diff --git a/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/CodeStyle.java b/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/CodeStyle.java
--- a/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/CodeStyle.java
+++ b/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/CodeStyle.java
@@ -444,6 +444,10 @@
         return preferences.getBoolean(SPACE_BEFORE_CLOSE_PHP_TAG, getDefaultAsBoolean(SPACE_BEFORE_CLOSE_PHP_TAG));
     }
 
+    public boolean spaceBetweenOpenPHPTagAndNamespace() {
+        return preferences.getBoolean(SPACE_BETWEEN_OPEN_PHP_TAG_AND_NAMESPACE, getDefaultAsBoolean(SPACE_BETWEEN_OPEN_PHP_TAG_AND_NAMESPACE));
+    }
+
     // alignment
     public boolean alignMultilineMethodParams() {
         return preferences.getBoolean(ALIGN_MULTILINE_METHOD_PARAMS, getDefaultAsBoolean(ALIGN_MULTILINE_METHOD_PARAMS));
diff --git a/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/FmtOptions.java b/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/FmtOptions.java
--- a/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/FmtOptions.java
+++ b/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/FmtOptions.java
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@
     public static final String SPACE_CHECK_AFTER_KEYWORDS = "spaceCheckAfterKeywords"; //NOI18N
     public static final String SPACE_AFTER_SHORT_PHP_TAG = "spaceAfterShortPHPTag"; //NOI18N
     public static final String SPACE_BEFORE_CLOSE_PHP_TAG = "spaceBeforeClosePHPTag"; //NOI18N
+    public static final String SPACE_BETWEEN_OPEN_PHP_TAG_AND_NAMESPACE = "spaceBetweenOpenPHPTagAndNamespace"; //NOI18N
     public static final String PLACE_ELSE_ON_NEW_LINE = "placeElseOnNewLine"; //NOI18N
     public static final String PLACE_WHILE_ON_NEW_LINE = "placeWhileOnNewLine"; //NOI18N
     public static final String PLACE_CATCH_ON_NEW_LINE = "placeCatchOnNewLine"; //NOI18N
@@ -340,6 +341,7 @@
             {SPACE_CHECK_AFTER_KEYWORDS, TRUE},
             {SPACE_AFTER_SHORT_PHP_TAG, TRUE},
             {SPACE_BEFORE_CLOSE_PHP_TAG, TRUE},
+            {SPACE_BETWEEN_OPEN_PHP_TAG_AND_NAMESPACE, FALSE},
             {ALIGN_MULTILINE_METHOD_PARAMS, FALSE}, //NOI18N
             {ALIGN_MULTILINE_CALL_ARGS, FALSE}, //NOI18N
             {ALIGN_MULTILINE_IMPLEMENTS, FALSE}, //NOI18N
diff --git a/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/TokenFormatter.java b/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/TokenFormatter.java
--- a/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/TokenFormatter.java
+++ b/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/TokenFormatter.java
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@
         public boolean spaceAfterTypeCast;
         public boolean spaceAfterShortTag;
         public boolean spaceBeforeClosePHPTag;
+        public boolean spaceBetweenOpenPHPTagAndNamespace;
         public boolean placeElseOnNewLine;
         public boolean placeWhileOnNewLine;
         public boolean placeCatchOnNewLine;
@@ -281,6 +282,7 @@
             spaceAfterTypeCast = codeStyle.spaceAfterTypeCast();
             spaceAfterShortTag = codeStyle.spaceAfterShortPHPTag();
             spaceBeforeClosePHPTag = codeStyle.spaceBeforeClosePHPTag();
+            spaceBetweenOpenPHPTagAndNamespace = codeStyle.spaceBetweenOpenPHPTagAndNamespace();
 
