diff --git a/lib/rules/utils/ast-utils.js b/lib/rules/utils/ast-utils.js
index ecde099fa02..21742366ce4 100644
--- a/lib/rules/utils/ast-utils.js
+++ b/lib/rules/utils/ast-utils.js
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ const thisTagPattern = /^[\s*]*@this/mu;
 
 
 const COMMENTS_IGNORE_PATTERN = /^\s*(?:eslint|jshint\s+|jslint\s+|istanbul\s+|globals?\s+|exported\s+|jscs)/u;
+const ESLINT_DIRECTIVE_PATTERN = /^(?:eslint[- ]|(?:globals?|exported) )/u;
 const LINEBREAKS = new Set(["\r\n", "\r", "\n", "\u2028", "\u2029"]);
 
 // A set of node types that can contain a list of statements
@@ -908,12 +909,8 @@ module.exports = {
         const comment = node.value.trim();
 
         return (
-            node.type === "Line" && comment.indexOf("eslint-") === 0 ||
-            node.type === "Block" && (
-                comment.indexOf("global ") === 0 ||
-                comment.indexOf("eslint ") === 0 ||
-                comment.indexOf("eslint-") === 0
-            )
+            node.type === "Line" && comment.startsWith("eslint-") ||
+            node.type === "Block" && ESLINT_DIRECTIVE_PATTERN.test(comment)
         );
     },
 
diff --git a/tests/lib/rules/no-inline-comments.js b/tests/lib/rules/no-inline-comments.js
index 463c86eea66..7eb0cac730f 100644
--- a/tests/lib/rules/no-inline-comments.js
+++ b/tests/lib/rules/no-inline-comments.js
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ ruleTester.run("no-inline-comments", rule, {
         "// A solitary comment",
         "var a = 1; // eslint-disable-line no-debugger",
         "var a = 1; /* eslint-disable-line no-debugger */",
+        "foo(); /* global foo */",
+        "foo(); /* globals foo */",
+        "var foo; /* exported foo */",
 
         // JSX exception
         `var a = (
diff --git a/tests/lib/rules/utils/ast-utils.js b/tests/lib/rules/utils/ast-utils.js
index 7789de7742c..1cd8727b46b 100644
--- a/tests/lib/rules/utils/ast-utils.js
+++ b/tests/lib/rules/utils/ast-utils.js
@@ -204,7 +204,10 @@ describe("ast-utils", () => {
                 "// lalala I'm a normal comment",
                 "// trying to confuse eslint ",
                 "//trying to confuse eslint-directive-detection",
-                "//eslint is awesome"
+                "//eslint is awesome",
+                "//global line comment is not a directive",
+                "//globals line comment is not a directive",
+                "//exported line comment is not a directive"
             ].join("\n");
             const ast = espree.parse(code, ESPREE_CONFIG);
             const sourceCode = new SourceCode(code, ast);
@@ -247,7 +250,10 @@ describe("ast-utils", () => {
                 "/*eslint-enable no-undef*/",
                 "/* eslint-env {\"es6\": true} */",
                 "/* eslint foo */",
-                "/*eslint bar*/"
+                "/*eslint bar*/",
+                "/*global foo*/",
+                "/*globals foo*/",
+                "/*exported foo*/"
             ].join("\n");
             const ast = espree.parse(code, ESPREE_CONFIG);
             const sourceCode = new SourceCode(code, ast);