diff --git a/src/search/utils/input_file_parser.cc b/src/search/utils/input_file_parser.cc
index d7d0970584..307338ecec 100644
--- a/src/search/utils/input_file_parser.cc
+++ b/src/search/utils/input_file_parser.cc
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "input_file_parser.h"
+
 #include "system.h"
 
 #include <cassert>
@@ -16,10 +17,8 @@ InputFileParser::InputFileParser(istream &stream)
 : stream(stream), context(""), only_whitespaces("\\s*")  {
 }
 
-InputFileParser::~InputFileParser() {
-}
-
 string InputFileParser::find_next_line(bool throw_error_on_failure) {
+    assert(may_start_line); // We probably forgot a confirm_end_of_line.
     string next_line;
     while (!stream.eof()) {
         getline(stream, next_line);
@@ -35,9 +34,8 @@ string InputFileParser::find_next_line(bool throw_error_on_failure) {
 }
 
 void InputFileParser::initialize_tokens() {
-    assert(may_start_line);
+    assert(may_start_line());
     assert(token_number == 0);
-    assert(tokens.empty());
     assert(line != "");
     istringstream stream(line);
     string word;
@@ -48,6 +46,10 @@ void InputFileParser::initialize_tokens() {
     assert(tokens.size() > 0);
 }
 
+bool InputFileParser::may_start_line() {
+    return tokens.empty();
+}
+
 int InputFileParser::parse_int(const string &str, const string &cause) {
     try {
         string::size_type parsed_length;
@@ -65,10 +67,9 @@ void InputFileParser::set_context(const string &context) {
 }
 
 string InputFileParser::read(const string &message) {
-    if (may_start_line) {
+    if (may_start_line()) {
         line = find_next_line(true);
         initialize_tokens();
-        may_start_line = false;
     }
     if (token_number >= tokens.size()) {
         error("Unexpected end of line. Message: " + message);
@@ -84,7 +85,6 @@ int InputFileParser::read_int(const string &message) {
 }
 
 string InputFileParser::read_line(const string &message) {
-    assert(may_start_line); // We probably forgot a confirm_end_of_line.
     line = find_next_line(true);
     return line;
 }
@@ -102,11 +102,10 @@ void InputFileParser::read_magic_line(const string &magic) {
 }
 
 void InputFileParser::confirm_end_of_line() {
-    if (may_start_line) {
+    if (may_start_line()) {
         return;
     }
     if (token_number == tokens.size()) {
-        may_start_line = true;
         token_number = 0;
         tokens.clear();
     } else {
@@ -116,7 +115,6 @@ void InputFileParser::confirm_end_of_line() {
 }
 
 void InputFileParser::confirm_end_of_file() {
-    assert(may_start_line);
     string next_line = find_next_line(false);
     if(next_line != "") {
         error("Expected end of file, found non-empty line " + next_line);
@@ -132,8 +130,7 @@ void InputFileParser::error(const string &message) const {
     if (context != "") {
         cerr << "Context: " << context << endl;
     }
-    cerr << message << endl
-         << "Exiting." << endl;
+    cerr << message << endl << "Exiting." << endl;
     utils::exit_with(ExitCode::SEARCH_INPUT_ERROR);
 }
 }
diff --git a/src/search/utils/input_file_parser.h b/src/search/utils/input_file_parser.h
index dae1f28910..422e7cab22 100644
--- a/src/search/utils/input_file_parser.h
+++ b/src/search/utils/input_file_parser.h
@@ -16,11 +16,13 @@ class InputFileParser {
     size_t token_number;
     std::string line;
     std::vector<std::string> tokens;
-    bool may_start_line = true;
     const std::regex only_whitespaces;
+    std::string find_next_line(bool throw_error_on_failure=true);
+    void initialize_tokens();
+    bool may_start_line();
+    int parse_int(const std::string &str, const std::string &cause);
 public:
     explicit InputFileParser(std::istream &stream);
-    ~InputFileParser();
 
     /*
       Set context for error reporting.
@@ -28,28 +30,34 @@ class InputFileParser {
     void set_context(const std::string &context);
     /*
       Read a single token within a line. Tokens within a line are
-      separated by arbitrary whitespaces. Set curser to the end of the
-      read token.
+      separated by arbitrary whitespaces. Report error if the current
+      line does not contain a token after the cursor position. Set
+      cursor to the end of the read token.
     */
-    std::string read(const std::string &message); // TODO: templates
+    std::string read(const std::string &message);
     /*
       Read a single token in a line as integer, analoguously to
       read(...). Report an error if the token is not a string of digits
       representing an int.
     */
-    int read_int(const std::string &message); // TODO: templates
+    int read_int(const std::string &message);
     /*
-      Read a complete line as a single string. Set cursor to the
-      beginning of the next line.
+      Read a complete line as a single string token. Report an error if
+      the cursor is not at the beginning of a line before reading. Set
+      cursor to the beginning of the next line.
     */
-    std::string read_line(const std::string &message); // TODO: templates
+    std::string read_line(const std::string &message);
     /*
-      Read a complete line as a single integer. Report an error if the
-      line is not a string of digits representing an int.
+      Read a complete line as a single integer token, analogously to
+      read_line(...). Report an error if the line is not a string of
+      digits representing an int.
     */
-    int read_line_int(const std::string &message); // TODO: templates
+    int read_line_int(const std::string &message);
     /*
-      Read a complete line and compare it to a *magic* string.
+      Read a complete line and compare it to a *magic* string. Report an
+      error if the cursor is not at the beginning of a line before
+      reading. Report an error if the content of the line is not equal
+      to the *magic* string.
     */
     void read_magic_line(const std::string &magic);
     /*
@@ -63,10 +71,6 @@ class InputFileParser {
     void confirm_end_of_file();
     // TODO: Should this be public at all? Or should we add a get_line method?
     void error(const std::string &message) const;
-private:
-    std::string find_next_line(bool throw_error_on_failure=true);
-    void initialize_tokens();
-    int parse_int(const std::string &str, const std::string &cause);
 };
 }
 #endif