diff --git a/crates/sqlclean/src/sql_lint/_helpers/cte_macros.rs b/crates/sqlclean/src/sql_lint/_helpers/cte_macros.rs
index c55eccb..7fa720d 100644
--- a/crates/sqlclean/src/sql_lint/_helpers/cte_macros.rs
+++ b/crates/sqlclean/src/sql_lint/_helpers/cte_macros.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ pub(super) struct WithoutCteMacros {
     original: Vec<(bool, String)>,
 }
 
-/// Placeholders, with the commas taken out with them, that stood before one significant token.
+/// Placeholders, with the commas taken out with them, that stood before one significant token with no comment between them; a comment between placeholders stays in the stripped SQL, and the placeholders after it make the next group.
 struct MacroGroup {
     /// The index, among the significant tokens of the stripped SQL, of the token they preceded.
     anchor: usize,
@@ -63,13 +63,27 @@ pub(super) fn take_out_cte_macros(
         let previous_end = position
             .checked_sub(1)
             .map_or(0, |previous| tokens[significant[previous]].end);
-        let comments_before = tokens[..significant[position]]
-            .iter()
-            .filter(|token| token.start >= previous_end && is_comment(token))
-            .count();
+        let comments_until = |end: usize| {
+            tokens
+                .iter()
+                .filter(|token| {
+                    token.start >= previous_end && token.end <= end && is_comment(token)
+                })
+                .count()
+        };
+        let mut comments_before = comments_until(tokens[significant[position]].start);
         let mut texts: Vec<String> = Vec::new();
         while removed.contains(&position) {
             let index = significant[position];
+            let comments = comments_until(tokens[index].start);
+            if comments > comments_before && tokens[index].text(sql) != COMMA {
+                groups.push(MacroGroup {
+                    anchor: kept,
+                    comments_before,
+                    texts: std::mem::take(&mut texts),
+                });
+                comments_before = comments;
+            }
             stripped.push_str(&sql[cursor..tokens[index].start]);
             texts.push(tokens[index].text(sql).to_string());
             cursor = tokens
diff --git a/crates/sqlclean/src/sql_lint/tests/test_layout_rules.rs b/crates/sqlclean/src/sql_lint/tests/test_layout_rules.rs
index 2c9d278..361bd46 100644
--- a/crates/sqlclean/src/sql_lint/tests/test_layout_rules.rs
+++ b/crates/sqlclean/src/sql_lint/tests/test_layout_rules.rs
@@ -121,6 +121,13 @@ fn given_clause_layout_rules_when_formatting_then_each_rule_applies_idempotently
             line_width: 100,
             expected_sql: "WITH a AS (\n  SELECT 1 AS x\n),\n\n__sqlclean_interpolation_0__\n\n__sqlclean_interpolation_1__\n\npaid AS (\n  SELECT *\n  FROM a\n)\n\nSELECT *\nFROM paid",
         },
+        test_types::LayoutRuleTestCase {
+            description: "CTE macro placeholders keep their place among the comments between them",
+            dialect: "duckdb",
+            sql: "WITH base AS (SELECT 1 AS order_id),\n-- First order stage.\n__sqlclean_interpolation_0__,\n-- Second order stage.\n__sqlclean_interpolation_1__,\n__sqlclean_interpolation_2__,\n-- Publish order identifiers.\nfinal AS (SELECT order_id FROM third_orders)\nSELECT * FROM final",
+            line_width: 100,
+            expected_sql: "WITH base AS (\n  SELECT 1 AS order_id\n),\n\n-- First order stage.\n__sqlclean_interpolation_0__,\n\n-- Second order stage.\n__sqlclean_interpolation_1__,\n\n__sqlclean_interpolation_2__,\n\n-- Publish order identifiers.\nfinal AS (\n  SELECT order_id\n  FROM third_orders\n)\n\nSELECT *\nFROM final",
+        },
         test_types::LayoutRuleTestCase {
             description: "a placeholder standing for a CTE's whole query keeps its place",
             dialect: "snowflake",