diff --git a/lib/PHPParser/Node.php b/lib/PHPParser/Node.php
index c86a200..a2c8c48 100644
--- a/lib/PHPParser/Node.php
+++ b/lib/PHPParser/Node.php
@@ -31,19 +31,14 @@ interface PHPParser_Node
     public function setLine($line);
 
     /**
-     * Gets the nearest doc comment.
+     * Gets the doc comment of the node.
      *
-     * @return null|string Nearest doc comment or null
+     * The doc comment has to be the last comment associated with the node.
+     *
+     * @return null|PHPParser_Comment_Doc Doc comment object or null
      */
     public function getDocComment();
 
-    /**
-     * Sets the nearest doc comment.
-     *
-     * @param null|string $docComment Nearest doc comment or null
-     */
-    public function setDocComment($docComment);
-
     /**
      * Sets an attribute on a node.
      *
diff --git a/lib/PHPParser/NodeAbstract.php b/lib/PHPParser/NodeAbstract.php
index c0db699..e7d0456 100644
--- a/lib/PHPParser/NodeAbstract.php
+++ b/lib/PHPParser/NodeAbstract.php
@@ -53,21 +53,24 @@ abstract class PHPParser_NodeAbstract implements PHPParser_Node, IteratorAggrega
     }
 
     /**
-     * Gets the nearest doc comment.
+     * Gets the doc comment of the node.
      *
-     * @return null|string Nearest doc comment or null
+     * The doc comment has to be the last comment associated with the node.
+     *
+     * @return null|PHPParser_Comment_Doc Doc comment object or null
      */
     public function getDocComment() {
-        return $this->getAttribute('docComment');
-    }
+        $comments = $this->getAttribute('comments');
+        if (!$comments) {
+            return null;
+        }
 
-    /**
-     * Sets the nearest doc comment.
-     *
-     * @param null|string $docComment Nearest doc comment or null
-     */
-    public function setDocComment($docComment) {
-        $this->setAttribute('docComment', $docComment);
+        $lastComment = $comments[count($comments) - 1];
+        if (!$lastComment instanceof PHPParser_Comment_Doc) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        return $lastComment;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -87,8 +90,12 @@ abstract class PHPParser_NodeAbstract implements PHPParser_Node, IteratorAggrega
     /**
      * {@inheritDoc}
      */
-    public function getAttribute($key, $default = null) {
-        return array_key_exists($key, $this->attributes) ? $this->attributes[$key] : $default;
+    public function &getAttribute($key, $default = null) {
+        if (!array_key_exists($key, $this->attributes)) {
+            return $default;
+        } else {
+            return $this->attributes[$key];
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/test/PHPParser/Tests/NodeAbstractTest.php b/test/PHPParser/Tests/NodeAbstractTest.php
index f19ce08..767340e 100644
--- a/test/PHPParser/Tests/NodeAbstractTest.php
+++ b/test/PHPParser/Tests/NodeAbstractTest.php
@@ -4,8 +4,11 @@ class PHPParser_Tests_NodeAbstractTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
 {
     public function testConstruct() {
         $attributes = array(
-            'startLine'  => 10,
-            'docComment' => '/** doc comment */',
+            'startLine' => 10,
+            'comments'  => array(
+                new PHPParser_Comment('// Comment' . "\n"),
+                new PHPParser_Comment_Doc('/** doc comment */'),
+            ),
         );
 
         $node = $this->getMockForAbstractClass(
@@ -30,6 +33,17 @@ class PHPParser_Tests_NodeAbstractTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         return $node;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @depends testConstruct
+     */
+    public function testGetDocComment(PHPParser_Node $node) {
+        $this->assertEquals('/** doc comment */', $node->getDocComment());
+        array_pop($node->getAttribute('comments')); // remove doc comment
+        $this->assertNull($node->getDocComment());
+        array_pop($node->getAttribute('comments')); // remove comment
+        $this->assertNull($node->getDocComment());
+    }
+
     /**
      * @depends testConstruct
      */
@@ -38,10 +52,6 @@ class PHPParser_Tests_NodeAbstractTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $node->setLine(15);
         $this->assertEquals(15, $node->getLine());
 
-        // change of doc comment
-        $node->setDocComment('/** other doc comment */');
-        $this->assertEquals('/** other doc comment */', $node->getDocComment());
-
         // direct modification
         $node->subNode = 'newValue';
         $this->assertEquals('newValue', $node->subNode);