diff --git a/lint/lint.go b/lint/lint.go
index 01a760b..9d8a208 100644
--- a/lint/lint.go
+++ b/lint/lint.go
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@
 
 var fixesIssueRegexp = regexp.MustCompile("(?i)^fixes issue [0-9]{3,}[.]?$")
 var issueRegexp = regexp.MustCompile("(?i)issue [0-9]{3,}")
+var footerRegexp = regexp.MustCompile("^[A-Za-z0-9-]+:")
 
 func (l *linter) checkMessage(commitmsg []string) {
 	warn := func(line int, message string) {
@@ -171,11 +172,22 @@
 		}
 	}
 
-	for i := len(commitmsg) - 1; i >= 0 && len(commitmsg[i]) > 0; i-- {
-		if commitmsg[i][0] == ' ' {
+	// Note: don't check subject line
+	for i, inFooter := len(commitmsg)-1, true; i >= 1; i-- {
+		if len(commitmsg[i]) == 0 {
+			inFooter = false
 			continue
 		}
-		field := strings.TrimSpace(strings.Split(commitmsg[i], ":")[0])
+		if !footerRegexp.MatchString(commitmsg[i]) {
+			if inFooter {
+				warn(i+1, "Footer lines should be separated from message body by a blank line.")
+			}
+			break
+		}
+		if !inFooter {
+			warn(i+1, "Footer lines should form a single paragraph (i.e. must not be separated by blank lines.)")
+		}
+		field := strings.SplitN(commitmsg[i], ":", 2)[0]
 		if field != strings.Title(field) {
 			warn(i+1, "Footer fields should be in Title-Case.")
 			break
diff --git a/lint/lint_test.go b/lint/lint_test.go
index 515a39a..857c0ed 100644
--- a/lint/lint_test.go
+++ b/lint/lint_test.go
@@ -113,6 +113,43 @@
 				},
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			message: []string{
+				"Topic: Subject line looking like footer line",
+				"",
+				"Change-Id: blah",
+			},
+			// No warnings
+		},
+		{
+			message: []string{
+				"Subject line",
+				"",
+				"Message body",
+				"Change-Id: blah",
+			},
+			warnings: []gerrit.Comment{
+				gerrit.Comment{
+					Line:    9,
+					Message: "[warning] Footer lines should be separated from message body by a blank line.",
+				},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			message: []string{
+				"Subject line",
+				"",
+				"Bug: issue 8403",
+				"",
+				"Change-Id: blah",
+			},
+			warnings: []gerrit.Comment{
+				gerrit.Comment{
+					Line:    9,
+					Message: "[warning] Footer lines should form a single paragraph (i.e. must not be separated by blank lines.)",
+				},
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, test := range tests {