diff --git a/rule/modifies_value_receiver.go b/rule/modifies_value_receiver.go
index 2f92991f5..d811c486b 100644
--- a/rule/modifies_value_receiver.go
+++ b/rule/modifies_value_receiver.go
@@ -12,99 +12,35 @@ import (
 type ModifiesValRecRule struct{}
 
 // Apply applies the rule to given file.
-func (*ModifiesValRecRule) Apply(file *lint.File, _ lint.Arguments) []lint.Failure {
+func (r *ModifiesValRecRule) Apply(file *lint.File, _ lint.Arguments) []lint.Failure {
 	var failures []lint.Failure
 
-	onFailure := func(failure lint.Failure) {
-		failures = append(failures, failure)
-	}
-
-	w := lintModifiesValRecRule{file: file, onFailure: onFailure}
 	file.Pkg.TypeCheck()
-	ast.Walk(w, file.AST)
-
-	return failures
-}
-
-// Name returns the rule name.
-func (*ModifiesValRecRule) Name() string {
-	return "modifies-value-receiver"
-}
-
-type lintModifiesValRecRule struct {
-	file      *lint.File
-	onFailure func(lint.Failure)
-}
-
-func (w lintModifiesValRecRule) Visit(node ast.Node) ast.Visitor {
-	switch n := node.(type) {
-	case *ast.FuncDecl:
-		if n.Recv == nil {
-			return nil // skip, not a method
-		}
-
-		receiver := n.Recv.List[0]
-		if _, ok := receiver.Type.(*ast.StarExpr); ok {
-			return nil // skip, method with pointer receiver
+	for _, decl := range file.AST.Decls {
+		funcDecl, ok := decl.(*ast.FuncDecl)
+		isAMethod := ok && funcDecl.Recv != nil
+		if !isAMethod {
+			continue // skip, not a method
 		}
 
-		if w.skipType(receiver.Type) {
-			return nil // skip, receiver is a map or array
-		}
-
-		if len(receiver.Names) < 1 {
-			return nil // skip, anonymous receiver
+		receiver := funcDecl.Recv.List[0]
+		if r.mustSkip(receiver, file.Pkg) {
+			continue
 		}
 
 		receiverName := receiver.Names[0].Name
-		if receiverName == "_" {
-			return nil // skip, anonymous receiver
-		}
-
-		receiverAssignmentFinder := func(n ast.Node) bool {
-			// look for assignments with the receiver in the right hand
-			assignment, ok := n.(*ast.AssignStmt)
-			if !ok {
-				return false
-			}
-
-			for _, exp := range assignment.Lhs {
-				switch e := exp.(type) {
-				case *ast.IndexExpr: // receiver...[] = ...
-					continue
-				case *ast.StarExpr: // *receiver = ...
-					continue
-				case *ast.SelectorExpr: // receiver.field = ...
-					name := w.getNameFromExpr(e.X)
-					if name == "" || name != receiverName {
-						continue
-					}
-				case *ast.Ident: // receiver := ...
-					if e.Name != receiverName {
-						continue
-					}
-				default:
-					continue
-				}
-
-				return true
-			}
-
-			return false
-		}
-
-		assignmentsToReceiver := pick(n.Body, receiverAssignmentFinder)
+		assignmentsToReceiver := r.getAssignmentsToReceiver(receiverName, funcDecl.Body)
 		if len(assignmentsToReceiver) == 0 {
-			return nil // receiver is not modified
+			continue // receiver is not modified
 		}
 
-		methodReturnsReceiver := len(w.findReturnReceiverStatements(receiverName, n.Body)) > 0
+		methodReturnsReceiver := len(r.findReturnReceiverStatements(receiverName, funcDecl.Body)) > 0
 		if methodReturnsReceiver {
-			return nil // modification seems legit (see issue #1066)
+			continue // modification seems legit (see issue #1066)
 		}
 
 		for _, assignment := range assignmentsToReceiver {
-			w.onFailure(lint.Failure{
+			failures = append(failures, lint.Failure{
 				Node:       assignment,
 				Confidence: 1,
 				Failure:    "suspicious assignment to a by-value method receiver",
@@ -112,11 +48,16 @@ func (w lintModifiesValRecRule) Visit(node ast.Node) ast.Visitor {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return w
+	return failures
+}
+
+// Name returns the rule name.
+func (*ModifiesValRecRule) Name() string {
+	return "modifies-value-receiver"
 }
 
