diff --git a/pmd/etc/changelog.txt b/pmd/etc/changelog.txt
index 85608aade5..b9d8ee7f3f 100644
--- a/pmd/etc/changelog.txt
+++ b/pmd/etc/changelog.txt
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ New Java rule:
 
 ????? ??, 2013 - 5.0.3:
 
+Fixed bug  940: False positive on UnsynchronizedStaticDateFormatter
 Fixed bug  942: CheckResultSet False Positive and Negative
 Fixed bug  943: PreserveStackTrace false positive if a StringBuffer exists
 Fixed bug  945: PMD generates RuleSets it cannot read.
diff --git a/pmd/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/UnsynchronizedStaticDateFormatterRule.java b/pmd/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/UnsynchronizedStaticDateFormatterRule.java
index 545fafe62b..d772646563 100644
--- a/pmd/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/UnsynchronizedStaticDateFormatterRule.java
+++ b/pmd/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/UnsynchronizedStaticDateFormatterRule.java
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ public class UnsynchronizedStaticDateFormatterRule extends AbstractJavaRule {
             if (n.getFirstParentOfType(ASTSynchronizedStatement.class) != null) {
                 continue;
             }
+            // ignore usages, that don't call a method.
+            if (!n.getImage().contains(".")) {
+                continue;
+            }
+
             ASTMethodDeclaration method = n.getFirstParentOfType(ASTMethodDeclaration.class);
             if (method != null && !method.isSynchronized()) {
                 addViolation(data, n);
diff --git a/pmd/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/xml/UnsynchronizedStaticDateFormatter.xml b/pmd/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/xml/UnsynchronizedStaticDateFormatter.xml
index 0aeb4bf023..3644ca1255 100644
--- a/pmd/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/xml/UnsynchronizedStaticDateFormatter.xml
+++ b/pmd/src/test/resources/net/sourceforge/pmd/lang/java/rule/design/xml/UnsynchronizedStaticDateFormatter.xml
@@ -85,4 +85,19 @@ public class Foo {
 }
      ]]></code>
     </test-code>
+
+    <test-code>
+        <description>#940 False positive on UnsynchronizedStaticDateFormatter</description>
+        <expected-problems>0</expected-problems>
+        <code><![CDATA[
+public class Test {
+    private static final DateFormat enFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("EEEE MMMM d, yyyy 'at' hh':'mma", Locale.US);
+    private static final DateFormat frFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("EEEE 'le' d MMMM yyyy 'à' HH'h'mm", Locale.CANADA_FRENCH);
+
+    protected DateFormat getDateFormat() {
+        return getLang() == LangEnum.FR ? frFormat : enFormat;
+    }
+}
+        ]]></code>
+    </test-code>
 </test-data>