diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index afa689464..8c4a924c6 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
     "symfony/config": "^2.8",
     "symfony/translation": "^2.8",
     "vlucas/phpdotenv": "^2.4",
+    "nikic/php-parser": "^2.1",
     "silverstripe/config": "^1@dev"
   },
   "require-dev": {
diff --git a/src/Core/Manifest/ClassManifest.php b/src/Core/Manifest/ClassManifest.php
index 0ba60b92f..6369412fe 100644
--- a/src/Core/Manifest/ClassManifest.php
+++ b/src/Core/Manifest/ClassManifest.php
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 namespace SilverStripe\Core\Manifest;
 
 use Exception;
+use PhpParser\NodeTraverser;
+use PhpParser\NodeVisitorAbstract;
+use PhpParser\ParserFactory;
 use SilverStripe\Control\Director;
 
 /**
@@ -163,6 +166,10 @@ class ClassManifest
         ));
     }
 
+    protected $parser;
+    protected $traverser;
+    protected $visitor;
+
     /**
      * Constructs and initialises a new class manifest, either loading the data
      * from the cache or re-scanning for classes.
@@ -182,6 +189,11 @@ class ClassManifest
         $this->cache = new $cacheClass('classmanifest'.($includeTests ? '_tests' : ''));
         $this->cacheKey = 'manifest';
 
+        $this->parser = (new ParserFactory)->create(ParserFactory::PREFER_PHP5, new PhpParser\Lexer);
+        $this->traverser = new NodeTraverser;
+        $this->traverser->addVisitor(new PhpParser\NodeVisitor\NameResolver);
+        $this->traverser->addVisitor($this->visitor = new SilverStripeNodeVisitor);
+
         if (!$forceRegen && $data = $this->cache->load($this->cacheKey)) {
             $this->classes      = $data['classes'];
             $this->descendants  = $data['descendants'];
@@ -593,22 +605,17 @@ class ClassManifest
         }
 
         if (!$valid) {
-            $tokens = token_get_all(file_get_contents($pathname));
+            $this->visitor->reset();
+            $stmts = $this->parser->parse(file_get_contents($pathname));
+            $this->traverser->traverse($stmts);
 
-            $classes = self::get_namespaced_class_parser()->findAll($tokens);
-            $traits = self::get_trait_parser()->findAll($tokens);
+            $classes = $this->visitor->getClasses();
+            $traits = $this->visitor->getTraits();
+            $namespace = $this->visitor->getNamespace();
 
-            $namespace = self::get_namespace_parser()->findAll($tokens);
+            $imports = [];//$this->getImportsFromTokens($tokens);
 
-            if ($namespace) {
-                $namespace = implode('', $namespace[0]['namespaceName']);
-            } else {
-                $namespace = '';
-            }
-
-            $imports = $this->getImportsFromTokens($tokens);
-
-            $interfaces = self::get_interface_parser()->findAll($tokens);
+            $interfaces = $this->visitor->getInterfaces();
 
             $cache = array(
                 'classes' => $classes,
@@ -722,3 +729,78 @@ class ClassManifest
         }
     }
 }
+
+class SilverStripeNodeVisitor extends NodeVisitorAbstract
+{
+
+    private $classes = [];
+
+    private $traits = [];
+
+    private $namespace = '';
+
+    private $interfaces = [];
+
+    public function reset()
+    {
+        $this->classes = [];
+        $this->traits = [];
+        $this->namespace = '';
+        $this->interfaces = [];
+    }
+
+    public function enterNode(PhpParser\Node $node)
+    {
+        if ($node instanceof PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Class_) {
+            $extends = [];
+            $implements = [];
+
+            if ($node->extends) {
+                $extends[] = (string)$node->extends;
+            }
+
+            if ($node->implements) {
+                foreach ($node->implements as $implement) {
+                    $implements[] = (string)$implement;
+                }
+            }
+
+            $this->classes[] = [
+                'className' => $node->name,
+                'extends' => $extends,
+                'implements' => $implements
+            ];
+        } else if ($node instanceof PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Trait_) {
+            $this->traits[] = ['traitName' => (string)$node->name];
+        } else if ($node instanceof PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Namespace_) {
+            $this->namespace = (string)$node->name;
+        } else if ($node instanceof PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Interface_) {
+            $this->interfaces[] = ['interfaceName' => (string)$node->name];
+        }
+
+        if (!$node instanceof PhpParser\Node\Stmt\Namespace_) {
+            return NodeTraverser::DONT_TRAVERSE_CHILDREN;
+        }
+    }
+
+    public function getClasses()
+    {
+        return $this->classes;
+    }
+
+    public function getTraits()
+    {
+        return $this->traits;
+    }
+
+    public function getNamespace()
+    {
+        return $this->namespace;
+    }
+
+    public function getInterfaces()
+    {
+        return $this->interfaces;
+    }
+
+}