diff --git a/src/main/java/net/sf/jsqlparser/parser/ASTNodeAccessImpl.java b/src/main/java/net/sf/jsqlparser/parser/ASTNodeAccessImpl.java
index 6ef61996b..983f99711 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/sf/jsqlparser/parser/ASTNodeAccessImpl.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/sf/jsqlparser/parser/ASTNodeAccessImpl.java
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@
  */
 package net.sf.jsqlparser.parser;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.TreeSet;
 
@@ -26,6 +29,26 @@ public void setASTNode(Node node) {
         this.node = node;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The comments preceding this node's first token, in source order, with the original token
+     * images. Line comments do not include their line terminator; callers must add a line break
+     * when prepending them to SQL. Empty for nodes built programmatically, which carry no AST.
+     */
+    public List<String> getLeadingComments() {
+        Node node = getASTNode();
+        if (node == null) {
+            return new ArrayList<>();
+        }
+        List<String> comments = new ArrayList<>();
+        for (Token specialToken =
+                node.jjtGetFirstToken().specialToken; specialToken != null; specialToken =
+                        specialToken.specialToken) {
+            comments.add(specialToken.image);
+        }
+        Collections.reverse(comments);
+        return comments;
+    }
+
     public StringBuilder appendTo(StringBuilder builder) {
         // don't add spaces around the following punctuation
         final Set<String> punctuation = new TreeSet<>(Set.of(".", "[", "]"));
diff --git a/src/test/java/net/sf/jsqlparser/parser/LeadingCommentsTest.java b/src/test/java/net/sf/jsqlparser/parser/LeadingCommentsTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6b83c46cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/net/sf/jsqlparser/parser/LeadingCommentsTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+/*-
+ * #%L
+ * JSQLParser library
+ * %%
+ * Copyright (C) 2004 - 2019 JSQLParser
+ * %%
+ * Dual licensed under GNU LGPL 2.1 or Apache License 2.0
+ * #L%
+ */
+package net.sf.jsqlparser.parser;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+
+import java.util.List;
+import net.sf.jsqlparser.JSQLParserException;
+import net.sf.jsqlparser.statement.Statements;
+import net.sf.jsqlparser.statement.select.PlainSelect;
+import net.sf.jsqlparser.statement.select.Select;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.ParameterizedTest;
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.ValueSource;
+
+public class LeadingCommentsTest {
+
+    @Test
+    public void blockCommentsBeforeStatementInSourceOrder() throws JSQLParserException {
+        Select select = (Select) CCJSqlParserUtil
+                .parse("/* keep orderby */ /*+ FULL(t) */ SELECT * FROM mytable");
+        assertEquals(List.of("/* keep orderby */", "/*+ FULL(t) */"), select.getLeadingComments());
+    }
+
+    @ParameterizedTest
+    @ValueSource(strings = {"\n", "\r\n", "\r"})
+    public void lineCommentsExcludeLineTerminators(String lineTerminator)
+            throws JSQLParserException {
+        Select select =
+                (Select) CCJSqlParserUtil.parse("-- paging hint" + lineTerminator + "SELECT 1");
+        assertEquals(List.of("-- paging hint"), select.getLeadingComments());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void mixedCommentsRetainExactImagesAndSourceOrder() throws JSQLParserException {
+        Select select = (Select) CCJSqlParserUtil
+                .parse("/* a */ -- b\r\n// c\r/* d */ SELECT 1");
+        assertEquals(List.of("/* a */", "-- b", "// c", "/* d */"), select.getLeadingComments());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void commentInsideStatementIsNotLeading() throws JSQLParserException {
+        Select select = (Select) CCJSqlParserUtil.parse("SELECT /* mid comment */ 1");
+        assertEquals(List.of(), select.getLeadingComments());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void statementWithoutComments() throws JSQLParserException {
+        Select select = (Select) CCJSqlParserUtil.parse("SELECT * FROM mytable");
+        assertEquals(List.of(), select.getLeadingComments());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void programmaticStatementHasNoLeadingComments() {
+        assertEquals(List.of(), new PlainSelect().getLeadingComments());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void toStringDropsLeadingCommentsAsBefore() throws JSQLParserException {
+        Select select = (Select) CCJSqlParserUtil
+                .parse("/* keep orderby */ SELECT * FROM mytable");
+        assertFalse(select.toString().contains("/*"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void commentsSplitPerStatement() throws JSQLParserException {
+        Statements statements = CCJSqlParserUtil
+                .parseStatements("/* first */ SELECT 1; /* second */ SELECT 2");
+        assertEquals(List.of("/* first */"), ((Select) statements.get(0)).getLeadingComments());
+        assertEquals(List.of("/* second */"), ((Select) statements.get(1)).getLeadingComments());
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/test/java/net/sf/jsqlparser/statement/SerializationTest.java b/src/test/java/net/sf/jsqlparser/statement/SerializationTest.java
index 380f8a4e6..8b23ebdc2 100644
--- a/src/test/java/net/sf/jsqlparser/statement/SerializationTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/net/sf/jsqlparser/statement/SerializationTest.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import java.io.ObjectInputStream;
 import java.io.ObjectOutputStream;
 import java.math.BigDecimal;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
 import net.sf.jsqlparser.JSQLParserException;
 import net.sf.jsqlparser.expression.SpannerInterleaveIn;
@@ -34,6 +35,17 @@
 import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.ValueSource;
 
 public class SerializationTest {
+    @Test
+    void serializeSelectWithLeadingComments() throws Exception {
+        PlainSelect original = (PlainSelect) CCJSqlParserUtil
+                .parse("/* keep orderby */ SELECT id FROM mytable");
+        Assertions.assertEquals(List.of("/* keep orderby */"), original.getLeadingComments());
+        PlainSelect copy = roundTrip(original);
+        Assertions.assertEquals("SELECT id FROM mytable", copy.toString());
+        Assertions.assertNull(copy.getASTNode());
+        Assertions.assertEquals(List.of(), copy.getLeadingComments());
+    }
+
     @Test
     void serializeWithItem() throws JSQLParserException, IOException, ClassNotFoundException {
         String sqlStr =