diff --git a/hack/lib/util.sh b/hack/lib/util.sh
index 108c77bf3e9..27b76bada25 100755
--- a/hack/lib/util.sh
+++ b/hack/lib/util.sh
@@ -333,8 +333,9 @@ kube::util::git_upstream_remote_name() {
 kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch() {
   local -r git_branch=$1
   local -r pattern=$2
+  local full_branch
 
-  readonly full_branch="$(kube::util::git_upstream_remote_name)/${git_branch}"
+  full_branch="$(kube::util::git_upstream_remote_name)/${git_branch}"
   echo "Checking for '${pattern}' changes against '${full_branch}'"
   # make sure the branch is valid, otherwise the check will pass erroneously.
   if ! git describe "${full_branch}" >/dev/null; then
diff --git a/hack/verify-godep-licenses.sh b/hack/verify-godep-licenses.sh
index c996f79b5eb..637d79ab4dd 100755
--- a/hack/verify-godep-licenses.sh
+++ b/hack/verify-godep-licenses.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ source "${KUBE_ROOT}/hack/lib/init.sh"
 
 readonly branch=${1:-${KUBE_VERIFY_GIT_BRANCH:-master}}
 if ! [[ ${KUBE_FORCE_VERIFY_CHECKS:-} =~ ^[yY]$ ]] && \
-  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'Godeps/'; then
+  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'Godeps/' && \
+  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'vendor/'; then
   exit 0
 fi
 
diff --git a/hack/verify-godeps.sh b/hack/verify-godeps.sh
index 57737136296..b94fc1955a3 100755
--- a/hack/verify-godeps.sh
+++ b/hack/verify-godeps.sh
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ source "${KUBE_ROOT}/hack/lib/init.sh"
 
 readonly branch=${1:-${KUBE_VERIFY_GIT_BRANCH:-master}}
 if ! [[ ${KUBE_FORCE_VERIFY_CHECKS:-} =~ ^[yY]$ ]] && \
-  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'Godeps/'; then
+  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'Godeps/' && \
+  ! kube::util::has_changes_against_upstream_branch "${branch}" 'vendor/'; then
   exit 0
 fi