diff --git a/builtin/checkout.c b/builtin/checkout.c
index e9d111bb83..24336e1017 100644
--- a/builtin/checkout.c
+++ b/builtin/checkout.c
@@ -1689,7 +1689,7 @@ static int checkout_main(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 		 * Try to give more helpful suggestion.
 		 * new_branch && argc > 1 will be caught later.
 		 */
-		if (opts->new_branch && argc == 1)
+		if (opts->new_branch && argc == 1 && !new_branch_info.commit)
 			die(_("'%s' is not a commit and a branch '%s' cannot be created from it"),
 				argv[0], opts->new_branch);
 
diff --git a/t/t2018-checkout-branch.sh b/t/t2018-checkout-branch.sh
index b166cb302f..5f761bc616 100755
--- a/t/t2018-checkout-branch.sh
+++ b/t/t2018-checkout-branch.sh
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ test_expect_success 'checkout -b rejects an invalid start point' '
 	test_i18ngrep "is not a commit" err
 '
 
-test_expect_failure 'checkout -b rejects an extra path argument' '
+test_expect_success 'checkout -b rejects an extra path argument' '
 	test_must_fail git checkout -b branch5 branch1 file1 2>err &&
 	test_i18ngrep "Cannot update paths and switch to branch" err
 '
diff --git a/t/t2027-checkout-track.sh b/t/t2027-checkout-track.sh
index d0b41d7cd0..bcba1bf90c 100755
--- a/t/t2027-checkout-track.sh
+++ b/t/t2027-checkout-track.sh
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ test_expect_success 'checkout --track -b creates a new tracking branch' '
 	test $(git config --get branch.branch1.merge) = refs/heads/master
 '
 
-test_expect_failure 'checkout --track -b rejects an extra path argument' '
+test_expect_success 'checkout --track -b rejects an extra path argument' '
 	test_must_fail git checkout --track -b branch2 master one.t 2>err &&
 	test_i18ngrep "cannot be used with updating paths" err
 '