diff --git a/.eslintrc.json b/.eslintrc.json
index 3d5739a4..75470021 100644
--- a/.eslintrc.json
+++ b/.eslintrc.json
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
         "max-lines": "off",
         "max-nested-callbacks": "error",
         "max-params": ["error", 7],
-        "max-statements": ["error", 32],
+        "max-statements": ["error", 20],
         "max-statements-per-line": "error",
         "multiline-comment-style": ["error", "separate-lines"],
         "multiline-ternary": "off",
diff --git a/lib/markdownlint.js b/lib/markdownlint.js
index 52a7defa..157ed948 100644
--- a/lib/markdownlint.js
+++ b/lib/markdownlint.js
@@ -8,33 +8,6 @@ var md = require("markdown-it")({ "html": true });
 var rules = require("./rules");
 var shared = require("./shared");
 
-// Mapping from rule names/tags to canonical rule name
-var aliasToRuleNames = {};
-// var tagToRuleNames = {};
-rules.forEach(function forRule(rule) {
-  var ruleName = rule.names[0].toUpperCase();
-  // The following is useful for updating README.md
-  // console.log(
-  //   "* **[" + ruleName + "](doc/Rules.md#" + ruleName.toLowerCase() +
-  //    ")** *" + rule.names.slice(1).join(", ") + "* - " + rule.description);
-  rule.names.forEach(function forName(name) {
-    var nameUpper = name.toUpperCase();
-    aliasToRuleNames[nameUpper] = [ ruleName ];
-  });
-  rule.tags.forEach(function forTag(tag) {
-    var tagUpper = tag.toUpperCase();
-    var ruleNames = aliasToRuleNames[tagUpper] || [];
-    ruleNames.push(ruleName);
-    aliasToRuleNames[tagUpper] = ruleNames;
-    // tagToRuleNames[tag] = ruleName;
-  });
-});
-// The following is useful for updating README.md
-// Object.keys(tagToRuleNames).sort().forEach(function forTag(tag) {
-//   console.log("* **" + tag + "** - " +
-//     aliasToRuleNames[tag.toUpperCase()].join(", "));
-// });
-
 // Class for results with toString for pretty display
 function Results() {}
 Results.prototype.toString = function resultsToString(useAlias) {
@@ -85,24 +58,8 @@ Results.prototype.toString = function resultsToString(useAlias) {
   return results.join("\n");
 };
 
-// Array.sort comparison for objects in errors array
-function lineNumberComparison(a, b) {
-  return a.lineNumber - b.lineNumber;
-}
-
-// Function to return unique values from a sorted errors array
-function uniqueFilterForSortedErrors(value, index, array) {
-  return (index === 0) || (value.lineNumber > array[index - 1].lineNumber);
-}
-
-// Lints a single string
-function lintContent(
-  content, config, frontMatter, noInlineConfig, resultVersion) {
-  // Remove UTF-8 byte order marker (if present)
-  if (content.charCodeAt(0) === 0xfeff) {
-    content = content.slice(1);
-  }
-  // Remove front matter (if present at beginning of content)
+// Remove front matter (if present at beginning of content)
+function removeFrontMatter(content, frontMatter) {
   var frontMatterLines = [];
   if (frontMatter) {
     var frontMatterMatch = content.match(frontMatter);
@@ -116,14 +73,16 @@ function lintContent(
       }
     }
   }
-  // Ignore the content of HTML comments
-  content = shared.clearHtmlCommentText(content);
-  // Parse content into tokens and lines
-  var tokens = md.parse(content, {});
-  var lines = content.split(shared.newLineRe);
-  var tokenLists = {};
+  return {
+    "content": content,
+    "frontMatterLines": frontMatterLines
+  };
+}
+
+// Annotate tokens with line/lineNumber
+function annotateTokens(tokens, lines) {
   var tbodyMap = null;
-  // Annotate tokens with line/lineNumber
+  var tokenLists = {};
   tokens.forEach(function forToken(token) {
     // Handle missing maps for table body
     if (token.type === "tbody_open") {
@@ -159,7 +118,41 @@ function lintContent(
     }
     tokenLists[token.type].push(token);
   });
-  // Merge rules/tags and sanitize config
+  return tokenLists;
+}
+
+// Map rule names/tags to canonical rule name
+function mapAliasToRuleNames(ruleList) {
+  var aliasToRuleNames = {};
+  // var tagToRuleNames = {};
+  ruleList.forEach(function forRule(rule) {
+    var ruleName = rule.names[0].toUpperCase();
+    // The following is useful for updating README.md:
+    // console.log(
+    //   "* **[" + ruleName + "](doc/Rules.md#" + ruleName.toLowerCase() +
+    //    ")** *" + rule.names.slice(1).join(", ") + "* - " + rule.description);
+    rule.names.forEach(function forName(name) {
+      var nameUpper = name.toUpperCase();
+      aliasToRuleNames[nameUpper] = [ ruleName ];
+    });
+    rule.tags.forEach(function forTag(tag) {
+      var tagUpper = tag.toUpperCase();
+      var ruleNames = aliasToRuleNames[tagUpper] || [];
+      ruleNames.push(ruleName);
+      aliasToRuleNames[tagUpper] = ruleNames;