-func (w lintModifiesValRecRule) skipType(t ast.Expr) bool {
-	rt := w.file.Pkg.TypeOf(t)
+func (r *ModifiesValRecRule) skipType(t ast.Expr, pkg *lint.Package) bool {
+	rt := pkg.TypeOf(t)
 	if rt == nil {
 		return false
 	}
@@ -128,7 +69,7 @@ func (w lintModifiesValRecRule) skipType(t ast.Expr) bool {
 	return strings.HasPrefix(rtName, "[]") || strings.HasPrefix(rtName, "map[")
 }
 
-func (lintModifiesValRecRule) getNameFromExpr(ie ast.Expr) string {
+func (*ModifiesValRecRule) getNameFromExpr(ie ast.Expr) string {
 	ident, ok := ie.(*ast.Ident)
 	if !ok {
 		return ""
@@ -137,7 +78,7 @@ func (lintModifiesValRecRule) getNameFromExpr(ie ast.Expr) string {
 	return ident.Name
 }
 
-func (w lintModifiesValRecRule) findReturnReceiverStatements(receiverName string, target ast.Node) []ast.Node {
+func (r *ModifiesValRecRule) findReturnReceiverStatements(receiverName string, target ast.Node) []ast.Node {
 	finder := func(n ast.Node) bool {
 		// look for returns with the receiver as value
 		returnStatement, ok := n.(*ast.ReturnStmt)
@@ -148,7 +89,7 @@ func (w lintModifiesValRecRule) findReturnReceiverStatements(receiverName string
 		for _, exp := range returnStatement.Results {
 			switch e := exp.(type) {
 			case *ast.SelectorExpr: // receiver.field = ...
-				name := w.getNameFromExpr(e.X)
+				name := r.getNameFromExpr(e.X)
 				if name == "" || name != receiverName {
 					continue
 				}
@@ -160,7 +101,7 @@ func (w lintModifiesValRecRule) findReturnReceiverStatements(receiverName string
 				if e.Op != token.AND {
 					continue
 				}
-				name := w.getNameFromExpr(e.X)
+				name := r.getNameFromExpr(e.X)
 				if name == "" || name != receiverName {
 					continue
 				}
@@ -177,3 +118,60 @@ func (w lintModifiesValRecRule) findReturnReceiverStatements(receiverName string
 
 	return pick(target, finder)
 }
+
+func (r *ModifiesValRecRule) mustSkip(receiver *ast.Field, pkg *lint.Package) bool {
+	if _, ok := receiver.Type.(*ast.StarExpr); ok {
+		return true // skip, method with pointer receiver
+	}
+
+	if len(receiver.Names) < 1 {
+		return true // skip, anonymous receiver
+	}
+
+	receiverName := receiver.Names[0].Name
+	if receiverName == "_" {
+		return true // skip, anonymous receiver
+	}
+
+	if r.skipType(receiver.Type, pkg) {
+		return true // skip, receiver is a map or array
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
+
+func (r *ModifiesValRecRule) getAssignmentsToReceiver(receiverName string, funcBody *ast.BlockStmt) []ast.Node {
+	receiverAssignmentFinder := func(n ast.Node) bool {
+		// look for assignments with the receiver in the right hand
+		assignment, ok := n.(*ast.AssignStmt)
+		if !ok {
+			return false
+		}
+
+		for _, exp := range assignment.Lhs {
+			switch e := exp.(type) {
+			case *ast.IndexExpr: // receiver...[] = ...
+				continue
+			case *ast.StarExpr: // *receiver = ...
+				continue
+			case *ast.SelectorExpr: // receiver.field = ...
+				name := r.getNameFromExpr(e.X)
+				if name == "" || name != receiverName {
+					continue
+				}
+			case *ast.Ident: // receiver := ...
+				if e.Name != receiverName {
+					continue
+				}
+			default:
+				continue
+			}
+
+			return true
+		}
+
+		return false
+	}
+
+	return pick(funcBody, receiverAssignmentFinder)
+}