diff --git a/git_footers.py b/git_footers.py
index 1d4d4dd84..4641f7470 100755
--- a/git_footers.py
+++ b/git_footers.py
@@ -83,9 +83,13 @@ def add_footer_change_id(message, change_id):
     if line == '' or line.isspace():
       break
     footer_lines.append(line)
+  else:
+    # The whole description was consisting of footers,
+    # which means those aren't footers.
+    footer_lines = []
   # footers order is from end to start of the message.
   footers = map(parse_footer, footer_lines)
-  if not all(footers):
+  if not footers or not all(footers):
     lines.append('')
     lines.append(change_id_line)
   else:
diff --git a/tests/git_footers_test.py b/tests/git_footers_test.py
index 86e8b6d93..c959949f9 100755
--- a/tests/git_footers_test.py
+++ b/tests/git_footers_test.py
@@ -99,6 +99,11 @@ My commit message is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it.
         git_footers.add_footer_change_id('header\n\nBUG: yy\n\nPos: 1', 'Ixxx'),
         'header\n\nBUG: yy\n\nChange-Id: Ixxx\nPos: 1')
 
+    # Special case: first line is never a footer, even if it looks line one.
+    self.assertEqual(
+        git_footers.add_footer_change_id('header: like footer', 'Ixxx'),
+        'header: like footer\n\nChange-Id: Ixxx')
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
   unittest.main()