diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index dbb9c3c6fe30..2bdc3d169af5 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -3237,12 +3237,12 @@ sub process {
 			my ($cid, $ctitle) = git_commit_info($orig_commit, $id,
 							     $title);
 
-			if ($ctitle ne $title || $tag_case || $tag_space ||
-			    $id_length || $id_case || !$title_has_quotes) {
+			if (defined($cid) && ($ctitle ne $title || $tag_case || $tag_space || $id_length || $id_case || !$title_has_quotes)) {
+				my $fixed = "Fixes: $cid (\"$ctitle\")";
 				if (WARN("BAD_FIXES_TAG",
-				     "Please use correct Fixes: style 'Fixes: <12 chars of sha1> (\"<title line>\")' - ie: 'Fixes: $cid (\"$ctitle\")'\n" . $herecurr) &&
+				     "Please use correct Fixes: style 'Fixes: <12+ chars of sha1> (\"<title line>\")' - ie: '$fixed'\n" . $herecurr) &&
 				    $fix) {
-					$fixed[$fixlinenr] = "Fixes: $cid (\"$ctitle\")";
+					$fixed[$fixlinenr] = $fixed;
 				}
 			}
 		}