diff --git a/util/lint/lint-stable-027-maintainers-syntax b/util/lint/lint-stable-027-maintainers-syntax
index 85245d1247..d0753d7316 100755
--- a/util/lint/lint-stable-027-maintainers-syntax
+++ b/util/lint/lint-stable-027-maintainers-syntax
@@ -1,21 +1,34 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env perl
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
 #
-# DESCR: Check that path patterns in MAINTAINERS have trailing slash
+# DESCR: Check the syntax of the MAINTAINERS file
 
 use strict;
 use warnings;
 
+sub check_path {
+	my ($path) = @_;
+
+	if ( ! -e $path ) {
+		print "MAINTAINERS:$. No such file or directory exists ";
+		print "`$path`\n";
+	}
+}
+
 open( my $file, "<", "MAINTAINERS" ) or die "Error: could not open file 'MAINTAINERS'\n";
 
 while ( my $line = <$file> ) {
-	if ( $line =~ /^[FX]:\s+([^\s]*[^*\/\s])\s+$/ ) {  # path patterns not ending with / or *
+	if ( $line =~ /^[FX]:\s+([^\s]*)\s+$/ ) {
 		my $path = $1;
 
-		if ( -d $path ) {
+		# Match path patterns not ending with '/' or '*'. This cannot be done
+		# in check_path(), as it only works on pre-globbed paths.
+		if ( $path =~ /[^*\/\s]$/ && -d $path ) {
 			print "MAINTAINERS:$. missing trailing slash for directory match ";
 			print "`$path`\n";
 		}
+
+		check_path($_) foreach ( glob $path );
 	}
 }