diff --git a/scripts/coccicheck b/scripts/coccicheck
index d7f6b7ff130a..65fee63aeadb 100755
--- a/scripts/coccicheck
+++ b/scripts/coccicheck
@@ -60,6 +60,18 @@ COCCIINCLUDE=${COCCIINCLUDE// -include/ --include}
 if [ "$C" = "1" -o "$C" = "2" ]; then
     ONLINE=1
 
+    if [[ $# -le 0 ]]; then
+	    echo ''
+	    echo 'Specifying both the variable "C" and rule "coccicheck" in the make
+command results in a shift count error.'
+	    echo ''
+	    echo 'Try specifying "scripts/coccicheck" as a value for the CHECK variable instead.'
+	    echo ''
+	    echo 'Example:	make C=2 CHECK=scripts/coccicheck drivers/net/ethernet/ethoc.o'
+	    echo ''
+	    exit 1
+    fi
+
     # Take only the last argument, which is the C file to test
     shift $(( $# - 1 ))
     OPTIONS="$COCCIINCLUDE $1"