diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index 47016c304c847efffb96da5358224a9b5a93cc5e..66cad506b8a2a944f2873856ef0078445f673b8b 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -3975,8 +3975,8 @@ sub string_find_replace {
 # check for new externs in .h files.
 		if ($realfile =~ /\.h$/ &&
 		    $line =~ /^\+\s*(extern\s+)$Type\s*$Ident\s*\(/s) {
-			if (WARN("AVOID_EXTERNS",
-				 "extern prototypes should be avoided in .h files\n" . $herecurr) &&
+			if (CHK("AVOID_EXTERNS",
+				"extern prototypes should be avoided in .h files\n" . $herecurr) &&
 			    $fix) {
 				$fixed[$linenr - 1] =~ s/(.*)\bextern\b\s*(.*)/$1$2/;
 			}