diff --git a/src/lint/linter/xhpast/rules/ArcanistNamespaceFirstStatementXHPASTLinterRule.php b/src/lint/linter/xhpast/rules/ArcanistNamespaceFirstStatementXHPASTLinterRule.php
--- a/src/lint/linter/xhpast/rules/ArcanistNamespaceFirstStatementXHPASTLinterRule.php
+++ b/src/lint/linter/xhpast/rules/ArcanistNamespaceFirstStatementXHPASTLinterRule.php
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
   const ID = 98;
 
   public function getLintName() {
-    return pht('`%s` Statement Must Be The First Statement', 'namespace');
+    return pht('`%s` Statement Must Be The First Statement Or After Only `%s`
+      calls', 'namespace', 'declare');
   }
 
   public function process(XHPASTNode $root) {
@@ -18,18 +19,26 @@
 
     $statements = $root->getChildOfType(0, 'n_STATEMENT_LIST');
 
-    // Ignore the first statement, which should be `n_OPEN_TAG`.
-    $second_statement = $statements->getChildByIndex(1)->getChildByIndex(0);
-
-    if ($second_statement->getTypeName() != 'n_NAMESPACE') {
-      $this->raiseLintAtNode(
-        $second_statement,
-        pht(
-          'A script which contains a `%s` statement expects the very first '.
-          'statement to be a `%s` statement. Otherwise, a PHP fatal error '.
-          'will occur. %s',
-          'namespace',
-          'namespace', $second_statement->getTypeName()));
+    foreach ($statements->getChildren() as $statement) {
+      if ($statement->getTypeName() === 'n_OPEN_TAG') {
+        continue;
+      }
+      $statement_type = $statement->getChildByIndex(0)->getTypeName();
+      if ($statement_type === 'n_DECLARE') {
+        continue;
+      } else if ($statement_type !== 'n_NAMESPACE') {
+        $this->raiseLintAtNode(
+          $statement,
+          pht(
+            'A script which contains a `%s` statement expects it is the very '.
+            'first statement or only after `%s` statements. Otherwise, a PHP '.
+            'fatal error will occur. %s',
+            'namespace',
+            'declare',
+            $statement_type));
+      } else {
+        break;
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/lint/linter/xhpast/rules/__tests__/namespace-first-statement/declare-before-namespace.lint-test b/src/lint/linter/xhpast/rules/__tests__/namespace-first-statement/declare-before-namespace.lint-test
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lint/linter/xhpast/rules/__tests__/namespace-first-statement/declare-before-namespace.lint-test
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+<?php
+declare(strict_types=1);
+namespace X;
+~~~~~~~~~~