diff --git a/[refs] b/[refs]
index 85206f32567a..ea5c7493ede0 100644
--- a/[refs]
+++ b/[refs]
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 ---
-refs/heads/master: 481eb486a88c9b068f0168ac4c21291802720933
+refs/heads/master: 0979ae66464bd9793c6701861bccb21f9f118a52
diff --git a/trunk/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/trunk/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index 3e9fee60642c..e0a674f471ee 100755
--- a/trunk/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/trunk/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -3189,6 +3189,16 @@ sub process {
 			}
 		}
 
+# check for unnecessary blank lines around braces
+		if (($line =~ /^..*}\s*$/ && $prevline =~ /^.\s*$/)) {
+			CHK("BRACES",
+			    "Blank lines aren't necessary before a close brace '}'\n" . $hereprev);
+		}
+		if (($line =~ /^.\s*$/ && $prevline =~ /^..*{\s*$/)) {
+			CHK("BRACES",
+			    "Blank lines aren't necessary after an open brace '{'\n" . $hereprev);
+		}
+
 # no volatiles please
 		my $asm_volatile = qr{\b(__asm__|asm)\s+(__volatile__|volatile)\b};
 		if ($line =~ /\bvolatile\b/ && $line !~ /$asm_volatile/) {