diff --git a/scripts/get_maintainer.pl b/scripts/get_maintainer.pl
index 484d2fbf5921dbd105b8feaf8c028f8646b46738..5a36354a38cc32601a6c07c417fe66cdb19a106e 100755
--- a/scripts/get_maintainer.pl
+++ b/scripts/get_maintainer.pl
@@ -541,6 +541,9 @@ foreach my $file (@ARGV) {
 	    die "$P: file '${file}' not found\n";
 	}
     }
+    if ($from_filename && (vcs_exists() && !vcs_file_exists($file))) {
+	warn "$P: file '$file' not found in version control $!\n";
+    }
     if ($from_filename || ($file ne "&STDIN" && vcs_file_exists($file))) {
 	$file =~ s/^\Q${cur_path}\E//;	#strip any absolute path
 	$file =~ s/^\Q${lk_path}\E//;	#or the path to the lk tree