             placeElseOnNewLine = codeStyle.placeElseOnNewLine();
             placeWhileOnNewLine = codeStyle.placeWhileOnNewLine();
@@ -700,7 +702,13 @@
                                             countSpaces = indent;
                                         } else {
                                             if (newLines == 0) {
-                                                countSpaces = 1; // one space before OPEN_TAG and NS_DECLARATION - probably in one line
+                                                if (docOptions.spaceBetweenOpenPHPTagAndNamespace) {
+                                                    countSpaces = 1; // one space before OPEN_TAG and NS_DECLARATION - probably in one line  
+                                                } else {
+                                                    // for PSR-2
+                                                    newLines = 1;
+                                                    countSpaces = indent;
+                                                }
                                             }
                                             countSpaces = Math.max(indent, countSpaces);
                                         }
diff --git a/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/ui/Bundle.properties b/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/ui/Bundle.properties
--- a/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/ui/Bundle.properties
+++ b/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/ui/Bundle.properties
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@
 LBL_spaceCheckAfterKeywords=After Keywords
 LBL_spaceAfterShortPHPTag=After Short PHP Tag
 LBL_spaceBeforeClosePHPTag=Before Close PHP Tag
+LBL_spaceBetweenOpenPHPTagAndNamespace=Between Open PHP Tag and Namespace
 
 LBL_bp_If="&if", "else", "elseif"
 LBL_bp_FOR="&for", "foreach"
diff --git a/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/ui/FmtSpaces.java b/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/ui/FmtSpaces.java
--- a/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/ui/FmtSpaces.java
+++ b/php.editor/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/ui/FmtSpaces.java
@@ -323,7 +323,8 @@
                 new Item(SPACE_AFTER_TYPE_CAST),
                 new Item(SPACE_CHECK_AFTER_KEYWORDS),
                 new Item(SPACE_AFTER_SHORT_PHP_TAG),
-                new Item(SPACE_BEFORE_CLOSE_PHP_TAG))
+                new Item(SPACE_BEFORE_CLOSE_PHP_TAG),
+                new Item(SPACE_BETWEEN_OPEN_PHP_TAG_AND_NAMESPACE))
 
         };
 
diff --git a/php.editor/test/unit/data/testfiles/formatting/blankLines/issue243744.php b/php.editor/test/unit/data/testfiles/formatting/blankLines/issue243744.php
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/php.editor/test/unit/data/testfiles/formatting/blankLines/issue243744.php
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Foo;
+
+class ClassName {
+
+}
+
diff --git a/php.editor/test/unit/data/testfiles/formatting/blankLines/issue243744.php.formatted b/php.editor/test/unit/data/testfiles/formatting/blankLines/issue243744.php.formatted
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/php.editor/test/unit/data/testfiles/formatting/blankLines/issue243744.php.formatted
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+<?php
+namespace Foo;
+
+class ClassName {
+    
+}
diff --git a/php.editor/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/PHPFormatterBlankLinesTest.java b/php.editor/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/PHPFormatterBlankLinesTest.java
--- a/php.editor/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/PHPFormatterBlankLinesTest.java
+++ b/php.editor/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/modules/php/editor/indent/PHPFormatterBlankLinesTest.java
@@ -891,6 +891,7 @@
         HashMap<String, Object> options = new HashMap<String, Object>(FmtOptions.getDefaults());
         options.put(FmtOptions.BLANK_LINES_AFTER_OPEN_PHP_TAG, 0);
         options.put(FmtOptions.BLANK_LINES_BEFORE_NAMESPACE, 0);
+        options.put(FmtOptions.SPACE_BETWEEN_OPEN_PHP_TAG_AND_NAMESPACE, true);
         reformatFileContents("testfiles/formatting/blankLines/issue235710_01.php", options);
     }
 
@@ -955,4 +956,11 @@
         reformatFileContents("testfiles/formatting/blankLines/issue235972_02.php", options);
     }
 
+    public void testIssue243744() throws Exception {
+        HashMap<String, Object> options = new HashMap<>(FmtOptions.getDefaults());
+        options.put(FmtOptions.BLANK_LINES_AFTER_OPEN_PHP_TAG, 0);
+        options.put(FmtOptions.BLANK_LINES_BEFORE_NAMESPACE, 0);
+        reformatFileContents("testfiles/formatting/blankLines/issue243744.php", options);
+    }
+
 }