diff --git a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/UnusedFormalParameterRule.java b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/UnusedFormalParameterRule.java
index c2d85d15dc..d2959d8a3a 100644
--- a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/UnusedFormalParameterRule.java
+++ b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/UnusedFormalParameterRule.java
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ import net.sourceforge.pmd.ast.ASTInterfaceDeclaration;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.ast.ASTName;
 import java.util.*;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.ast.ASTBlock;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.RuleContext;
+import java.text.MessageFormat;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.ast.ASTVariableDeclaratorId;
 
 
 public class UnusedFormalParameterRule extends AbstractRule {
@@ -23,7 +26,20 @@ public class UnusedFormalParameterRule extends AbstractRule {
      * @param paramNames list of param names to check
      */
     private void checkParamNames(HashSet paramNames, SimpleNode startNode) {
-
+        if (paramNames.isEmpty()) return;  //if there are no more paramNames then there's no reason to keep checking
+        int index = 0;
+        if (startNode instanceof ASTName) {
+            String nodeImage = ((ASTName)startNode).getImage();
+            if (paramNames.contains(nodeImage)) {
+                paramNames.remove(nodeImage);  //the name is used so let's remove it from the list
+            }
+        }
+        else if (startNode.jjtGetNumChildren() > 0) {
+            for (int i=0; i<startNode.jjtGetNumChildren(); i++) {
+                SimpleNode node = (SimpleNode)startNode.jjtGetChild(i);
+                checkParamNames(paramNames, node);
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     public Object visit(ASTMethodDeclaration node, Object data) {
@@ -34,10 +50,15 @@ public class UnusedFormalParameterRule extends AbstractRule {
             if (paramCount == 0) return data;  //bail out if now paramters
             HashSet paramNames = new HashSet();
             for (int i=0; i<paramCount; i++) {
-                ASTName paramName = (ASTName)formalParams.jjtGetChild(i).jjtGetChild(0).jjtGetChild(0);
-                paramNames.add(paramName);
+                ASTVariableDeclaratorId paramName = (ASTVariableDeclaratorId)formalParams.jjtGetChild(i).jjtGetChild(1);
+                paramNames.add(paramName.getImage());
+            }
+            checkParamNames(paramNames, (SimpleNode)node.jjtGetChild(2));   //check the block node for the occurence of the parameter names
+            if (!paramNames.isEmpty()) {  //there are still names left in the set so the must not have been used
+                RuleContext ctx = (RuleContext)data;
+                System.out.println(paramNames);
+                ctx.getReport().addRuleViolation(createRuleViolation(ctx, md.getBeginLine(), MessageFormat.format(getMessage(), paramNames.toArray())));
             }
-            checkParamNames(paramNames, md);
         }
         return data;
     }