diff --git a/docs/pages/release_notes.md b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
index 939838888c..0ecc787131 100644
--- a/docs/pages/release_notes.md
+++ b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ This is a {{ site.pmd.release_type }} release.
 ### 🐛 Fixed Issues
 * cli
   * [#4791](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/4791): \[cli] Could not find or load main class
+* apex-errorprone
+  * [#3953](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/3953): \[apex] EmptyCatchBlock false positive with formal (doc) comments
 * java-bestpractices
   * [#1084](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/1084): \[java] Allow JUnitTestsShouldIncludeAssert to configure verification methods
   * [#4435](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/4435): \[java] \[7.0-rc1] UnusedAssignment for used field
diff --git a/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/ast/ApexCommentBuilder.java b/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/ast/ApexCommentBuilder.java
index 2b9bf289a0..3d7f7445f7 100644
--- a/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/ast/ApexCommentBuilder.java
+++ b/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/ast/ApexCommentBuilder.java
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 
 package net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.ast;
 
-import static java.util.stream.Collectors.toCollection;
 import static java.util.stream.Collectors.toList;
 
 import java.util.AbstractList;
@@ -43,7 +42,7 @@ final class ApexCommentBuilder {
         TextRegion nodeRegion = commentContainer.getTextRegion();
 
         // find the first comment after the start of the container node
-        int index = Collections.binarySearch(commentInfo.nonDocTokensByStartIndex, nodeRegion.getStartOffset());
+        int index = Collections.binarySearch(commentInfo.allCommentsByStartIndex, nodeRegion.getStartOffset());
 
         // no exact hit found - this is expected: there is no comment token starting at
         // the very same index as the node
@@ -52,8 +51,8 @@ final class ApexCommentBuilder {
         index = ~index;
 
         // now check whether the next comment after the node is still inside the node
-        if (index >= 0 && index < commentInfo.nonDocTokensByStartIndex.size()) {
-            int commentStartIndex = commentInfo.nonDocTokensByStartIndex.get(index);
+        if (index >= 0 && index < commentInfo.allCommentsByStartIndex.size()) {
+            int commentStartIndex = commentInfo.allCommentsByStartIndex.get(index);
             return nodeRegion.getStartOffset() < commentStartIndex
                     && nodeRegion.getEndOffset() >= commentStartIndex;
         }
@@ -141,19 +140,16 @@ final class ApexCommentBuilder {
     private static class CommentInformation {
 
         final Map<Integer, String> suppressMap;
-        final List<Integer> nonDocTokensByStartIndex;
+        final List<Integer> allCommentsByStartIndex;
         final List<ApexDocToken> docTokens;
 
         CommentInformation(Map<Integer, String> suppressMap, List<Token> allCommentTokens) {
             this.suppressMap = suppressMap;
             this.docTokens = allCommentTokens.stream()
-                .filter((token) -> token.getType() == ApexLexer.DOC_COMMENT)
-                .map((token) -> new ApexDocToken(token))
+                .filter(token -> token.getType() == ApexLexer.DOC_COMMENT)
+                .map(ApexDocToken::new)
                 .collect(toList());
-            this.nonDocTokensByStartIndex = new TokenListByStartIndex(
-                allCommentTokens.stream()
-                    .filter((token) -> token.getType() != ApexLexer.DOC_COMMENT)
-                    .collect(toCollection(ArrayList::new)));
+            this.allCommentsByStartIndex = new TokenListByStartIndex(new ArrayList<>(allCommentTokens));
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/pmd-apex/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/rule/errorprone/xml/EmptyCatchBlock.xml b/pmd-apex/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/rule/errorprone/xml/EmptyCatchBlock.xml
index a850545cb1..03ae95ccf8 100644
--- a/pmd-apex/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/rule/errorprone/xml/EmptyCatchBlock.xml
+++ b/pmd-apex/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/rule/errorprone/xml/EmptyCatchBlock.xml
@@ -297,27 +297,27 @@ private class FunctionalityTest {
         ///////////////////////////////
         try {
         } catch (Exception e) {
-          /** NOK: doc comment inside of empty catch block; should be reported */
+          /** OK: doc comment inside of empty catch block; should be reported */
         }
 
         try {
         } catch (Exception e) {
-          /** NOK: doc comment inside of empty catch block;
+          /** OK: doc comment inside of empty catch block;
            * multiple lines
            * should be reported
            */
         }
 
         try {
-        } catch (Exception e) { /** NOK: doc comment inside of empty catch block, same line as begin; should be reported */
+        } catch (Exception e) { /** OK: doc comment inside of empty catch block, same line as begin; should be reported */
         }
 
         try {
         } catch (Exception e) {
-        /** NOK: doc comment inside of empty catch block, same line as end; should be reported */ }
+        /** OK: doc comment inside of empty catch block, same line as end; should be reported */ }
 
         try {
-        } catch (Exception e) { /** NOK: doc comment inside catch block, same line as begin/end; should be reported */ }
+        } catch (Exception e) { /** OK: doc comment inside catch block, same line as begin/end; should be reported */ }
     }
 }
     ]]></code-fragment>
@@ -333,8 +333,8 @@ private class FunctionalityTest {
     <test-code>
         <description>#3569 - Verify use of allowCommentedBlocks=true, binary search boundaries verification</description>
         <rule-property name="allowCommentedBlocks">true</rule-property>
-        <expected-problems>9</expected-problems>
-        <expected-linenumbers>19,23,54,58,65,70,78,82,86</expected-linenumbers>
+        <expected-problems>4</expected-problems>
+        <expected-linenumbers>19,23,54,58</expected-linenumbers>
         <code-ref id="with-comments"/>
     </test-code>
 </test-data>