diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 5e5f7c80027..ab6eba880bf 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ lint-install:
 # only the litellm Python files changed vs the base are checked, so a pre-existing
 # format issue elsewhere doesn't block an unrelated commit.
 lint-format-check-changed: $(LINT_DEP_INSTALL) $(LINT_DEP_BASE)
-	@files=$$(git diff --name-only origin/litellm_internal_staging...HEAD -- 'litellm/**/*.py' | grep -v '^litellm/enterprise/' || true); \
+	@files=$$(git diff --name-only --diff-filter=ACMR origin/litellm_internal_staging...HEAD -- 'litellm/**/*.py' | grep -v '^litellm/enterprise/' || true); \
 	if [ -z "$$files" ]; then \
 		echo "No changed litellm Python files to format-check."; \
 	else \