diff --git a/lib/linter.js b/lib/linter.js
index 207e2cad081..889448ab027 100755
--- a/lib/linter.js
+++ b/lib/linter.js
@@ -179,12 +179,12 @@ function parseListConfig(string) {
  * scope.
  * @param {Scope} globalScope The global scope.
  * @param {Object} config The existing configuration data.
+ * @param {{exportedVariables: Object, enabledGlobals: Object}} commentDirectives Directives from comment configuration
  * @param {Environments} envContext Env context
  * @returns {void}
  */
-function addDeclaredGlobals(globalScope, config, envContext) {
+function addDeclaredGlobals(globalScope, config, commentDirectives, envContext) {
     const declaredGlobals = {},
-        exportedGlobals = {},
         explicitGlobals = {},
         builtin = envContext.get("builtin");
 
@@ -199,9 +199,8 @@ function addDeclaredGlobals(globalScope, config, envContext) {
         }
     });
 
-    Object.assign(exportedGlobals, config.exported);
     Object.assign(declaredGlobals, config.globals);
-    Object.assign(explicitGlobals, config.astGlobals);
+    Object.assign(explicitGlobals, commentDirectives.enabledGlobals);
 
     Object.keys(declaredGlobals).forEach(name => {
         let variable = globalScope.set.get(name);
@@ -229,7 +228,7 @@ function addDeclaredGlobals(globalScope, config, envContext) {
     });
 
     // mark all exported variables as such
-    Object.keys(exportedGlobals).forEach(name => {
+    Object.keys(commentDirectives.exportedVariables).forEach(name => {
         const variable = globalScope.set.get(name);
 
         if (variable) {
@@ -283,108 +282,90 @@ function createDisableDirectives(type, loc, value) {
  * where reporting is disabled or enabled and merges them with reporting config.
  * @param {string} filename The file being checked.
  * @param {ASTNode} ast The top node of the AST.
- * @param {Object} config The existing configuration data.
  * @param {function(string): {create: Function}} ruleMapper A map from rule IDs to defined rules
- * @returns {{config: Object, problems: Problem[], disableDirectives: DisableDirective[]}}
- * Modified config object, along with any problems encountered while parsing config comments
+ * @returns {{configuredRules: Object, enabledGlobals: Object, exportedVariables: Object, problems: Problem[], disableDirectives: DisableDirective[]}}
+ * A collection of the directive comments that were found, along with any problems that occurred when parsing
  */
-function modifyConfigsFromComments(filename, ast, config, ruleMapper) {
-
-    const commentConfig = {
-        exported: {},
-        astGlobals: {},
-        rules: {},
-        env: {}
-    };
-    const commentRules = {};
+function getDirectiveComments(filename, ast, ruleMapper) {
+    const configuredRules = {};
+    const enabledGlobals = {};
+    const exportedVariables = {};
     const problems = [];
     const disableDirectives = [];
 
     ast.comments.filter(token => token.type !== "Shebang").forEach(comment => {
+        const trimmedCommentText = comment.value.trim();
+        const match = /^(eslint(-\w+){0,3}|exported|globals?)(\s|$)/.exec(trimmedCommentText);
 
-        let value = comment.value.trim();
-        const match = /^(eslint(-\w+){0,3}|exported|globals?)(\s|$)/.exec(value);
-
-        if (match) {
-            value = value.slice(match.index + match[1].length);
-            if (comment.type === "Block") {
-                switch (match[1]) {
-                    case "exported":
-                        Object.assign(commentConfig.exported, parseBooleanConfig(value, comment));
-                        break;
-
-                    case "globals":
-                    case "global":
-                        Object.assign(commentConfig.astGlobals, parseBooleanConfig(value, comment));
-                        break;
-
-                    case "eslint-disable":
-                        [].push.apply(disableDirectives, createDisableDirectives("disable", comment.loc.start, value));
-                        break;
-
-                    case "eslint-disable-line":
-                        if (comment.loc.start.line === comment.loc.end.line) {
-                            [].push.apply(disableDirectives, createDisableDirectives("disable-line", comment.loc.start, value));
-                        }
-                        break;
-
-                    case "eslint-disable-next-line":
-                        if (comment.loc.start.line === comment.loc.end.line) {
-                            [].push.apply(disableDirectives, createDisableDirectives("disable-next-line", comment.loc.start, value));
-                        }
-                        break;
-
-                    case "eslint-enable":
-                        [].push.apply(disableDirectives, createDisableDirectives("enable", comment.loc.start, value));
-                        break;
-
-                    case "eslint": {
-                        const parseResult = parseJsonConfig(value, comment.loc);
-
-                        if (parseResult.success) {
-                            Object.keys(parseResult.config).forEach(name => {
-                                const ruleValue = parseResult.config[name];
-
-                                try {
-                                    validator.validateRuleOptions(ruleMapper(name), name, ruleValue);
-                                } catch (err) {
-                                    problems.push({
-                                        ruleId: name,
-                                        severity: 2,
-                                        source: null,
-                                        message: err.message,
-                                        line: comment.loc.start.line,
-                                        column: comment.loc.start.column + 1,
-                                        endLine: comment.loc.end.line,
-                                        endColumn: comment.loc.end.column + 1,
-                                        nodeType: null
-                                    });
-                                }
-                                commentRules[name] = ruleValue;
-                            });
-                        } else {
-                            problems.push(parseResult.error);
-                        }
+        if (!match) {
+            return;
+        }
 
