diff --git a/hooks/validate.sh b/hooks/validate.sh
index 454d1ab..cfb3941 100755
--- a/hooks/validate.sh
+++ b/hooks/validate.sh
@@ -311,6 +311,11 @@ validate_commit() {
 # param1: commit hash
 # returns: 0 if the validation of the commit and all its ancestors succeeded
 validate_commit_and_parents() {
+  NUM_COMMITS_CHECKED=${#PROCESSED_COMMIT[@]}
+  if [[ ${NUM_COMMITS_CHECKED} -ge ${MAX_COMMITS_TO_CHECK} ]] && [[ ${MAX_COMMITS_TO_CHECK} -ge 1 ]]; then
+    # enough commits have already been checked, so return early
+    return 0;
+  fi
   local COMMIT_HASH="$1"
   log "validate_commit_and_parents for $COMMIT_HASH"
 
@@ -321,16 +326,14 @@ validate_commit_and_parents() {
   # If MAX_COMMITS_TO_CHECK is zero (or a negative number) then that is understood as "infinity".
   # So perform the next commit check if we have not reached the limit, or if the limit is "infinity".
   NUM_COMMITS_CHECKED=${#PROCESSED_COMMIT[@]}
-  if [[ ${NUM_COMMITS_CHECKED} -lt ${MAX_COMMITS_TO_CHECK} ]] || [[ ${MAX_COMMITS_TO_CHECK} -lt 1 ]]; then
-    local PARENTS=$(git cat-file -p "$COMMIT_HASH" | awk '/^$/{exit} /parent/ {print}' | sed 's/parent //')
-    #iterate over all parents of commit
-    if [ ! -z "$PARENTS" ]; then
-      while read PARENT_HASH; do
-        if ! validate_commit_and_parents "$PARENT_HASH"; then
-          ALL_PASSED=false
-        fi
-      done <<< $(printf "%s" "$PARENTS")
-    fi
+  local PARENTS=$(git cat-file -p "$COMMIT_HASH" | awk '/^$/{exit} /parent/ {print}' | sed 's/parent //')
+  #iterate over all parents of commit
+  if [ ! -z "$PARENTS" ]; then
+    while read PARENT_HASH; do
+      if ! validate_commit_and_parents "$PARENT_HASH"; then
+        ALL_PASSED=false
+      fi
+    done <<< $(printf "%s" "$PARENTS")
   fi
   if [ "$ALL_PASSED" = true ]; then
     return 0