diff --git a/util/check-format-test-positives.c b/util/check-format-test-positives.c
index 40077925ff..7d9bbea5c7 100644
--- a/util/check-format-test-positives.c
+++ b/util/check-format-test-positives.c
@@ -334,11 +334,11 @@ void f_looong_body()
     ;
 
 
-    ;               /*@ 2 essentially empty lines before */
+    ;               /*@ 2 essentially empty lines before, if !sloppy-spc */
 }                   /*@ function body length > 200 lines */
 #if 0               /*@0 unclosed #if */
 struct t {          /*@0 unclosed brace at decl/block level */
     enum {          /*@0 unclosed brace at enum/expression level */
           v = (1    /*@0 unclosed parenthesis */
-               etyp /*@0 empty line follows just before EOF: */
+               etyp /*@0 empty line follows just before EOF, if !sloppy-spc: */
 
diff --git a/util/check-format.pl b/util/check-format.pl
index 2bbf7e7c54..0619240f82 100755
--- a/util/check-format.pl
+++ b/util/check-format.pl
@@ -1075,11 +1075,11 @@ while (<>) { # loop over all lines of all input files
     }
 
     if (m/^\s*$/) { # essentially empty line: just whitespace (and maybe a '\')
-            report("empty line at beginnig of file") if $line == 1;
+            report("empty line at beginnig of file") if $line == 1 && !$sloppy_SPC;
     } else {
         if ($line_before > 0) {
             my $linediff = $line - $line_before - 1;
-            report("$linediff empty lines before") if $linediff > 1;
+            report("$linediff empty lines before") if $linediff > 1 && !$sloppy_SPC;
         }
         $line_before2      = $line_before;
         $contents_before2  = $contents_before;
@@ -1103,7 +1103,7 @@ while (<>) { # loop over all lines of all input files
     if (eof) {
         # check for essentially empty line (which may include a '\') just before EOF
         report(($1 eq "\n" ? "empty line" : $2 ne "" ? "'\\'" : "whitespace")." at EOF")
-            if $contents =~ m/^(\s*(\\?)\s*)$/;
+            if $contents =~ m/^(\s*(\\?)\s*)$/ && !$sloppy_SPC;
 
         # report unclosed expression-level nesting
         check_nested_nonblock_indents("expr at EOF"); # also adapts @nested_block_indents