diff --git a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/codestyle/UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturnRule.java b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/codestyle/UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturnRule.java
index 2890b968ca..dde6504241 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/codestyle/UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturnRule.java
+++ b/pmd-java/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/codestyle/UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturnRule.java
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.rule.AbstractJavaRule;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.java.symboltable.VariableNameDeclaration;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.symboltable.NameOccurrence;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.symboltable.Scope;
-import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.symboltable.ScopedNode;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.properties.PropertyDescriptor;
 
 
@@ -115,6 +114,12 @@ public class UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturnRule extends AbstractJavaRule {
             final ASTReturnStatement rtn) {
         final ASTVariableInitializer initializer = variableDeclaration.getAccessNodeParent()
                 .getFirstDescendantOfType(ASTVariableInitializer.class);
+        
+        // Get the block statements for each, so we can compare apples to apples
+        final ASTBlockStatement initializerStmt = variableDeclaration.getAccessNodeParent()
+                .getFirstParentOfType(ASTBlockStatement.class);
+        final ASTBlockStatement rtnStmt = rtn.getFirstParentOfType(ASTBlockStatement.class);
+        
         if (initializer != null) {
             final List<ASTName> referencedNames = initializer.findDescendantsOfType(ASTName.class);
             for (final ASTName refName : referencedNames) {
@@ -128,9 +133,10 @@ public class UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturnRule extends AbstractJavaRule {
                         if (entry.getKey().getName().equals(refName.getImage())) {
                             // Variable found! Check usage locations
                             for (final NameOccurrence occ : entry.getValue()) {
-                                final ScopedNode location = occ.getLocation();
+                                final ASTBlockStatement location = occ.getLocation().getFirstParentOfType(ASTBlockStatement.class);
+                                
                                 // Is it used after initializing our "unnecessary" local but before the return statement?
-                                if (isAfter(location, initializer) && isAfter(rtn, location)) {
+                                if (isAfter(location, initializerStmt) && isAfter(rtnStmt, location)) {
                                     return true;
                                 }
                             }
diff --git a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/codestyle/xml/UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturn.xml b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/codestyle/xml/UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturn.xml
index 34310160d2..a97b4efc4d 100644
--- a/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/codestyle/xml/UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturn.xml
+++ b/pmd-java/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/codestyle/xml/UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturn.xml
@@ -229,6 +229,21 @@ public class UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturnFP {
         sideEffect(m);
         return i;
     }
+}
+        ]]></code>
+    </test-code>
+    
+    <test-code>
+        <description>#1775 [java] False negative in UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturn when splitting statements across multiple lines</description>
+        <expected-problems>1</expected-problems>
+        <code><![CDATA[
+public class UnnecessaryLocalBeforeReturnFP {
+    public Object test2() {
+        int i = 0;
+        Object o = thing()
+        	.make(i);
+        return o; // true positive
+    }  
 }
         ]]></code>
     </test-code>