diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index 93f8507b7ac2..3e0b3f4d3420 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -2118,8 +2118,10 @@ sub process {
 			if (WARN("SPACE_BEFORE_TAB",
 				"please, no space before tabs\n" . $herevet) &&
 			    $fix) {
-				$fixed[$linenr - 1] =~
-				    s/(^\+.*) +\t/$1\t/;
+				while ($fixed[$linenr - 1] =~
+					   s/(^\+.*) {8,8}+\t/$1\t\t/) {}
+				while ($fixed[$linenr - 1] =~
+					   s/(^\+.*) +\t/$1\t/) {}
 			}
 		}