diff --git a/docs/rules/newline-before-return.md b/docs/rules/newline-before-return.md
index 4a45c2ee5c9..34e972dfb6c 100644
--- a/docs/rules/newline-before-return.md
+++ b/docs/rules/newline-before-return.md
@@ -38,18 +38,6 @@ Examples of **incorrect** code for this rule:
 ```js
 /*eslint newline-before-return: "error"*/
 
-function foo() {
-
-    return;
-}
-
-function foo(bar) {
-    if (!bar) {
-
-        return;
-    }
-}
-
 function foo(bar) {
     if (!bar) {
         return;
@@ -57,12 +45,6 @@ function foo(bar) {
     return bar;
 }
 
-function foo() {
-
-    // comment
-    return;
-}
-
 function foo(bar) {
     if (!bar) {
         return;
@@ -82,6 +64,11 @@ function foo() {
     return;
 }
 
+function foo() {
+
+    return;
+}
+
 function foo(bar) {
     if (!bar) return;
 }
@@ -103,6 +90,19 @@ function foo(bar) {
 
     return bar;
 }
+
+function foo(bar) {
+    if (!bar) {
+
+        return;
+    }
+}
+
+function foo() {
+
+    // comment
+    return;
+}
 ```
 
 ## When Not To Use It
diff --git a/lib/rules/newline-before-return.js b/lib/rules/newline-before-return.js
index 77f3aedaa80..5c8a139358c 100644
--- a/lib/rules/newline-before-return.js
+++ b/lib/rules/newline-before-return.js
@@ -133,32 +133,17 @@ module.exports = {
             return (lineNumNode - lineNumTokenBefore - commentLines) > 1;
         }
 
-        /**
-         * Reports expected/unexpected newline before return statement
-         * @param {ASTNode} node - the node to report in the event of an error
-         * @param {boolean} isExpected - whether the newline is expected or not
-         * @returns {void}
-         * @private
-         */
-        function reportError(node, isExpected) {
-            var expected = isExpected ? "Expected" : "Unexpected";
-
-            context.report({
-                node: node,
-                message: expected + " newline before return statement."
-            });
-        }
-
         //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
         // Public
         //--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
         return {
             ReturnStatement: function(node) {
-                if (isFirstNode(node) && hasNewlineBefore(node)) {
-                    reportError(node, false);
-                } else if (!isFirstNode(node) && !hasNewlineBefore(node)) {
-                    reportError(node, true);
+                if (!isFirstNode(node) && !hasNewlineBefore(node)) {
+                    context.report({
+                        node: node,
+                        message: "Expected newline before return statement."
+                    });
                 }
             }
         };
diff --git a/tests/lib/rules/newline-before-return.js b/tests/lib/rules/newline-before-return.js
index ccfb622dfb3..bfa197166c8 100644
--- a/tests/lib/rules/newline-before-return.js
+++ b/tests/lib/rules/newline-before-return.js
@@ -20,12 +20,16 @@ var ruleTester = new RuleTester();
 ruleTester.run("newline-before-return", rule, {
     valid: [
         "function a() {\nreturn;\n}",
+        "function a() {\n\nreturn;\n}",
         "function a() {\nvar b;\n\nreturn;\n}",
         "function a() {\nif (b) return;\n}",
         "function a() {\nif (b) { return; }\n}",
         "function a() {\nif (b) {\nreturn;\n}\n}",
+        "function a() {\nif (b) {\n\nreturn;\n}\n}",
         "function a() {\nif (b) {\nreturn;\n}\n\nreturn c;\n}",
+        "function a() {\nif (b) {\n\nreturn;\n}\n\nreturn c;\n}",
         "function a() {\nif (!b) {\nreturn;\n} else {\nreturn b;\n}\n}",
+        "function a() {\nif (!b) {\nreturn;\n} else {\n\nreturn b;\n}\n}",
         "function a() {\nif (b) {\nreturn b;\n} else if (c) {\nreturn c;\n}\n}",
         "function a() {\nif (b) {\nreturn b;\n} else if (c) {\nreturn c;\n} else {\nreturn d;\n}\n}",
         "function a() {\nif (b) {\nreturn b;\n} else if (c) {\nreturn c;\n} else {\nreturn d;\n}\n\nreturn a;\n}",
@@ -54,13 +58,16 @@ ruleTester.run("newline-before-return", rule, {
         {
             code: "function a() {\nfor (b of c) return;\n}",
             parserOptions: { ecmaVersion: 6 }
-        }, {
+        },
+        {
             code: "function a() {\nfor (b of c)\nreturn;\n}",
             parserOptions: { ecmaVersion: 6 }
-        }, {
+        },
+        {
             code: "function a() {\nfor (b of c) {\nreturn;\n}\n}",
             parserOptions: { ecmaVersion: 6 }
-        }, {
+        },
+        {
             code: "function a() {\nfor (b of c) {\nd();\n\nreturn;\n}\n}",
             parserOptions: { ecmaVersion: 6 }
         },
@@ -101,147 +108,63 @@ ruleTester.run("newline-before-return", rule, {
 
