diff --git a/rerere.c b/rerere.c
index 6ec55964e2..0296700f9f 100644
--- a/rerere.c
+++ b/rerere.c
@@ -403,12 +403,8 @@ static int handle_conflict(struct strbuf *out, struct rerere_io *io,
 			strbuf_addbuf(out, &two);
 			rerere_strbuf_putconflict(out, '>', marker_size);
 			if (ctx) {
-				git_hash_update(ctx, one.buf ?
-						one.buf : "",
-						one.len + 1);
-				git_hash_update(ctx, two.buf ?
-						two.buf : "",
-						two.len + 1);
+				git_hash_update(ctx, one.buf, one.len + 1);
+				git_hash_update(ctx, two.buf, two.len + 1);
 			}
 			break;
 		} else if (hunk == RR_SIDE_1)
diff --git a/tools/coccinelle/strbuf.cocci b/tools/coccinelle/strbuf.cocci
index 83bd93be5f..f586128329 100644
--- a/tools/coccinelle/strbuf.cocci
+++ b/tools/coccinelle/strbuf.cocci
@@ -71,3 +71,10 @@ identifier fn, param;
   {
   ...
   }
+
+// In modern codebase, .buf member of an empty strbuf is not NULL.
+@@
+struct strbuf SB;
+@@
+- SB.buf ? SB.buf : ""
++ SB.buf