diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index 3c0ee0dde850..6cb99ec62000 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -3071,21 +3071,21 @@ sub process {
 # check SPDX comment style for .[chsS] files
 				if ($realfile =~ /\.[chsS]$/ &&
 				    $rawline =~ /SPDX-License-Identifier:/ &&
-				    $rawline !~ /^\+\s*\Q$comment\E\s*/) {
+				    $rawline !~ m@^\+\s*\Q$comment\E\s*@) {
 					WARN("SPDX_LICENSE_TAG",
 					     "Improper SPDX comment style for '$realfile', please use '$comment' instead\n" . $herecurr);
 				}
 
 				if ($comment !~ /^$/ &&
-				    $rawline !~ /^\+\Q$comment\E SPDX-License-Identifier: /) {
-					 WARN("SPDX_LICENSE_TAG",
-					      "Missing or malformed SPDX-License-Identifier tag in line $checklicenseline\n" . $herecurr);
+				    $rawline !~ m@^\+\Q$comment\E SPDX-License-Identifier: @) {
+					WARN("SPDX_LICENSE_TAG",
+					     "Missing or malformed SPDX-License-Identifier tag in line $checklicenseline\n" . $herecurr);
 				} elsif ($rawline =~ /(SPDX-License-Identifier: .*)/) {
-					 my $spdx_license = $1;
-					 if (!is_SPDX_License_valid($spdx_license)) {
-						  WARN("SPDX_LICENSE_TAG",
-						       "'$spdx_license' is not supported in LICENSES/...\n" . $herecurr);
-					 }
+					my $spdx_license = $1;
+					if (!is_SPDX_License_valid($spdx_license)) {
+						WARN("SPDX_LICENSE_TAG",
+						     "'$spdx_license' is not supported in LICENSES/...\n" . $herecurr);
+					}
 				}
 			}
 		}