     invalid: [
         {
-            code: "function a() {\n\nreturn;\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
             code: "function a() {\nvar b;\nreturn;\n}",
             errors: ["Expected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\nif (b) {\n\nreturn;\n}\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\nif (b) {\n\nreturn;\n}\nreturn c;\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement.", "Expected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\nif (!b) {\nreturn;\n} else {\n\nreturn b;\n}\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\nif (b) {\nreturn b;\n} else if (c) {\n\nreturn c;\n}\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\nif (b) {\nreturn b;\n} else if (c) {\n\nreturn c;\n} else {\n\nreturn d;\n}\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement.", "Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\nif (b) {\n\nreturn b;\n} else {\nreturn d;\n}\nreturn a;\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement.", "Expected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\nif (b) return b;\nelse if (c) return c;\nelse {\n\nreturn d;\n}\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
+        },
+        {
             code: "function a() {\nif (b) return b;\nelse if (c) return c;\nelse {\ne();\nreturn d;\n}\n}",
             errors: ["Expected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\n while (b) \n\nreturn;\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\n while (b) {\n\nreturn;\n}\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
+        },
+        {
             code: "function a() {\n while (b) {\nc();\nreturn;\n}\n}",
             errors: ["Expected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\ndo \n\nreturn;\nwhile (b);\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\ndo {\n\nreturn;\n} while (b);\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
+        },
+        {
             code: "function a() {\ndo {\nc();\nreturn;\n} while (b);\n}",
             errors: ["Expected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\nfor (var b; b < c; b++)\n\nreturn;\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\nfor (var b; b < c; b++) {\n\nreturn;\n}\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
+        },
+        {
             code: "function a() {\nfor (var b; b < c; b++) {\nc();\nreturn;\n}\n}",
             errors: ["Expected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\nfor (b in c)\n\nreturn;\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\nfor (b in c) {\n\nreturn;\n}\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
+        },
+        {
             code: "function a() {\nfor (b in c) {\nd();\nreturn;\n}\n}",
             errors: ["Expected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\nfor (b of c)\n\nreturn;\n}",
-            parserOptions: { ecmaVersion: 6 },
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\nfor (b of c) {\n\nreturn;\n}\n}",
-            parserOptions: { ecmaVersion: 6 },
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
+        },
+        {
             code: "function a() {\nfor (b of c) {\nd();\nreturn;\n}\n}",
             parserOptions: { ecmaVersion: 6 },
             errors: ["Expected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\nswitch (b) {\ncase 'b':\n\nreturn;\n}\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\nswitch (b) {\ncase 'b': {\n\nreturn;\n}\n}\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\n//comment\n\nreturn b;\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
+        },
+        {
             code: "function a() {\nif (b) {\nc();\n}\n//comment\nreturn b;\n}",
             errors: ["Expected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
+        },
+        {
             code: "function a() {\nif (b) {\nc();\n}\n//comment\nreturn b;\n}",
             errors: ["Expected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\n/*comment\ncomment*/\n//comment\n\nreturn b;\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\n//comment\nif (b) {\n/*comment\ncomment*/\n\nreturn;\n}\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
+        },
+        {
             code: "function a() {\n/*comment\ncomment*/\nif (b) {\nc();\nreturn b;\n} else {\n//comment\n\nreturn d;\n}\n/*multi-line\ncomment*/\nreturn e;\n}",
-            errors: ["Expected newline before return statement.", "Unexpected newline before return statement.", "Expected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "function a() {\nif (b) { //comment\n\nreturn;\n}\n\nreturn c;\n}",
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
+            errors: ["Expected newline before return statement.", "Expected newline before return statement."]
+        },
+        {
             code: "function a() {\nif (b) { return; } //comment\nreturn c;\n}",
             errors: ["Expected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
+        },
+        {
             code: "function a() {\nif (b) { return; } /*multi-line\ncomment*/\nreturn c;\n}",
             errors: ["Expected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
+        },
+        {
             code: "function a() {\nif (b) { return; }\n/*multi-line\ncomment*/ return c;\n}",
             errors: ["Expected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
+        },
+        {
             code: "function a() {\nif (b) { return; } /*multi-line\ncomment*/ return c;\n}",
             errors: ["Expected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "\nreturn;",
-            parserOptions: { ecmaFeatures: { globalReturn: true } },
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "\n\nreturn;",
-            parserOptions: { ecmaFeatures: { globalReturn: true } },
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "\n// comment\nreturn;",
-            parserOptions: { ecmaFeatures: { globalReturn: true } },
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "\n/* comment */\nreturn;",
-            parserOptions: { ecmaFeatures: { globalReturn: true } },
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "\n/* multi-line\ncomment */\nreturn;",
-            parserOptions: { ecmaFeatures: { globalReturn: true } },
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
-            code: "/* comment */\n\nreturn;",
-            parserOptions: { ecmaFeatures: { globalReturn: true } },
-            errors: ["Unexpected newline before return statement."]
-        }, {
+        },
+        {
             code: "var a;\nreturn;",
             parserOptions: { ecmaFeatures: { globalReturn: true } },
             errors: ["Expected newline before return statement."]