diff --git a/coder.module b/coder.module
index 49d488fd6a0de78dcaf3d330d9eda44a67fb0557..ab54835cfe9cc312a44d2f99e5b9509a56506db3 100644
--- a/coder.module
+++ b/coder.module
@@ -779,17 +779,9 @@ function _coder_read_and_parse_file(&$coder_args) {
       $this_all_lines .= $char;
 
       if ($in_php) {
-        // look for the ending php tag which tags precedence over everything
-        if ($char == '?' && $content[$pos + 1] == '>') {
-          unset($char);
-          $in_php = 0;
-          $this_all_lines .= '>';
-          $pos ++;
-        }
-
         // when in a quoted string, look for the trailing quote
         // strip characters in the string, replacing with '' or ""
-        elseif ($in_quote) {
+        if ($in_quote) {
           if ($in_backslash) {
             $in_backslash = 0;
           }
@@ -835,6 +827,14 @@ function _coder_read_and_parse_file(&$coder_args) {
           unset($char);
         }
 
+        // look for the ending php tag 
+        elseif ($char == '?' && $content[$pos + 1] == '>') {
+          unset($char);
+          $in_php = 0;
+          $this_all_lines .= '>';
+          $pos ++;
+        }
+
         // when in a comment look for the trailing comment
         elseif ($in_comment) {
           $this_comment_lines .= $char;