diff --git a/lint.go b/lint.go
index 8da6ea5..5fa3840 100644
--- a/lint.go
+++ b/lint.go
@@ -658,9 +658,19 @@
 		if len(ifStmt.Body.List) == 0 {
 			return true
 		}
+		shortDecl := false // does the if statement have a ":=" initialization statement?
+		if ifStmt.Init != nil {
+			if as, ok := ifStmt.Init.(*ast.AssignStmt); ok && as.Tok == token.DEFINE {
+				shortDecl = true
+			}
+		}
 		lastStmt := ifStmt.Body.List[len(ifStmt.Body.List)-1]
 		if _, ok := lastStmt.(*ast.ReturnStmt); ok {
-			f.errorf(ifStmt.Else, 1, "if block ends with a return statement, so drop this else and outdent its block")
+			extra := ""
+			if shortDecl {
+				extra = " (move short variable declaration to its own line if necessary)"
+			}
+			f.errorf(ifStmt.Else, 1, "if block ends with a return statement, so drop this else and outdent its block"+extra)
 		}
 		return true
 	})
diff --git a/testdata/else.go b/testdata/else.go
index d5f6e6c..515c043 100644
--- a/testdata/else.go
+++ b/testdata/else.go
@@ -13,3 +13,11 @@
 	}
 	return false
 }
+
+func g(f func() bool) string {
+	if ok := f(); ok {
+		return "it's okay"
+	} else { // MATCH /if.*return.*else.*outdent.*short.*var.*declaration/
+		return "it's NOT okay!"
+	}
+}