-                        break;
+        const directiveValue = trimmedCommentText.slice(match.index + match[1].length);
+
+        if (/^eslint-disable-(next-)?line$/.test(match[1]) && comment.loc.start.line === comment.loc.end.line) {
+            const directiveType = match[1].slice("eslint-".length);
+
+            [].push.apply(disableDirectives, createDisableDirectives(directiveType, comment.loc.start, directiveValue));
+        } else if (comment.type === "Block") {
+            switch (match[1]) {
+                case "exported":
+                    Object.assign(exportedVariables, parseBooleanConfig(directiveValue, comment));
+                    break;
+
+                case "globals":
+                case "global":
+                    Object.assign(enabledGlobals, parseBooleanConfig(directiveValue, comment));
+                    break;
+
+                case "eslint-disable":
+                    [].push.apply(disableDirectives, createDisableDirectives("disable", comment.loc.start, directiveValue));
+                    break;
+
+                case "eslint-enable":
+                    [].push.apply(disableDirectives, createDisableDirectives("enable", comment.loc.start, directiveValue));
+                    break;
+
+                case "eslint": {
+                    const parseResult = parseJsonConfig(directiveValue, comment.loc);
+
+                    if (parseResult.success) {
+                        Object.keys(parseResult.config).forEach(name => {
+                            const ruleValue = parseResult.config[name];
+
+                            try {
+                                validator.validateRuleOptions(ruleMapper(name), name, ruleValue);
+                            } catch (err) {
+                                problems.push({
+                                    ruleId: name,
+                                    severity: 2,
+                                    source: null,
+                                    message: err.message,
+                                    line: comment.loc.start.line,
+                                    column: comment.loc.start.column + 1,
+                                    endLine: comment.loc.end.line,
+                                    endColumn: comment.loc.end.column + 1,
+                                    nodeType: null
+                                });
+                            }
+                            configuredRules[name] = ruleValue;
+                        });
+                    } else {
+                        problems.push(parseResult.error);
                     }
 
-                    // no default
-                }
-            } else { // comment.type === "Line"
-                if (match[1] === "eslint-disable-line") {
-                    [].push.apply(disableDirectives, createDisableDirectives("disable-line", comment.loc.start, value));
-                } else if (match[1] === "eslint-disable-next-line") {
-                    [].push.apply(disableDirectives, createDisableDirectives("disable-next-line", comment.loc.start, value));
+                    break;
                 }
+
+                // no default
             }
         }
     });
 
-    Object.assign(commentConfig.rules, commentRules);
-
     return {
-        config: ConfigOps.merge(config, commentConfig),
+        configuredRules,
+        enabledGlobals,
+        exportedVariables,
         problems,
         disableDirectives
     };
@@ -775,10 +756,11 @@ module.exports = class Linter {
         // evaluate arguments
         if (typeof filenameOrOptions === "object") {
             providedFilename = filenameOrOptions.filename;
-            allowInlineConfig = filenameOrOptions.allowInlineConfig;
+            allowInlineConfig = filenameOrOptions.allowInlineConfig !== false;
             reportUnusedDisableDirectives = filenameOrOptions.reportUnusedDisableDirectives;
         } else {
             providedFilename = filenameOrOptions;
+            allowInlineConfig = true;
         }
 
         if (typeof textOrSourceCode === "string") {
@@ -861,24 +843,23 @@ module.exports = class Linter {
             }
         }
 
