diff --git a/src/ASBeautifier.cpp b/src/ASBeautifier.cpp
index 0adbb63..9d75080 100644
--- a/src/ASBeautifier.cpp
+++ b/src/ASBeautifier.cpp
@@ -254,7 +254,6 @@ ASBeautifier::ASBeautifier(const ASBeautifier& other) : ASBase(other)
 	currentNonSpaceCh = other.currentNonSpaceCh;
 	currentNonLegalCh = other.currentNonLegalCh;
 	prevNonLegalCh = other.prevNonLegalCh;
-    lineFirstChar = other.lineFirstChar;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -370,7 +369,6 @@ void ASBeautifier::init(ASSourceIterator* iter)
 	prevNonLegalCh = '{';
 	currentNonLegalCh = '{';
 	quoteChar = ' ';
-    lineFirstChar = ' ';
 	probationHeader = NULL;
 	lastLineHeader = NULL;
 	backslashEndsPrevLine = false;
@@ -885,7 +883,6 @@ string ASBeautifier::beautify(const string& originalLine)
 	haveLineContinuationChar = false;
 	lineOpeningBlocksNum = 0;
 	lineClosingBlocksNum = 0;
-    lineFirstChar = ' ';
 	if (isImmediatelyPostObjCMethodDefinition)
 		clearObjCMethodDefinitionAlignment();
 
@@ -927,7 +924,6 @@ string ASBeautifier::beautify(const string& originalLine)
 		line = trim(originalLine);
 		if (line.length() > 0)
 		{
-            lineFirstChar = line[0];
 			if (line[0] == '{')
 				lineBeginsWithOpenBracket = true;
 			else if (line[0] == '}')
@@ -2599,7 +2595,7 @@ void ASBeautifier::parseCurrentLine(const string& line)
                     // <
                     //     class Argument
                     // >
-                    if (lineFirstChar == '>' && !lineStartsInComment)
+                    if (line[0] == '>')
                     {
                          if (!inStatementIndentStack->empty())
                              spaceIndentCount = inStatementIndentStack->back();
@@ -2649,7 +2645,7 @@ void ASBeautifier::parseCurrentLine(const string& line)
                         //     Argument1,
                         //     Argument2
                         // >
-                        if (lineFirstChar == '>' && !lineStartsInComment)
+                        if (line[0] == '>')
                         {
                              if (!inStatementIndentStack->empty())
                                  spaceIndentCount = inStatementIndentStack->back();
diff --git a/src/astyle.h b/src/astyle.h
index 4af6a0d..6802104 100644
--- a/src/astyle.h
+++ b/src/astyle.h
@@ -279,6 +279,7 @@ protected:  // functions definitions are at the end of ASResource.cpp
 	bool isCharPotentialOperator(char ch) const;
 	bool isDigitSeparator(const string& line, int i) const;
 	char peekNextChar(const string& line, int i) const;
+
 };  // Class ASBase
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -518,7 +519,6 @@ private:  // variables
 	char currentNonSpaceCh;
 	char currentNonLegalCh;
 	char prevNonLegalCh;
-    char lineFirstChar;
 };  // Class ASBeautifier
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -593,6 +593,7 @@ private:
 	// SQL variables
 	bool nextLineIsDeclareIndent;           // begin declare section indent is reached
 	bool isInDeclareSection;                // need to indent a declare section
+
 };  // Class ASEnhancer
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -988,6 +989,7 @@ private:  // inline functions
 // sort comparison functions for ASResource
 bool sortOnLength(const string* a, const string* b);
 bool sortOnName(const string* a, const string* b);
+
 }   // end of astyle namespace
 
 // end of astyle namespace  --------------------------------------------------