diff --git a/config/pmd.xml b/config/pmd.xml
index bc9d0170c..7e7657902 100644
--- a/config/pmd.xml
+++ b/config/pmd.xml
@@ -130,8 +130,6 @@
   </rule>
 
   <rule ref="rulesets/java/design.xml">
-    <!-- till #974-->
-    <exclude name="ConfusingTernary"/>
     <!-- extra final modifier does not make code more secure in that cases-->
     <exclude name="ImmutableField"/>
     <!-- this rule does not have any option, unreasonable to use -->
@@ -146,6 +144,12 @@
     <exclude name="GodClass"/>
   </rule>
 
+  <rule ref="rulesets/java/design.xml/ConfusingTernary">
+    <properties>
+     <!-- false positives on IF_ELSE-IF-ELSE-IF -->
+    <property name="violationSuppressXPath" value="//ClassOrInterfaceDeclaration[@Image='XMLLogger']//MethodDeclarator[@Image='isReference'] | //ClassOrInterfaceDeclaration[@Image='DetailAST']//MethodDeclarator[@Image='addPreviousSibling'] | //ClassOrInterfaceDeclaration[@Image='AnnotationLocationCheck']//MethodDeclarator[@Image='checkAnnotations'] | //ClassOrInterfaceDeclaration[@Image='PkgControl']//MethodDeclarator[@Image='checkAccess'] | //ClassOrInterfaceDeclaration[@Image='HandlerFactory']//MethodDeclarator[@Image='getHandler']"/>
+    </properties>
+  </rule>
   <rule ref="rulesets/java/design.xml/EmptyMethodInAbstractClassShouldBeAbstract">
     <properties>
      <!-- Can not change API -->