diff --git a/scripts/check_emdash.sh b/scripts/check_emdash.sh
index 2b95fd4584..71d1728637 100755
--- a/scripts/check_emdash.sh
+++ b/scripts/check_emdash.sh
@@ -175,12 +175,19 @@ else
 		exit 1
 	}
 	if [[ -z "$base" ]]; then
-		echo "WARNING: no base ref found, scanning all tracked files." >&2
-		scan_all_files
-	else
-		found=0
-		scan_diff "$base"
+		# No base ref is available outside of pull requests, for
+		# example push builds on release branches with a shallow clone
+		# where neither GITHUB_BASE_REF nor origin/main is present.
+		# The diff check has nothing to compare against, and scanning
+		# every tracked file would flag pre-existing characters that
+		# are unrelated to the change under test. Skip instead; pass
+		# --all to force a full-tree scan.
+		echo "OK: no base ref found (not a pull request); skipping emdash check."
+		echo "    Pass --all to scan every tracked file."
+		exit 0
 	fi
+	found=0
+	scan_diff "$base"
 fi
 
 if [[ "$found" -ne 0 ]]; then