-        const problems = [];
         const sourceCode = lastSourceCodes.get(this);
-        let disableDirectives;
+        const commentDirectives = allowInlineConfig
+            ? getDirectiveComments(filename, sourceCode.ast, ruleId => this.rules.get(ruleId))
+            : { configuredRules: {}, enabledGlobals: {}, exportedVariables: {}, problems: [], disableDirectives: [] };
 
-        // parse global comments and modify config
-        if (allowInlineConfig !== false) {
-            const modifyConfigResult = modifyConfigsFromComments(filename, sourceCode.ast, config, ruleId => this.rules.get(ruleId));
+        const configuredRules = Object.assign({}, config.rules, commentDirectives.configuredRules);
 
-            config = modifyConfigResult.config;
-            modifyConfigResult.problems.forEach(problem => problems.push(problem));
-            disableDirectives = modifyConfigResult.disableDirectives;
-        } else {
-            disableDirectives = [];
-        }
+        // augment global scope with declared global variables
+        addDeclaredGlobals(
+            sourceCode.scopeManager.scopes[0],
+            config,
+            { exportedVariables: commentDirectives.exportedVariables, enabledGlobals: commentDirectives.enabledGlobals },
+            this.environments
+        );
 
         const emitter = createEmitter();
         const traverser = new Traverser();
-        const scopeManager = sourceCode.scopeManager;
 
         /*
          * Create a frozen object with the ruleContext properties and methods that are shared by all rules.
@@ -890,11 +871,11 @@ module.exports = class Linter {
                 Object.create(BASE_TRAVERSAL_CONTEXT),
                 {
                     getAncestors: () => traverser.parents(),
-                    getDeclaredVariables: scopeManager.getDeclaredVariables.bind(scopeManager),
+                    getDeclaredVariables: sourceCode.scopeManager.getDeclaredVariables.bind(sourceCode.scopeManager),
                     getFilename: () => filename,
-                    getScope: () => getScope(scopeManager, traverser.current(), config.parserOptions.ecmaVersion),
+                    getScope: () => getScope(sourceCode.scopeManager, traverser.current(), config.parserOptions.ecmaVersion),
                     getSourceCode: () => sourceCode,
-                    markVariableAsUsed: name => markVariableAsUsed(scopeManager, traverser.current(), config.parserOptions, name),
+                    markVariableAsUsed: name => markVariableAsUsed(sourceCode.scopeManager, traverser.current(), config.parserOptions, name),
                     parserOptions: config.parserOptions,
                     parserPath: config.parser,
                     parserServices: sourceCode.parserServices,
@@ -916,9 +897,11 @@ module.exports = class Linter {
             )
         );
 
+        const lintingProblems = [];
+
         // enable appropriate rules
-        Object.keys(config.rules).forEach(ruleId => {
-            const severity = ConfigOps.getRuleSeverity(config.rules[ruleId]);
+        Object.keys(configuredRules).forEach(ruleId => {
+            const severity = ConfigOps.getRuleSeverity(configuredRules[ruleId]);
 
             if (severity === 0) {
                 return;
@@ -932,7 +915,7 @@ module.exports = class Linter {
                     Object.create(sharedTraversalContext),
                     {
                         id: ruleId,
-                        options: getRuleOptions(config.rules[ruleId]),
+                        options: getRuleOptions(configuredRules[ruleId]),
                         report() {
 
                             /*
@@ -953,7 +936,7 @@ module.exports = class Linter {
                             if (problem.fix && rule.meta && !rule.meta.fixable) {
                                 throw new Error("Fixable rules should export a `meta.fixable` property.");
                             }
-                            problems.push(problem);
+                            lintingProblems.push(problem);
 
                             /*
                              * This is used to avoid breaking rules that used monkeypatch Linter, and relied on
@@ -995,9 +978,6 @@ module.exports = class Linter {
             }
         });
 
-        // augment global scope with declared global variables
-        addDeclaredGlobals(scopeManager.scopes[0], config, this.environments);
-
         const eventGenerator = new CodePathAnalyzer(new NodeEventGenerator(emitter));
 
         /*
@@ -1018,8 +998,10 @@ module.exports = class Linter {
         });
 
         return applyDisableDirectives({
-            directives: disableDirectives,
-            problems: problems.sort((problemA, problemB) => problemA.line - problemB.line || problemA.column - problemB.column),
+            directives: commentDirectives.disableDirectives,
+            problems: lintingProblems
+                .concat(commentDirectives.problems)
+                .sort((problemA, problemB) => problemA.line - problemB.line || problemA.column - problemB.column),
             reportUnusedDisableDirectives
         });
     }