diff --git a/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/parser/PHPDocCommentParser.java b/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/parser/PHPDocCommentParser.java
--- a/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/parser/PHPDocCommentParser.java
+++ b/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/parser/PHPDocCommentParser.java
@@ -203,11 +203,14 @@
                 blockDescription = description + line;
             } else {
                 description = description + line;
+                String tagDescription = description.length() > 0 && description.charAt(description.length() - 1) == '\n'
+                        ? description.substring(0, description.length() - 1)
+                        : description;
                 PHPDocTag tag = createTag(
                         startOffset + 3 + lastStartIndex,
                         startOffset + 3 + lastEndIndex,
                         lastTag,
-                        description.substring(0, description.length() - 1),
+                        tagDescription,
                         comment,
                         startOffset + 3);
                 if (tag != null) {
@@ -228,7 +231,9 @@
                 PHPDocNode varibaleNode = null;
                 if (variable != null) {
                     int startOfVariable = findStartOfDocNode(originalComment, originalCommentStart, variable, start);
-                    varibaleNode = new PHPDocNode(startOfVariable, startOfVariable + variable.length(), variable);
+                    if (startOfVariable != -1) {
+                        varibaleNode = new PHPDocNode(startOfVariable, startOfVariable + variable.length(), variable);
+                    }
                 } else if (type.equals(PHPDocTag.Type.PARAM)) {
                     varibaleNode = new PHPDocNode(start, start, ""); //NOI18N
                 }
@@ -240,9 +245,14 @@
                 String name = getMethodName(description);
                 if (name != null) {
                     int startOfVariable = findStartOfDocNode(originalComment, originalCommentStart, name, start);
-                    PHPDocNode methodNode = new PHPDocNode(startOfVariable, startOfVariable + name.length(), name);
-                    List<PHPDocVarTypeTag> params = findMethodParams(description, findStartOfDocNode(originalComment, originalCommentStart, description, start));
-                    return new PHPDocMethodTag(start, end, type, docTypes, methodNode, params, description);
+                    if (startOfVariable != -1) {
+                        PHPDocNode methodNode = new PHPDocNode(startOfVariable, startOfVariable + name.length(), name);
+                        int startOfDescription = findStartOfDocNode(originalComment, originalCommentStart, description, start);
+                        if (startOfDescription != -1) {
+                            List<PHPDocVarTypeTag> params = findMethodParams(description, startOfDescription);
+                            return new PHPDocMethodTag(start, end, type, docTypes, methodNode, params, description);
+                        }
+                    }
                 }
                 return null;
             } else if (type.equals(PHPDocTag.Type.RETURN) || type.equals(PHPDocTag.Type.VAR)) {
@@ -272,6 +282,9 @@
         for (String stype : getTypes(description, isReturnTag)) {
             stype = removeHTMLTags(stype);
             int startDocNode = findStartOfDocNode(originalComment, originalCommentStart, stype, startDescription);
+            if (startDocNode == -1) {
+                continue;
+            }
             int index = stype.indexOf("::");    //NOI18N
             boolean isArray = (stype.indexOf('[') > 0 && stype.indexOf(']') > 0);
             if (isArray) {
@@ -354,11 +367,13 @@
                 paramName = getVaribleName(token.trim());
                 if (paramName != null) {
                     int startOfParamName = findStartOfDocNode(description, startOfDescription, paramName, position);
-                    PHPDocNode paramNameNode = new PHPDocNode(startOfParamName, startOfParamName + paramName.length(), paramName);
-                    List<PHPDocTypeNode> types = token.trim().indexOf(' ') > -1
-                            ? findTypes(token, position, description, startOfDescription)
-                            : Collections.EMPTY_LIST;
-                    result.add(new PHPDocVarTypeTag(position, startOfParamName + paramName.length(), PHPDocTag.Type.PARAM, token, types, paramNameNode));
+                    if (startOfParamName != -1) {
+                        PHPDocNode paramNameNode = new PHPDocNode(startOfParamName, startOfParamName + paramName.length(), paramName);
+                        List<PHPDocTypeNode> types = token.trim().indexOf(' ') > -1
+                                ? findTypes(token, position, description, startOfDescription)
+                                : Collections.EMPTY_LIST;
+                        result.add(new PHPDocVarTypeTag(position, startOfParamName + paramName.length(), PHPDocTag.Type.PARAM, token, types, paramNameNode));
+                    }
                 }
                 position = position + token.length() + 1;
             }
@@ -379,9 +394,19 @@
         return value;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Find the start position of the specified string in the comment.
+     *
+     * @param originalComment the comment
+     * @param originalStart the offset of the original comment
+     * @param what the target string
+     * @param from the start offset
+     * @return the start position of the specified string if it is found,
+     * otherwise -1.
+     */
     private int findStartOfDocNode(String originalComment, int originalStart, String what, int from) {
         int pos = originalComment.indexOf(what, from - originalStart);
-        return originalStart + pos;
+        return pos == -1 ? pos : originalStart + pos;
     }
 
     private String removeStarAndTrim(String text) {
diff --git a/php.editor/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/parser/PHPDocCommentParserTest.java b/php.editor/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/parser/PHPDocCommentParserTest.java
--- a/php.editor/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/parser/PHPDocCommentParserTest.java
+++ b/php.editor/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/parser/PHPDocCommentParserTest.java
@@ -224,6 +224,36 @@
         assertNotNull(block);
     }
 
+    public void testIssue257977() throws Exception {
+        /**
+         * @since 2012-02-14
+         * @since 2012-02-15
+         *
+         * Test
+         */
+        String comment =
+                  " * @since 2012-02-14\n"
+                + " * @since 2012-02-15\n"
+                + " *\n"
+                + " * Test";
+        PHPDocCommentParser parser = new PHPDocCommentParser();
+        PHPDocBlock block = parser.parse(-3, comment.length(), comment);
+        List<PHPDocTag> tags = block.getTags();
+        assertEquals(2, tags.size());
+
+        PHPDocTag firstTag = tags.get(0);
+        AnnotationParsedLine firstLine = firstTag.getKind();
+        assertTrue(firstLine instanceof UnknownAnnotationLine);
+        assertEquals("2012-02-14", firstLine.getDescription());
+        assertEquals(" 2012-02-14", firstTag.getDocumentation());
+
+        PHPDocTag secondTag = tags.get(1);
+        AnnotationParsedLine secondLine = secondTag.getKind();
+        assertTrue(secondLine instanceof UnknownAnnotationLine);
+        assertEquals("2012-02-15", secondLine.getDescription());
+        assertEquals(" 2012-02-15\n\nTest", secondTag.getDocumentation());
+    }
+
     public void testProperty01() throws Exception {
         String comment = " * PHP Template.\n" +
                 " * @property string $name\n" +
diff --git a/spellchecker.bindings.php/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/spellchecker/bindings/php/PHPTokenListTest.java b/spellchecker.bindings.php/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/spellchecker/bindings/php/PHPTokenListTest.java
--- a/spellchecker.bindings.php/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/spellchecker/bindings/php/PHPTokenListTest.java
+++ b/spellchecker.bindings.php/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/spellchecker/bindings/php/PHPTokenListTest.java
@@ -171,6 +171,17 @@
         );
     }
 
+    public void testIssue257977() throws Exception {
+        tokenListTest(
+                "  /**\n"
+                + " * @since   2016-02-12\n"
+                + " *\n"
+                + " * Test\n"
+                + " */",
+                "Test"
+        );
+    }
+
     public void testPositions() throws Exception {
         Document doc = new PlainDocument();
         doc.putProperty(Language.class, PHPTokenId.language());