diff --git a/scan.php b/scan.php
index d54dbc4..044880a 100644
--- a/scan.php
+++ b/scan.php
@@ -164,6 +164,14 @@ class MalwareScanner
         $list = array();
         if (is_readable($file)) {
             foreach (file($file) as $pattern) {
+                //Check if the line is only whitespace and skips.
+                if (strlen(trim($pattern)) == 0) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                //Check if first char in pattern is a '#' which indicates a comment and skips.
+                if ($pattern[0] === '#') {
+                    continue;
+                }
                 $list[] = trim($pattern);
             }
         }
@@ -183,12 +191,6 @@ class MalwareScanner
             array_push($this->patterns_raw, "googleBot", "htaccess");
         }
         foreach ($this->patterns_raw as $toSearch) {
-            if (!$toSearch) {
-                continue;
-            }
-            if ($toSearch[0] === '#') {
-                continue;
-            }
             if (strpos($fileContent, $toSearch) !== FALSE){
                 $found = true;
                 if ($hash === ''){
@@ -203,12 +205,6 @@ class MalwareScanner
         
         if (!$found || $this->verbose) {
             foreach ($this->patterns_iraw as $toSearch) {
-                if (!$toSearch) {
-                    continue;
-                }
-                if ($toSearch[0] === '#') {
-                    continue;
-                }
                 if (stripos($fileContent, $toSearch) !== FALSE){
                     $found = true;
                     if ($hash === ''){
@@ -224,12 +220,6 @@ class MalwareScanner
 
         if (!$found || $this->verbose) {
             foreach ($this->patterns_re as $toSearch) {
-                if (!$toSearch) {
-                    continue;
-                }
-                if ($toSearch[0] === '#') {
-                    continue;
-                }
                 if (preg_match('/' . $toSearch . '/im', $fileContent)) {
                     $found = true;
                     if ($hash === ''){