diff --git a/gcc/cobol/parse_ante.h b/gcc/cobol/parse_ante.h
index a799aa0a5e1e6b0d286e1d249a31c0c0785c05ca..29604f3dfa433b295dccc591faf6385a4ba1ee40 100644
--- a/gcc/cobol/parse_ante.h
+++ b/gcc/cobol/parse_ante.h
@@ -1733,6 +1733,7 @@ static class current_t {
   program_stack_t programs;
   unique_typedefs_t typedefs;
   std::set<function_descr_t> udfs;
+  int first_statement;
   bool in_declaratives;
   // from command line or early TURN
   std::list<cbl_exception_files_t> cobol_exceptions;
@@ -1765,7 +1766,8 @@ static class current_t {
 
  public:
   current_t()
-    : in_declaratives(false)
+    : first_statement(0)
+    , in_declaratives(false)
     {}
 
   bool option( cbl_options_t::arith_t option ) {
@@ -2040,6 +2042,7 @@ static class current_t {
     }
 
     options_paragraph = cbl_options_t();
+    first_statement = 0;
     
     return fOK;
   }
@@ -2136,7 +2139,13 @@ static class current_t {
     return symbol_index(symbol_elem_of(section));
   }
 
-  bool doing_declaratives() const  { return in_declaratives; }
+  bool is_first_statement( int line )  {
+    if( ! in_declaratives && first_statement == 0 ) {
+      first_statement = line;
+      return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
   
   cbl_label_t *doing_declaratives( bool begin ) {
     if( begin ) {
@@ -3599,9 +3608,7 @@ static int prior_statement;
 static size_t statement_begin( const YYLTYPE& loc, int token );
 
 static void ast_first_statement( int first_line ) {
-  static bool first = true;
-  if( first && ! current.doing_declaratives() ) {
+  if( current.is_first_statement( first_line ) ) {
     parser_first_statement(first_line);
-    first = false;
   }
 }