+      // tagToRuleNames[tag] = ruleName;
+    });
+  });
+  // The following is useful for updating README.md:
+  // Object.keys(tagToRuleNames).sort().forEach(function forTag(tag) {
+  //   console.log("* **" + tag + "** - " +
+  //     aliasToRuleNames[tag.toUpperCase()].join(", "));
+  // });
+  return aliasToRuleNames;
+}
+
+// Merge rules/tags and sanitize config
+function mergeRulesAndSanitize(config, aliasToRuleNames) {
   var defaultKey = Object.keys(config).filter(function forKey(key) {
     return key.toUpperCase() === "DEFAULT";
   });
@@ -183,7 +176,12 @@ function lintContent(
       mergedRules[ruleName] = value;
     });
   });
-  // Create mapping of enabled rules per line
+  return mergedRules;
+}
+
+// Create mapping of enabled rules per line
+function getEnabledRulesPerLineNumber(
+  lines, frontMatterLines, noInlineConfig, mergedRules, aliasToRuleNames) {
   var enabledRules = {};
   var allRuleNames = [];
   rules.forEach(function forRule(rule) {
@@ -216,6 +214,40 @@ function lintContent(
     }
     enabledRulesPerLineNumber.push(enabledRules);
   });
+  return enabledRulesPerLineNumber;
+}
+
+// Array.sort comparison for objects in errors array
+function lineNumberComparison(a, b) {
+  return a.lineNumber - b.lineNumber;
+}
+
+// Function to return unique values from a sorted errors array
+function uniqueFilterForSortedErrors(value, index, array) {
+  return (index === 0) || (value.lineNumber > array[index - 1].lineNumber);
+}
+
+// Lints a single string
+function lintContent(
+  content, config, frontMatter, noInlineConfig, resultVersion) {
+  // Remove UTF-8 byte order marker (if present)
+  if (content.charCodeAt(0) === 0xfeff) {
+    content = content.slice(1);
+  }
+  // Remove front matter
+  var removeFrontMatterResult = removeFrontMatter(content, frontMatter);
+  content = removeFrontMatterResult.content;
+  var frontMatterLines = removeFrontMatterResult.frontMatterLines;
+  // Ignore the content of HTML comments
+  content = shared.clearHtmlCommentText(content);
+  // Parse content into tokens and lines
+  var tokens = md.parse(content, {});
+  var lines = content.split(shared.newLineRe);
+  var tokenLists = annotateTokens(tokens, lines);
+  var aliasToRuleNames = mapAliasToRuleNames(rules);
+  var mergedRules = mergeRulesAndSanitize(config, aliasToRuleNames);
+  var enabledRulesPerLineNumber = getEnabledRulesPerLineNumber(
+    lines, frontMatterLines, noInlineConfig, mergedRules, aliasToRuleNames);
   // Create parameters for rules
   var params = {
     "tokens": tokens,
diff --git a/test/markdownlint-test.js b/test/markdownlint-test.js
index 8520e71f..5eb161f8 100644
--- a/test/markdownlint-test.js
+++ b/test/markdownlint-test.js
@@ -1071,15 +1071,12 @@ module.exports.readme = function readme(test) {
           if (!seenRelated) {
             seenRelated = true;
           } else if (seenRelated && !seenRules) {
-            seenRules = true;
-            inRules = true;
+            seenRules = inRules = true;
           } else if (seenRelated && seenRules && !seenTags) {
-            seenTags = true;
-            inTags = true;
+            seenTags = inTags = true;
           }
         } else if (token.type === "bullet_list_close") {
-          inRules = false;
-          inTags = false;
+          inRules = inTags = false;
         } else if (token.type === "inline") {
           if (inRules) {
             var rule = rulesLeft.shift();
@@ -1145,17 +1142,15 @@ module.exports.doc = function doc(test) {
             ruleHasTags = ruleHasAliases = false;
             test.ok(rule,
               "Missing rule implementation for " + token.content + ".");
-            if (rule) {
-              test.equal(token.content,
-                rule.names[0] + " - " + rule.description,
-                "Rule mismatch.");
-              ruleUsesParams = rule.function.toString()
-                .match(/params\.config\.[_a-z]*/gi);
-              if (ruleUsesParams) {
-                ruleUsesParams = ruleUsesParams.map(function forUse(use) {
-                  return use.split(".").pop();
-                });
-              }
+            test.equal(token.content,
+              rule.names[0] + " - " + rule.description,
+              "Rule mismatch.");
+            ruleUsesParams = rule.function.toString()
+              .match(/params\.config\.[_a-z]*/gi);
+            if (ruleUsesParams) {
+              ruleUsesParams = ruleUsesParams.map(function forUse(use) {
+                return use.split(".").pop();
+              });
             }
           } else if (/^Tags: /.test(token.content) && rule) {
             test.deepEqual(token.content.split(tagAliasParameterRe).slice(1),