diff --git a/lib/less/parser.js b/lib/less/parser.js
index 63fee5f0..869ff8f5 100644
--- a/lib/less/parser.js
+++ b/lib/less/parser.js
@@ -170,8 +170,7 @@ less.Parser = function Parser(env) {
     // the lower the number, the less nodes it will create in the tree.
     // This could matter for debugging, or if you want to access
     // the individual nodes in the tree.
-    this.optimization = this.env.optimization || 2;
-
+    this.optimization = ('optimization' in this.env) ? this.env.optimization : 1;
 
     //
     // The Parser
@@ -196,20 +195,10 @@ less.Parser = function Parser(env) {
             // delmited by '\n}' (see rationale above),
             // depending on the level of optimization.
             if (that.optimization > 0) {
-                if (that.optimization > 2) {
-                    input = input.replace(/\/\*(?:[^*]|\*+[^\/*])*\*+\//g, '');
-                    chunks = input.split(/^(?=\n)/mg);
-                } else {
-                    for (var k = 0; k < input.length; k++) {
-                        if ((c = input.charAt(k)) === '}' && input.charCodeAt(k - 1) === 10) {
-                            chunks.push(buff.concat('}').join(''));
-                            buff = [];
-                        } else {
-                            buff.push(c);
-                        }
-                    }
-                    chunks.push(buff.join(''));
-                }
+                input = input.replace(/\/\*(?:[^*]|\*+[^\/*])*\*+\//g, function (comment) {
+                    return that.optimization > 1 ? '' : comment.replace(/\n\n+/g, '\n');
+                });
+                chunks = input.split(/^(?=\n)/mg);
             } else {
                 chunks = [input];
             }
diff --git a/test/less-test.js b/test/less-test.js
index 05f00871..948fc492 100644
--- a/test/less-test.js
+++ b/test/less-test.js
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ function toCSS(path, callback) {
         if (e) { return callback(e) }
 
         new(less.Parser)({
-            paths: [require('path').dirname(path)]
+            paths: [require('path').dirname(path)],
+            optimization: 0
         }).parse(str, function (err, tree) {
             if (err) {
                 callback(err);