diff --git a/src/BroDoc.cc b/src/BroDoc.cc
index 2aa949e440..d0815abe4a 100644
--- a/src/BroDoc.cc
+++ b/src/BroDoc.cc
@@ -112,8 +112,11 @@ void BroDoc::WriteDocFile() const
 	WriteSectionHeading("Summary", '-');
 	WriteStringList("%s\n", "%s\n\n", summary);
 
-	WriteToDoc(":Imports: ");
-	WriteStringList(":doc:`%s`, ", ":doc:`%s`\n", imports);
+	if ( ! imports.empty() )
+		{
+		WriteToDoc(":Imports: ");
+		WriteStringList(":doc:`%s`, ", ":doc:`%s`\n", imports);
+		}
 
 	WriteToDoc("\n");
 
@@ -182,16 +185,23 @@ void BroDoc::WriteBroDocObjList(const std::list<const BroDocObj*>& l,
                                 const char* heading,
                                 char underline) const
 	{
-	WriteSectionHeading(heading, underline);
+	if ( l.empty() ) return;
+
 	std::list<const BroDocObj*>::const_iterator it;
-	for ( it = l.begin(); it != l.end(); ++it )
+	bool (*f_ptr)(const BroDocObj* o) = 0;
+
+	if ( wantPublic )
+		f_ptr = IsPublicAPI;
+	else
+		f_ptr = IsPrivateAPI;
+
+	it = std::find_if(l.begin(), l.end(), f_ptr);
+	if ( it == l.end() ) return;
+	WriteSectionHeading(heading, underline);
+	while ( it != l.end() )
 		{
-		if ( wantPublic )
-			if ( (*it)->IsPublicAPI() )
-				(*it)->WriteReST(reST_file);
-		else
-			if ( ! (*it)->IsPublicAPI() )
-				(*it)->WriteReST(reST_file);
+		(*it)->WriteReST(reST_file);
+		it = find_if(++it, l.end(), f_ptr);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/BroDoc.h b/src/BroDoc.h
index 7cee9faf1a..04d8206eaa 100644
--- a/src/BroDoc.h
+++ b/src/BroDoc.h
@@ -242,6 +242,9 @@ private:
 	 * @param a reference to a list of BroDocObj pointers
 	 */
 	void FreeBroDocObjPtrList(std::list<const BroDocObj*>& l);
+
+	static bool IsPublicAPI(const BroDocObj* o) { return o->IsPublicAPI(); }
+	static bool IsPrivateAPI(const BroDocObj* o) { return ! o->IsPublicAPI(); }
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/BroDocObj.cc b/src/BroDocObj.cc
index 326550e545..c04dba9a89 100644
--- a/src/BroDocObj.cc
+++ b/src/BroDocObj.cc
@@ -44,3 +44,9 @@ void BroDocObj::WriteReST(FILE* file) const
 
 	fprintf(file, "\n");
 	}
+
+bool BroDocObj::IsPublicAPI() const
+	{
+	return (broID->Scope() == SCOPE_GLOBAL) ||
+	       (broID->Scope() == SCOPE_MODULE && broID->IsExport());
+	}
diff --git a/src/BroDocObj.h b/src/BroDocObj.h
index 601d5f148b..fc33372043 100644
--- a/src/BroDocObj.h
+++ b/src/BroDocObj.h
@@ -41,9 +41,9 @@ public:
 	 * other words, this means that the identifier is declared as part of
 	 * the global scope (has GLOBAL namespace or is exported from another
 	 * namespace).
-	 * @return true if the ID was declared in an export section, else false
+	 * @return true if the identifier is part of the script's public API
 	 */
-	bool IsPublicAPI() const { return broID->IsGlobal(); }
+	bool IsPublicAPI() const;
 
 	/**
 	 * Return whether this object has documentation (## comments)