diff --git a/owners.py b/owners.py
index 89ce219b3..407567b86 100644
--- a/owners.py
+++ b/owners.py
@@ -244,6 +244,9 @@ class Database(object):
     comment = []
     dirpath = self.os_path.dirname(path)
     in_comment = False
+    # We treat the beginning of the file as an blank line.
+    previous_line_was_blank = True
+    reset_comment_after_use = False
     lineno = 0
 
     if path in self.override_files:
@@ -262,13 +265,18 @@ class Database(object):
             continue
         if not in_comment:
           comment = []
+          reset_comment_after_use = not previous_line_was_blank
         comment.append(line[1:].strip())
         in_comment = True
         continue
+      in_comment = False
+
       if line == '':
+        comment = []
+        previous_line_was_blank = True
         continue
-      in_comment = False
 
+      previous_line_was_blank = False
       if line == 'set noparent':
         self._stop_looking.add(dirpath)
         continue
@@ -285,6 +293,8 @@ class Database(object):
         relative_glob_string = self.os_path.relpath(full_glob_string, self.root)
         self._add_entry(relative_glob_string, directive, owners_path,
                         lineno, '\n'.join(comment))
+        if reset_comment_after_use:
+          comment = []
         continue
 
       if line.startswith('set '):
@@ -293,6 +303,8 @@ class Database(object):
 
       self._add_entry(dirpath, line, owners_path, lineno,
                       ' '.join(comment))
+      if reset_comment_after_use:
+        comment = []
 
   def _read_global_comments(self):
     if not self._status_file:
diff --git a/tests/owners_finder_test.py b/tests/owners_finder_test.py
index 2801aea05..ff7f31398 100755
--- a/tests/owners_finder_test.py
+++ b/tests/owners_finder_test.py
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ def owners_file(*email_addresses, **kwargs):
     s += '# %s\n' % kwargs.get('comment')
   if kwargs.get('noparent'):
     s += 'set noparent\n'
-  s += '\n'.join(kwargs.get('lines', [])) + '\n'
   return s + '\n'.join(email_addresses) + '\n'
 
 
diff --git a/tests/owners_unittest.py b/tests/owners_unittest.py
index 698d8f060..0cb0a1ede 100755
--- a/tests/owners_unittest.py
+++ b/tests/owners_unittest.py
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ def owners_file(*email_addresses, **kwargs):
     s += 'set noparent\n'
   if kwargs.get('file'):
     s += 'file:%s\n' % kwargs.get('file')
-  s += '\n'.join(kwargs.get('lines', [])) + '\n'
+  if kwargs.get('lines'):
+    s += '\n'.join(kwargs.get('lines', [])) + '\n'
   return s + '\n'.join(email_addresses) + '\n'
 
 
@@ -343,6 +344,34 @@ class OwnersDatabaseTest(_BaseTestCase):
     self.files['/foo/DEPS'] = ''
     self.assertRaises(IOError, db.reviewers_for, ['foo/DEPS'], None)
 
+  def test_comment_to_owners_mapping(self):
+    db = self.db()
+    self.files['/OWNERS'] = '\n'.join([
+        '# first comment',
+        ben,
+        brett,
+        '',
+        darin,
+        '',
+        '# comment preceeded by empty line',
+        'per-file bar.*=%s' % jochen,
+        john,
+        '',
+        ken,
+        '# comment in the middle',
+        peter,
+        tom])
+    # Force loading of the OWNERS file.
+    self.files['/bar.cc'] = ''
+    db.reviewers_for(['bar.cc'], None)
+
+    self.assertEqual(db.comments, {
+        ben: {'': 'first comment'},
+        brett: {'': 'first comment'},
+        jochen: {'bar.*': 'comment preceeded by empty line'},
+        john: {'': 'comment preceeded by empty line'},
+        peter: {'': 'comment in the middle'}})
+
 
 class ReviewersForTest(_BaseTestCase):
   def assert_reviewers_for(self, files, potential_suggested_reviewers,