diff --git a/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/ast/ASTFormalComment.java b/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/ast/ASTFormalComment.java
index afdde670cf..a59df839e1 100644
--- a/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/ast/ASTFormalComment.java
+++ b/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/ast/ASTFormalComment.java
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ public class ASTFormalComment extends AbstractApexNodeBase {
     }
 
     @Override
-    Object jjtAccept(ApexParserVisitor visitor, Object data) {
+    public Object jjtAccept(ApexParserVisitor visitor, Object data) {
         return visitor.visit(this, data);
     }
 
diff --git a/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/ast/AbstractApexNodeBase.java b/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/ast/AbstractApexNodeBase.java
index 05194407b8..8ba32fe4a7 100644
--- a/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/ast/AbstractApexNodeBase.java
+++ b/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/ast/AbstractApexNodeBase.java
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractApexNodeBase extends AbstractNode {
     /**
      * Accept the visitor. *
      */
-    abstract Object jjtAccept(ApexParserVisitor visitor, Object data);
+    public abstract Object jjtAccept(ApexParserVisitor visitor, Object data);
 
     /**
      * Accept the visitor. *
diff --git a/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/rule/design/AbstractNcssCountRule.java b/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/rule/design/AbstractNcssCountRule.java
index a20f72307f..5dd80d849a 100644
--- a/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/rule/design/AbstractNcssCountRule.java
+++ b/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/rule/design/AbstractNcssCountRule.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.ast.ASTContinueStatement;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.ast.ASTDoLoopStatement;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.ast.ASTForEachStatement;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.ast.ASTForLoopStatement;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.ast.ASTFormalComment;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.ast.ASTIfBlockStatement;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.ast.ASTIfElseBlockStatement;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.ast.ASTMethodCallExpression;
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.ast.ASTStatement;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.ast.ASTThrowStatement;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.ast.ASTTryCatchFinallyBlockStatement;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.ast.ASTWhileLoopStatement;
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.ast.AbstractApexNodeBase;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.ast.ApexNode;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.rule.AbstractStatisticalApexRule;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.ast.Node;
@@ -53,7 +55,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractNcssCountRule extends AbstractStatisticalApexRule
         int numNodes = 0;
 
         for (int i = 0; i < node.jjtGetNumChildren(); i++) {
-            ApexNode<?> n = (ApexNode<?>) node.jjtGetChild(i);
+            AbstractApexNodeBase n = (AbstractApexNodeBase) node.jjtGetChild(i);
             Integer treeSize = (Integer) n.jjtAccept(this, data);
             numNodes += treeSize.intValue();
         }
@@ -85,7 +87,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractNcssCountRule extends AbstractStatisticalApexRule
         Integer nodeCount;
         int lineCount = 0;
         for (int i = 0; i < node.jjtGetNumChildren(); i++) {
-            nodeCount = (Integer) ((ApexNode<?>) node.jjtGetChild(i)).jjtAccept(this, data);
+            nodeCount = (Integer) ((AbstractApexNodeBase) node.jjtGetChild(i)).jjtAccept(this, data);
             lineCount += nodeCount.intValue();
         }
         return ++lineCount;
@@ -159,4 +161,9 @@ public abstract class AbstractNcssCountRule extends AbstractStatisticalApexRule
     public Object visit(ASTMethodCallExpression node, Object data) {
         return NumericConstants.ONE;
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public Object visit(ASTFormalComment node, Object data) {
+        return NumericConstants.ZERO;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/rule/design/ExcessiveNodeCountRule.java b/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/rule/design/ExcessiveNodeCountRule.java
index 1df467eb19..a9ae32c4f9 100644
--- a/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/rule/design/ExcessiveNodeCountRule.java
+++ b/pmd-apex/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/apex/rule/design/ExcessiveNodeCountRule.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 package net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.rule.design;
 
+import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.ast.AbstractApexNodeBase;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.ast.ApexNode;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.lang.apex.rule.AbstractStatisticalApexRule;
 import net.sourceforge.pmd.stat.DataPoint;
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ public class ExcessiveNodeCountRule extends AbstractStatisticalApexRule {
         int numNodes = 0;
 
         for (int i = 0; i < node.jjtGetNumChildren(); i++) {
-            Integer treeSize = (Integer) ((ApexNode<?>) node.jjtGetChild(i)).jjtAccept(this, data);
+            Integer treeSize = (Integer) ((AbstractApexNodeBase) node.jjtGetChild(i)).jjtAccept(this, data);
             numNodes += treeSize;
         }