diff --git a/source/index.js b/source/index.js
index 4d5b4d22f1..607e0046d2 100644
--- a/source/index.js
+++ b/source/index.js
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import {sync as parse} from 'conventional-commits-parser';
 import {merge} from 'lodash';
 
 import ruleFunctions from './rules';
@@ -6,6 +5,7 @@ import format from './library/format';
 import getConfiguration from './library/get-configuration';
 import getMessages from './library/get-messages';
 import getPreset from './library/get-preset';
+import parse from './library/parse';
 
 export {format, getConfiguration, getMessages, getPreset};
 
@@ -21,10 +21,7 @@ export default async (message, options = {}) => {
 	} = options;
 
 	// parse the commit message
-	const parsed = merge(
-		{raw: message},
-		parse(message, parserOptions)
-	);
+	const parsed = parse(message);
 
 	// wildcard matches skip the linting
 	const bails = Object.entries(wildcards)
diff --git a/source/library/parse.js b/source/library/parse.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..74935d4a7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/library/parse.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+import {sync} from 'conventional-commits-parser';
+
+export default parse;
+
+function parse(message, options) {
+	const parsed = sync(message, options);
+	parsed.raw = message;
+	return parsed;
+}
diff --git a/source/rules/footer-leading-blank.js b/source/rules/footer-leading-blank.js
index 1275c3d58f..eaec80b41d 100644
--- a/source/rules/footer-leading-blank.js
+++ b/source/rules/footer-leading-blank.js
@@ -1,14 +1,20 @@
 export default (parsed, when) => {
+	// flunk if no footer is found
+	if (!parsed.footer) {
+		return [true];
+	}
+
 	const negated = when === 'never';
+
 	// get complete body split into lines
-	const lines = (parsed.raw || '').split('\n').slice(2);
-	// check if the first line of body (if any) is empty
-	const leadingBlank =
-		lines.length > 0 ?
-		lines[0].length === 0 :
-		true;
+	const lines = (parsed.raw || '').split(/\r|\n/).slice(2);
+	const [leading] = lines;
+
+	// check if the first line of body is empty
+	const succeeds = leading === '';
+
 	return [
-		negated ? !leadingBlank : leadingBlank,
+		negated ? !succeeds : succeeds,
 		[
 			'footer',
 			negated ? 'may not' : 'must',
diff --git a/test/rules/footer-leading-blank.js b/test/rules/footer-leading-blank.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..731517ff3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/rules/footer-leading-blank.js
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+import test from 'ava';
+import parse from '../../source/library/parse';
+import footerLeadingBlank from '../../source/rules/footer-leading-blank';
+
+const messages = {
+	simple: 'chore: subject',
+	body: 'chore: subject\nbody',
+	trailing: 'chore: subject\nbody\n\n',
+	without: 'chore: subject\nbody\nBREAKING CHANGE: something important',
+	with: 'chore: subject\nbody\n\nBREAKING CHANGE: something important'
+};
+
+const parsed = {
+	simple: parse(messages.simple),
+	body: parse(messages.body),
+	trailing: parse(messages.trailing),
+	without: parse(messages.without),
+	with: parse(messages.with)
+};
+
+test('footer-leading-blank with simple message should succeed for empty keyword', t => {
+	const [actual] = footerLeadingBlank(parsed.simple);
+	const expected = true;
+	t.is(actual, expected);
+});
+
+test('footer-leading-blank with simple message should succeed for "never"', t => {
+	const [actual] = footerLeadingBlank(parsed.simple, 'never');
+	const expected = true;
+	t.is(actual, expected);
+});
+
+test('footer-leading-blank with simple message should succeed for "always"', t => {
+	const [actual] = footerLeadingBlank(parsed.simple, 'always');
+	const expected = true;
+	t.is(actual, expected);
+});
+
+test('footer-leading-blank with body message should succeed for empty keyword', t => {
+	const [actual] = footerLeadingBlank(parsed.body);
+	const expected = true;
+	t.is(actual, expected);
+});
+
+test('footer-leading-blank with body message should succeed for "never"', t => {
+	const [actual] = footerLeadingBlank(parsed.body, 'never');
+	const expected = true;
+	t.is(actual, expected);
+});
+
+test('footer-leading-blank with body message should succeed for "always"', t => {
+	const [actual] = footerLeadingBlank(parsed.body, 'always');
+	const expected = true;
+	t.is(actual, expected);
+});
+
+test('footer-leading-blank with trailing message should succeed for empty keyword', t => {
+	const [actual] = footerLeadingBlank(parsed.trailing);
+	const expected = true;
+	t.is(actual, expected);
+});
+
+test('footer-leading-blank with trailing message should succeed for "never"', t => {
+	const [actual] = footerLeadingBlank(parsed.trailing, 'never');
+	const expected = true;
+	t.is(actual, expected);
+});
+
+test('footer-leading-blank with trailing message should succeed for "always"', t => {
+	const [actual] = footerLeadingBlank(parsed.trailing, 'always');
+	const expected = true;
+	t.is(actual, expected);
+});
+
+test('footer-leading-blank without blank line before footer should fail for empty keyword', t => {
+	const [actual] = footerLeadingBlank(parsed.without);
+	const expected = false;
+	t.is(actual, expected);
+});
+
+test('footer-leading-blank without blank line before footer should succeed for "never"', t => {
+	const [actual] = footerLeadingBlank(parsed.without, 'never');
+	const expected = true;
+	t.is(actual, expected);
+});
+
+test('footer-leading-blank without blank line before footer should fail for "always"', t => {
+	const [actual] = footerLeadingBlank(parsed.without, 'always');
+	const expected = false;
+	t.is(actual, expected);
+});
+
+test('footer-leading-blank with blank line before footer should succeed for empty keyword', t => {
+	const [actual] = footerLeadingBlank(parsed.with);
+	const expected = true;
+	t.is(actual, expected);
+});
+
+test('footer-leading-blank with blank line before footer should fail for "never"', t => {
+	const [actual] = footerLeadingBlank(parsed.with, 'never');
+	const expected = false;
+	t.is(actual, expected);
+});
+
+test('footer-leading-blank with blank line before footer should succeed for "always"', t => {
+	const [actual] = footerLeadingBlank(parsed.with, 'always');
+	const expected = true;
+	t.is(actual, expected);
+});
diff --git a/test/rules/scope-empty.js b/test/rules/scope-empty.js
index ba5983151a..3ac7a42041 100644
--- a/test/rules/scope-empty.js
+++ b/test/rules/scope-empty.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import test from 'ava';
-import {sync as parse} from 'conventional-commits-parser';
+import parse from '../../source/library/parse';
 import scopeEmpty from '../../source/rules/scope-empty';
 
 const messages = {
diff --git a/test/rules/scope-enum.js b/test/rules/scope-enum.js
index b1a8f7c4a5..f4a2a26e44 100644
--- a/test/rules/scope-enum.js
+++ b/test/rules/scope-enum.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import test from 'ava';
-import {sync as parse} from 'conventional-commits-parser';
+import parse from '../../source/library/parse';
 import scopeEnum from '../../source/rules/scope-enum';
 
 const messages = {