diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index 2d88cbf9f884..2b3c22808c3b 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -370,6 +370,8 @@ our $typeTypedefs = qr{(?x:
 	$typeKernelTypedefs\b
 )};
 
+our $zero_initializer = qr{(?:(?:0[xX])?0+$Int_type?|NULL|false)\b};
+
 our $logFunctions = qr{(?x:
 	printk(?:_ratelimited|_once|)|
 	(?:[a-z0-9]+_){1,2}(?:printk|emerg|alert|crit|err|warning|warn|notice|info|debug|dbg|vdbg|devel|cont|WARN)(?:_ratelimited|_once|)|
@@ -3334,21 +3336,20 @@ sub process {
 		}
 
 # check for global initialisers.
-		if ($line =~ /^\+$Type\s*$Ident(?:\s+$Modifier)*\s*=\s*(?:0|NULL|false)\s*;/) {
+		if ($line =~ /^\+$Type\s*$Ident(?:\s+$Modifier)*\s*=\s*($zero_initializer)\s*;/) {
 			if (ERROR("GLOBAL_INITIALISERS",
-				  "do not initialise globals to 0 or NULL\n" .
-				      $herecurr) &&
+				  "do not initialise globals to $1\n" . $herecurr) &&
 			    $fix) {
-				$fixed[$fixlinenr] =~ s/(^.$Type\s*$Ident(?:\s+$Modifier)*)\s*=\s*(0|NULL|false)\s*;/$1;/;
+				$fixed[$fixlinenr] =~ s/(^.$Type\s*$Ident(?:\s+$Modifier)*)\s*=\s*$zero_initializer\s*;/$1;/;
 			}
 		}
 # check for static initialisers.
-		if ($line =~ /^\+.*\bstatic\s.*=\s*(0|NULL|false)\s*;/) {
+		if ($line =~ /^\+.*\bstatic\s.*=\s*($zero_initializer)\s*;/) {
 			if (ERROR("INITIALISED_STATIC",
-				  "do not initialise statics to 0 or NULL\n" .
+				  "do not initialise statics to $1\n" .
 				      $herecurr) &&
 			    $fix) {
-				$fixed[$fixlinenr] =~ s/(\bstatic\s.*?)\s*=\s*(0|NULL|false)\s*;/$1;/;
+				$fixed[$fixlinenr] =~ s/(\bstatic\s.*?)\s*=\s*$zero_initializer\s*;/$1;/;
 			}
 		}