diff --git a/scripts/headers_check.pl b/scripts/headers_check.pl
index 4414c43857a..db1dd7a549f 100644
--- a/scripts/headers_check.pl
+++ b/scripts/headers_check.pl
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 #
 # headers_check.pl execute a number of trivial consistency checks
 #
-# Usage: headers_check.pl dir [files...]
+# Usage: headers_check.pl dir arch [files...]
 # dir:   dir to look for included files
 # arch:  architecture
 # files: list of files to check
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ foreach my $file (@files) {
 		&check_include();
 		&check_asm_types();
 		&check_sizetypes();
-		&check_prototypes();
+		&check_declarations();
 		# Dropped for now. Too much noise &check_config();
 	}
 	close FH;
@@ -61,10 +61,12 @@ sub check_include
 	}
 }
 
-sub check_prototypes
+sub check_declarations
 {
-	if ($line =~ m/^\s*extern\b/) {
-		printf STDERR "$filename:$lineno: extern's make no sense in userspace\n";
+	if ($line =~m/^\s*extern\b/) {
+		printf STDERR "$filename:$lineno: " .
+		              "userspace cannot call function or variable " .
+		              "defined in the kernel\n";
 	}
 }