diff --git a/pmd/etc/changelog.txt b/pmd/etc/changelog.txt
index 941428e1ff..89b06825bc 100644
--- a/pmd/etc/changelog.txt
+++ b/pmd/etc/changelog.txt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ Updates to RuleChain to honor RuleSet exclude-pattern
 Upgrading UselessOperationOnImmutable to detect more use cases, especially on String
 Fixed bug 1988829 - Violation reported without source file name (actually a fix to ConsecutiveLiteralAppends)
 Fixed bug 1989814 - false +: ConsecutiveLiteralAppends
+Fixed bug 1977230 - false positive: UselessOverridingMethod
 
 New rule:
 	Basic ruleset:	EmptyInitializer
diff --git a/pmd/regress/test/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/basic/xml/UselessOverridingMethod.xml b/pmd/regress/test/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/basic/xml/UselessOverridingMethod.xml
index 263afd3a6c..31fec5b345 100644
--- a/pmd/regress/test/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/basic/xml/UselessOverridingMethod.xml
+++ b/pmd/regress/test/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/basic/xml/UselessOverridingMethod.xml
@@ -263,6 +263,28 @@ private static class ExposingSerializer extends Serializer {
 	public void exposedWriteAttributeValue(String text) throws IOException {
 		writeAttributeValue(text);
 	}
+}
+     ]]></code>
+    </test-code>
+    <test-code>
+        <description>
+        	<![CDATA[
+[ 1977230 ] false positive: UselessOverridingMethod
+     		]]>
+     	</description>
+        <expected-problems>0</expected-problems>
+        <code>
+        	<![CDATA[
+public class Foo extends Bar {
+
+	public BigDecimal getBalance(Date date) {
+		return super.getBalance(date).negate();
+	}
+}
+
+class Bar {
+	public BigDecimal getBalance(Date date) {
+	}
 }
      ]]></code>
     </test-code>
diff --git a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/UselessOverridingMethod.java b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/UselessOverridingMethod.java
index dd0231fec4..f8371c6ed0 100644
--- a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/UselessOverridingMethod.java
+++ b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/UselessOverridingMethod.java
@@ -156,8 +156,13 @@ public class UselessOverridingMethod extends AbstractRule {
         if (!primaryPrefix.hasImageEqualTo(methodDeclarator.getImage()))
             return super.visit(node, data);
 
+        List<ASTPrimarySuffix> primarySuffixList = findFirstDegreeChildrenOfType(primaryExpression, ASTPrimarySuffix.class);
+        if (primarySuffixList.size() != 1) {
+            // extra method call on result of super method
+            return super.visit(node, data);
+        }
         //Process arguments
-        ASTPrimarySuffix primarySuffix = findFirstDegreeChildrenOfType(primaryExpression, ASTPrimarySuffix.class).get(0);
+        ASTPrimarySuffix primarySuffix = primarySuffixList.get(0);
         ASTArguments arguments = (ASTArguments) primarySuffix.jjtGetChild(0);
         ASTFormalParameters formalParameters = (ASTFormalParameters) methodDeclarator.jjtGetChild(0);
         if (formalParameters.jjtGetNumChildren() != arguments.jjtGetNumChildren())