diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6a4b3eb7..581c7abd 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 
 ### Bugs fixed
 
+* [#656](https://github.com/clojure-emacs/clojure-mode/issues/656): Fix clojure-find-ns when ns form is preceded by other forms.
+
 * [#593](https://github.com/clojure-emacs/clojure-mode/issues/593): Fix clojure-find-ns when ns form is preceded by whitespace or inside comment form.
 
 ## 5.16.2 (2023-08-23)
diff --git a/clojure-mode.el b/clojure-mode.el
index 43030a1d..151bd3be 100644
--- a/clojure-mode.el
+++ b/clojure-mode.el
@@ -2125,7 +2125,7 @@ content) are considered part of the preceding sexp."
 (make-obsolete-variable 'clojure-namespace-name-regex 'clojure-namespace-regexp "5.12.0")
 
 (defconst clojure-namespace-regexp
-  (rx line-start (zero-or-more whitespace) "(" (? "clojure.core/") (or "in-ns" "ns" "ns+") symbol-end))
+  (rx "(" (? "clojure.core/") (or "in-ns" "ns" "ns+") symbol-end))
 
 (defcustom clojure-cache-ns nil
   "Whether to cache the results of `clojure-find-ns'.
@@ -2148,12 +2148,13 @@ DIRECTION is `forward' or `backward'."
               #'search-backward-regexp)))
     (while (and (not candidate)
                 (funcall fn clojure-namespace-regexp nil t))
-      (let ((end (match-end 0)))
+      (let ((start (match-beginning 0))
+            (end (match-end 0)))
         (save-excursion
-          (save-match-data
-            (goto-char end)
-            (clojure-forward-logical-sexp)
-            (unless (or (clojure--in-string-p) (clojure--in-comment-p) (clojure-top-level-form-p "comment"))
+          (when (clojure--looking-at-top-level-form start)
+            (save-match-data
+              (goto-char end)
+              (clojure-forward-logical-sexp)
               (setq candidate (string-remove-prefix "'" (thing-at-point 'symbol))))))))
     candidate))
 
@@ -2270,6 +2271,16 @@ This will skip over sexps that don't represent objects, so that ^hints and
           (backward-sexp 1))
         (setq n (1- n))))))
 
+(defun clojure--looking-at-top-level-form (&optional point)
+  "Return truthy if form at POINT is a top level form."
+  (save-excursion
+    (when point (goto-char point))
+    (and (looking-at-p "(")
+         (= (point)
+            (progn (forward-char)
+                   (beginning-of-defun-raw)
+                   (point))))))
+
 (defun clojure-top-level-form-p (first-form)
   "Return truthy if the first form matches FIRST-FORM."
   (condition-case nil
diff --git a/test/clojure-mode-sexp-test.el b/test/clojure-mode-sexp-test.el
index aaeb798d..11bf519f 100644
--- a/test/clojure-mode-sexp-test.el
+++ b/test/clojure-mode-sexp-test.el
@@ -41,7 +41,26 @@
            (wrong))"
         (expect (let ((beginning-of-defun-function nil))
                   (clojure-top-level-form-p "comment"))))))
-
+(describe "clojure--looking-at-top-level-form"
+  (it "should return nil when point is inside a top level form"
+    (with-clojure-buffer-point
+     "(comment
+           |(ns foo))"
+     (expect (clojure--looking-at-top-level-form) :to-equal nil))
+    (with-clojure-buffer-point
+     "\"|(ns foo)\""
+     (expect (clojure--looking-at-top-level-form) :to-equal nil))
+    (with-clojure-buffer-point
+     "^{:fake-ns |(ns foo)}"
+     (expect (clojure--looking-at-top-level-form) :to-equal nil)))
+  (it "should return true when point is looking at a top level form"
+    (with-clojure-buffer-point
+     "(comment
+           |(ns foo))"
+     (expect (clojure--looking-at-top-level-form (point-min)) :to-equal t))
+    (with-clojure-buffer-point
+     "|(ns foo)"
+     (expect (clojure--looking-at-top-level-form) :to-equal t))))
 (describe "clojure-beginning-of-defun-function"
   (it "should go to top level form"
     (with-clojure-buffer-point
@@ -164,9 +183,9 @@
         (expect (equal "baz-quux" (clojure-find-ns))))
       (let ((data
              '(("\"\n(ns foo-bar)\"\n" "(in-ns 'baz-quux)" "baz-quux")
-               (";(ns foo-bar)\n" "(in-ns 'baz-quux)" "baz-quux")
+               (";(ns foo-bar)\n" "(in-ns 'baz-quux2)" "baz-quux2")
                ("(ns foo-bar)\n" "\"\n(in-ns 'baz-quux)\"" "foo-bar")
-               ("(ns foo-bar)\n" ";(in-ns 'baz-quux)" "foo-bar"))))
+               ("(ns foo-bar2)\n" ";(in-ns 'baz-quux)" "foo-bar2"))))
         (pcase-dolist (`(,form1 ,form2 ,expected) data)
           (with-clojure-buffer form1
             (save-excursion (insert form2))
diff --git a/test/clojure-mode-util-test.el b/test/clojure-mode-util-test.el
index 3f6e2de7..565773d4 100644
--- a/test/clojure-mode-util-test.el
+++ b/test/clojure-mode-util-test.el
@@ -142,6 +142,27 @@
     (with-clojure-buffer "(ns foo)
 (ns-unmap *ns* 'map)
 (ns.misleading 1 2 3)"
+      (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo")))
+  (it "should skip leading garbage"
+    (with-clojure-buffer " (ns foo)"
+        (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo"))
+    (with-clojure-buffer "1(ns foo)"
+        (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo"))
+    (with-clojure-buffer "1 (ns foo)"
+      (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo"))
+    (with-clojure-buffer "1
+(ns foo)"
+      (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo"))
+    (with-clojure-buffer "[1]
+(ns foo)"
+      (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo"))
+    (with-clojure-buffer "[1] (ns foo)"
+      (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo"))
+    (with-clojure-buffer "[1](ns foo)"
+      (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo"))
+    (with-clojure-buffer "(ns)(ns foo)"
+      (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo"))
+    (with-clojure-buffer "(ns )(ns foo)"
       (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo"))))
 
 (describe "clojure-sort-ns"