diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index 907e079e59fd..3cf05505e833 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -2776,6 +2776,17 @@ sub process {
 			#print "is_start<$is_start> is_end<$is_end> length<$length>\n";
 		}
 
+# check for MAINTAINERS entries that don't have the right form
+		if ($realfile =~ /^MAINTAINERS$/ &&
+		    $rawline =~ /^\+[A-Z]:/ &&
+		    $rawline !~ /^\+[A-Z]:\t\S/) {
+			if (WARN("MAINTAINERS_STYLE",
+				 "MAINTAINERS entries use one tab after TYPE:\n" . $herecurr) &&
+			    $fix) {
+				$fixed[$fixlinenr] =~ s/^(\+[A-Z]):\s*/$1:\t/;
+			}
+		}
+
 # discourage the use of boolean for type definition attributes of Kconfig options
 		if ($realfile =~ /Kconfig/ &&
 		    $line =~ /^\+\s*\bboolean\b/) {