diff --git a/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index b8eb57f38c7..f9f8891c0c4 100755
--- a/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -7205,8 +7205,8 @@ sub process {
 
 # check for IS_ENABLED() without CONFIG_<FOO> ($rawline for comments too)
 		if ($rawline =~ /\bIS_ENABLED\s*\(\s*(\w+)\s*\)/ && $1 !~ /^${CONFIG_}/) {
-			WARN("IS_ENABLED_CONFIG",
-			     "IS_ENABLED($1) is normally used as IS_ENABLED(${CONFIG_}$1)\n" . $herecurr);
+			ERROR("IS_ENABLED_CONFIG",
+			     "IS_ENABLED($1) must be used as IS_ENABLED(${CONFIG_}$1)\n" . $herecurr);
 		}
 
 # check for #if defined CONFIG_<FOO> || defined CONFIG_<FOO>_MODULE