diff --git a/src/services/services.ts b/src/services/services.ts
index a4a848479f7..d7bcb6c0629 100644
--- a/src/services/services.ts
+++ b/src/services/services.ts
@@ -5434,7 +5434,7 @@ namespace ts {
                 symbolToIndex: number[]): void {
 
                 let sourceFile = container.getSourceFile();
-                let tripleSlashDirectivePrefixRegex = /^\/\/\/\s*</
+                let tripleSlashDirectivePrefixRegex = /^\/\/\/\s*</;
 
                 let possiblePositions = getPossibleSymbolReferencePositions(sourceFile, searchText, container.getStart(), container.getEnd());
 
@@ -5450,8 +5450,8 @@ namespace ts {
                             // This wasn't the start of a token.  Check to see if it might be a 
                             // match in a comment or string if that's what the caller is asking
                             // for.
-                            if ((findInStrings && isInString(position)) ||
-                                (findInComments && isInComment(position))) {
+                            if ((findInStrings && isInString(sourceFile, position)) ||
+                                (findInComments && isInNonReferenceComment(sourceFile, position))) {
 
                                 // In the case where we're looking inside comments/strings, we don't have
                                 // an actual definition.  So just use 'undefined' here.  Features like
@@ -5515,30 +5515,13 @@ namespace ts {
                     return result[index];
                 }
 
-                function isInString(position: number) {
-                    let token = getTokenAtPosition(sourceFile, position);
-                    return token && token.kind === SyntaxKind.StringLiteral && position > token.getStart();
-                }
+                function isInNonReferenceComment(sourceFile: SourceFile, position: number): boolean {
+                    return isInCommentHelper(sourceFile, position, isNonReferenceComment);
 
-                function isInComment(position: number) {
-                    let token = getTokenAtPosition(sourceFile, position);
-                    if (token && position < token.getStart()) {
-                        // First, we have to see if this position actually landed in a comment.
-                        let commentRanges = getLeadingCommentRanges(sourceFile.text, token.pos);
-
-                        // Then we want to make sure that it wasn't in a "///<" directive comment
-                        // We don't want to unintentionally update a file name.
-                        return forEach(commentRanges, c => {
-                            if (c.pos < position && position < c.end) {
-                                let commentText = sourceFile.text.substring(c.pos, c.end);
-                                if (!tripleSlashDirectivePrefixRegex.test(commentText)) {
-                                    return true;
-                                }
-                            }
-                        });
+                    function isNonReferenceComment(c: CommentRange): boolean {
+                        let commentText = sourceFile.text.substring(c.pos, c.end);
+                        return !tripleSlashDirectivePrefixRegex.test(commentText);
                     }
-
-                    return false;
                 }
             }
 
diff --git a/src/services/utilities.ts b/src/services/utilities.ts
index 5f8859c815e..98d5c2efec4 100644
--- a/src/services/utilities.ts
+++ b/src/services/utilities.ts
@@ -414,6 +414,35 @@ namespace ts {
             }
         }
     }
+    
+    export function isInString(sourceFile: SourceFile, position: number) {
+        let token = getTokenAtPosition(sourceFile, position);
+        return token && token.kind === SyntaxKind.StringLiteral && position > token.getStart();
+    }
+
+    export function isInComment(sourceFile: SourceFile, position: number) {
+        return isInCommentHelper(sourceFile, position, c => true);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns true if the cursor at position in sourceFile is within a comment that additionally
+     * satisfies extraCheck, and false otherwise.
+     */
+    export function isInCommentHelper(sourceFile: SourceFile, position: number, 
+        extraCheck: (c: CommentRange) => boolean): boolean {
+        let token = getTokenAtPosition(sourceFile, position);
+
+        if (token && position < token.getStart()) {
+            // First, we have to see if this position actually landed in a comment.
+            let commentRanges = getLeadingCommentRanges(sourceFile.text, token.pos);
+
+            // Then we want to make sure that it wasn't in a "///<" directive comment
+            // We don't want to unintentionally update a file name.
+            return forEach(commentRanges, c => c.pos < position && position < c.end && extraCheck(c));
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
 
     function nodeHasTokens(n: Node): boolean {
         // If we have a token or node that has a non-zero width, it must have tokens.