.java
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTBlockStatement;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTExpression;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTLocalVariableDeclaration;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTName;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTPrimaryExpression;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTPrimaryPrefix;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTPrimarySuffix;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.ast.ASTStatement;
@@ -88,19 +89,41 @@ public class ConsecutiveAppendsShouldReuseRule  extends AbstractJavaRule {
             ASTStatement statement = (ASTStatement) node.jjtGetChild(0);
             if (isFirstChild(statement, ASTStatementExpression.class)) {
                 ASTStatementExpression stmtExp = (ASTStatementExpression) statement.jjtGetChild(0);
-                ASTPrimaryPrefix primaryPrefix = stmtExp.getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTPrimaryPrefix.class);
-                if (primaryPrefix != null) {
-                    ASTName name = primaryPrefix.getFirstChildOfType(ASTName.class);
-                    if (name != null) {
-                        String image = name.getImage();
-                        if (image.endsWith(".append")) {
-                            String variable = image.substring(0, image.indexOf('.'));
-                            if (isAStringBuilderBuffer(primaryPrefix, variable)) {
-                                return variable;
-                            }
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
+               if (stmtExp.jjtGetNumChildren() == 1) {
+                   ASTPrimaryPrefix primaryPrefix = stmtExp.getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTPrimaryPrefix.class);
+                   if (primaryPrefix != null) {
+                       ASTName name = primaryPrefix.getFirstChildOfType(ASTName.class);
+                       if (name != null) {
+                           String image = name.getImage();
+                           if (image.endsWith(".append")) {
+                           String variable = image.substring(0, image.indexOf('.'));
+                               if (isAStringBuilderBuffer(primaryPrefix, variable)) {
+                                   return variable;
+                               }
+                           }
+                       }
+                   }
+               } else {
+                   final ASTExpression exp = stmtExp.getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTExpression.class);
+                   if (isFirstChild(exp, ASTPrimaryExpression.class)) {
+                       final ASTPrimarySuffix primarySuffix = ((ASTPrimaryExpression) exp.jjtGetChild(0)).getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTPrimarySuffix.class);
+                       if (primarySuffix != null) {
+                           final String name = primarySuffix.getImage();
+                           if (name != null && name.equals("append")) {
+                               final ASTPrimaryExpression pExp = stmtExp.getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTPrimaryExpression.class);
+                               if (pExp != null) {
+                                   final ASTName astName = stmtExp.getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTName.class);
+                                   if (astName != null) {
+                                       final String variable = astName.getImage();
+                                       if (isAStringBuilderBuffer(primarySuffix, variable)) {
+                                           return variable;
+                                       }
+                                   }
+                               }
+                           }
+                       }
+                   }
+               }
             }
         } else if (isFirstChild(node, ASTLocalVariableDeclaration.class)) {
             ASTLocalVariableDeclaration lvd = (ASTLocalVariableDeclaration) node.jjtGetChild(0);
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/strings/xml/ConsecutiveAppendsShouldReuse.xml b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/strings/xml/ConsecutiveAppendsShouldReuse.xml
index 2d821a260d..2d2eec3de1 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/strings/xml/ConsecutiveAppendsShouldReuse.xml
+++ b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/strings/xml/ConsecutiveAppendsShouldReuse.xml
@@ -214,6 +214,7 @@ public class Foo {
 public class Foo {
     public void foo() {
         final StringBuffer stringBuffer = new StringBuffer().append("agrego ").append("un ");
+        stringBuffer = new StringBuffer().append("agrego ").append("un ");
         stringBuffer.append("string ");
     }
 }
@@ -234,6 +235,19 @@ public class StringBufferTest {
         stringBuffer2.append("string ");    // but not on this one
         Log.i(TAG, stringBuffer2.toString());
     }
+}
+        ]]></code>
+    </test-code>
+    <test-code>
+        <description>#1370 ConsecutiveAppendsShouldReuse not detected properly on StringBuffer - part 3</description>
+        <expected-problems>1</expected-problems>
+        <code><![CDATA[
+public class Foo {
+    public void foo() {
+        final StringBuffer stringBuffer;
+        stringBuffer = new StringBuffer().append("agrego ").append("un ");
+        stringBuffer.append("string ");
+    }
 }
         ]]></code>
     </test-code>