diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index 4523dd6d04765b4d386641fab034afc5d0836d24..d43a446941ce544d0ebbd9a750dcbb58fb0f08aa 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -6167,7 +6167,8 @@ sub process {
 
 # check for krealloc arg reuse
 		if ($perl_version_ok &&
-		    $line =~ /\b($Lval)\s*\=\s*(?:$balanced_parens)?\s*krealloc\s*\(\s*\1\s*,/) {
+		    $line =~ /\b($Lval)\s*\=\s*(?:$balanced_parens)?\s*krealloc\s*\(\s*($Lval)\s*,/ &&
+		    $1 eq $3) {
 			WARN("KREALLOC_ARG_REUSE",
 			     "Reusing the krealloc arg is almost always a bug\n" . $herecurr);
 		}