diff --git a/git-hooks/sanitize-commit b/git-hooks/sanitize-commit
index c279515c25b275e2dd29d6613e761537bc89d0af..15b08b6addfd8b2dd5548d32dba3226f2b960302 100755
--- a/git-hooks/sanitize-commit
+++ b/git-hooks/sanitize-commit
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ my $no_copyright = 0;
 
 sub flushFile()
 {
-    if ($no_copyright) {
+    if ($no_copyright && $lineno >= 10) {
         &complain("Missing copyright header", "copyright");
     }
     if (@style_fails) {