diff --git a/bundle/regal/rules/idiomatic/equals_pattern_matching.rego b/bundle/regal/rules/idiomatic/equals_pattern_matching.rego
index 5ba0410a..a10d42b8 100644
--- a/bundle/regal/rules/idiomatic/equals_pattern_matching.rego
+++ b/bundle/regal/rules/idiomatic/equals_pattern_matching.rego
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ report contains violation if {
 	some fn in ast.functions
 	ast.generated_body(fn)
 
+	not fn["else"]
+
 	arg_var_names := {arg.value |
 		some arg in fn.head.args
 		arg.type == "var"
@@ -43,6 +45,8 @@ report contains violation if {
 	some fn in ast.functions
 	not ast.generated_body(fn)
 
+	not fn["else"]
+
 	arg_var_names := {arg.value |
 		some arg in fn.head.args
 		arg.type == "var"
diff --git a/bundle/regal/rules/idiomatic/equals_pattern_matching_test.rego b/bundle/regal/rules/idiomatic/equals_pattern_matching_test.rego
index e7e8038d..2137535d 100644
--- a/bundle/regal/rules/idiomatic/equals_pattern_matching_test.rego
+++ b/bundle/regal/rules/idiomatic/equals_pattern_matching_test.rego
@@ -61,6 +61,15 @@ test_success_actually_pattern_matching if {
 	r == set()
 }
 
+test_success_skipped_on_else if {
+	module := ast.policy(`f(x) {
+		x == 1
+	} else := false`)
+
+	r := rule.report with input as module
+	r == set()
+}
+
 expected := {
 	"category": "idiomatic",
 	"description": "Prefer pattern matching in function arguments",