diff --git a/pmd-java/src/main/resources/rulesets/java/design.xml b/pmd-java/src/main/resources/rulesets/java/design.xml
index 7894841b44..45075f7011 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/main/resources/rulesets/java/design.xml
+++ b/pmd-java/src/main/resources/rulesets/java/design.xml
@@ -1771,7 +1771,8 @@ having to deal with the creation of an array.
     [position()=last()]
     [@Array='true']
     [@Varargs='false']
-    [not (./Type/ReferenceType[@Array='true'][PrimitiveType[@Image='byte']] or ./Type/ReferenceType[@Array='true'][ClassOrInterfaceType[@Image='Byte']])]
+    [not (./Type/ReferenceType[@Array='true'][PrimitiveType[@Image='byte']] or ./Type/ReferenceType[ClassOrInterfaceType[@Image='Byte']])]
+    [not (./Type/PrimitiveType[@Image='byte'])]
             ]]></value>
             </property>
         </properties>
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/xml/UseVarargs.xml b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/xml/UseVarargs.xml
index 89dc3845cd..21f9c8b920 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/xml/UseVarargs.xml
+++ b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/xml/UseVarargs.xml
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ method, do not varargs, allow byte[] as not varargs
         <code><![CDATA[
 public class Foo {
  public void bar(File file, byte[] data) { }
+ public void bar2(File file, byte data[]) { }
 }
      ]]></code>
     </test-code>
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ method, do not varargs, allow Byte[] as not varargs
         <code><![CDATA[
 public class Foo {
  public void bar(File file, Byte[] data) { }
+  public void bar(File file, Byte data[]) { }
 }
      ]]></code>
     </test-code>