diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index 89b1df4e72ab3423bce45011fb03f86c193f5ad4..c5ec977b9c3786097b214e1c835efd8fa337c173 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -3169,12 +3169,12 @@ sub process {
 		}
 
 # check for global initialisers.
-		if ($line =~ /^\+(\s*$Type\s*$Ident\s*(?:\s+$Modifier))*\s*=\s*(0|NULL|false)\s*;/) {
+		if ($line =~ /^\+$Type\s*$Ident(?:\s+$Modifier)*\s*=\s*(?:0|NULL|false)\s*;/) {
 			if (ERROR("GLOBAL_INITIALISERS",
 				  "do not initialise globals to 0 or NULL\n" .
 				      $herecurr) &&
 			    $fix) {
-				$fixed[$fixlinenr] =~ s/($Type\s*$Ident\s*(?:\s+$Modifier))*\s*=\s*(0|NULL|false)\s*;/$1;/;
+				$fixed[$fixlinenr] =~ s/(^.$Type\s*$Ident(?:\s+$Modifier)*)\s*=\s*(0|NULL|false)\s*;/$1;/;
 			}
 		}
 # check for static initialisers.