diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index 1ec68083a9290b8844cf24986aa11c7a7368fb8a..c40ba40cef43ca517056a38073159ac5d460b663 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -3621,7 +3621,7 @@ sub process {
 # if should not continue a brace
 		if ($line =~ /}\s*if\b/) {
 			ERROR("TRAILING_STATEMENTS",
-			      "trailing statements should be on next line\n" .
+			      "trailing statements should be on next line (or did you mean 'else if'?)\n" .
 				$herecurr);
 		}
 # case and default should not have general statements after them