diff --git a/devtools/checkpatches.sh b/devtools/checkpatches.sh
index ee8debecf7..3b03b7ef23 100755
--- a/devtools/checkpatches.sh
+++ b/devtools/checkpatches.sh
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ print_usage () {
 }
 
 check_forbidden_additions() { # <patch>
+	res=0
+
 	# refrain from new additions of rte_panic() and rte_exit()
 	# multiple folders and expressions are separated by spaces
 	awk -v FOLDERS="lib drivers" \
@@ -51,7 +53,8 @@ check_forbidden_additions() { # <patch>
 		-v RET_ON_FAIL=1 \
 		-v MESSAGE='Using rte_panic/rte_exit' \
 		-f $(dirname $(readlink -e $0))/check-forbidden-tokens.awk \
-		"$1"
+		"$1" || res=1
+
 	# svg figures must be included with wildcard extension
 	# because of png conversion for pdf docs
 	awk -v FOLDERS='doc' \
@@ -59,7 +62,9 @@ check_forbidden_additions() { # <patch>
 		-v RET_ON_FAIL=1 \
 		-v MESSAGE='Using explicit .svg extension instead of .*' \
 		-f $(dirname $(readlink -e $0))/check-forbidden-tokens.awk \
-		"$1"
+		"$1" || res = 1
+
+	return $res
 }
 
 number=0