diff --git a/src/serena/resources/project.template.yml b/src/serena/resources/project.template.yml
index 02ba1b26..584cec7d 100644
--- a/src/serena/resources/project.template.yml
+++ b/src/serena/resources/project.template.yml
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+# the name by which the project can be referenced within Serena
+project_name: "project_name"
+
+
 # list of languages for which language servers are started; choose from:
 #   al                  bash                clojure             cpp                 csharp
 #   csharp_omnisharp    dart                elixir              elm                 erlang
@@ -105,5 +109,3 @@ default_modes:
 # initial prompt for the project. It will always be given to the LLM upon activating the project
 # (contrary to the memories, which are loaded on demand).
 initial_prompt: ""
-
-project_name: "project_name"
diff --git a/src/serena/util/yaml.py b/src/serena/util/yaml.py
index ea9bece6..e9679d02 100644
--- a/src/serena/util/yaml.py
+++ b/src/serena/util/yaml.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import os
+from enum import Enum
+from typing import Any
 
 from ruamel.yaml import YAML
 from ruamel.yaml.comments import CommentedMap
@@ -16,10 +18,62 @@ def _create_yaml(preserve_comments: bool = False) -> YAML:
     return result
 
 
-def load_yaml(path: str) -> CommentedMap:
+class YamlCommentNormalisation(Enum):
+    NONE = "none"
+    LEADING = "leading"
+    """
+    Document is assumed to have leading comments only, i.e. comments before keys.
+    This normalisation achieves that comments are properly associated with keys as leading comments.
+    """
+
+
+DOC_COMMENT_INDEX_POST = 0
+DOC_COMMENT_INDEX_PRE = 1
+
+# item comment indices: (post key, pre key, post value, pre value)
+ITEM_COMMENT_INDEX_BEFORE = 1  # Must be a list at this index
+ITEM_COMMENT_INDEX_AFTER = 2  # Not a list at this index
+
+
+def load_yaml(path: str, comment_normalisation: YamlCommentNormalisation = YamlCommentNormalisation.NONE) -> CommentedMap:
     with open(path, encoding=SERENA_FILE_ENCODING) as f:
         yaml = _create_yaml(preserve_comments=True)
-        return yaml.load(f)
+        commented_map: CommentedMap = yaml.load(f)
+
+    def make_list(comment_entry: Any) -> list:
+        if not isinstance(comment_entry, list):
+            return [comment_entry]
+        return comment_entry
+
+    match comment_normalisation:
+        case YamlCommentNormalisation.NONE:
+            pass
+        case YamlCommentNormalisation.LEADING:
+            # Comments are supposed to be leading comments (i.e., before a key and associated with the key).
+            # When ruamel parses a YAML, however, comments belonging to a key may be stored as trailing
+            # comments of the previous key or as a document-level comment.
+            # Move them accordingly.
+            keys = list(commented_map.keys())
+            comment_items = commented_map.ca.items
+            doc_comment = commented_map.ca.comment
+            preceding_comment = None
+            for i, key in enumerate(keys):
+                current_comment = comment_items.get(key, [None] * 4)
+                comment_items[key] = current_comment
+                if current_comment[ITEM_COMMENT_INDEX_BEFORE] is None:
+                    if i == 0 and doc_comment is not None and doc_comment[DOC_COMMENT_INDEX_PRE] is not None:
+                        # move document pre-comment to leading comment of first key
+                        current_comment[ITEM_COMMENT_INDEX_BEFORE] = make_list(doc_comment[DOC_COMMENT_INDEX_PRE])
+                        doc_comment[DOC_COMMENT_INDEX_PRE] = None
+                    elif preceding_comment is not None and preceding_comment[ITEM_COMMENT_INDEX_AFTER] is not None:
+                        # move trailing comment of preceding key to leading comment of current key
+                        current_comment[ITEM_COMMENT_INDEX_BEFORE] = make_list(preceding_comment[ITEM_COMMENT_INDEX_AFTER])
+                        preceding_comment[ITEM_COMMENT_INDEX_AFTER] = None
+                preceding_comment = current_comment
+        case _:
+            raise ValueError(f"Unhandled comment normalisation: {comment_normalisation}")
+
+    return commented_map
 
 
 def save_yaml(path: str, data: dict | CommentedMap, preserve_comments: bool = True) -> None: