diff --git a/fdroidserver/common.py b/fdroidserver/common.py
index 32cb1859..dad4c16d 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/common.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/common.py
@@ -1103,12 +1103,18 @@ class vcs_git(vcs):
             # Discard any working tree changes
             p = FDroidPopen(['git', 'submodule', 'foreach', '--recursive',
                              'git', 'reset', '--hard'], cwd=self.local, output=False)
+            if p.returncode != 0:
+                logging.debug("Git submodule reset failed (ignored) {output}".format(output=p.output))
+            p = FDroidPopen(['git', 'reset', '--hard'], cwd=self.local, output=False)
             if p.returncode != 0:
                 raise VCSException(_("Git reset failed"), p.output)
             # Remove untracked files now, in case they're tracked in the target
             # revision (it happens!)
             p = FDroidPopen(['git', 'submodule', 'foreach', '--recursive',
                              'git', 'clean', '-dffx'], cwd=self.local, output=False)
+            if p.returncode != 0:
+                logging.debug("Git submodule cleanup failed (ignored) {output}".format(output=p.output))
+            p = FDroidPopen(['git', 'clean', '-dffx'], cwd=self.local, output=False)
             if p.returncode != 0:
                 raise VCSException(_("Git clean failed"), p.output)
             if not self.refreshed:
diff --git a/tests/run-tests b/tests/run-tests
index ccf1bd40..42374742 100755
--- a/tests/run-tests
+++ b/tests/run-tests
@@ -1295,6 +1295,44 @@ else
     echo "WARNING: wget not installed, skipping"
 fi
 
+#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
+echo_header "Test recovering from from broken git submodules"
+
+if have_git_2_3; then
+    ROOT=$(create_test_dir)
+    cd "$ROOT"
+    mkdir foo bar
+    cd foo
+    git init
+    echo a > a
+    git add a
+    GIT_COMMITTER_NAME="Test" GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL="no@mail" git commit -m "a" --author "Author <no@mail>"
+
+    cd ../bar
+    git init
+    git submodule add "file://$(pwd)/../foo" baz
+    rm .gitmodules
+    GIT_COMMITTER_NAME="Test" GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL="no@mail" git commit -am "a" --author "Author <no@mail>"
+    rm -rf baz
+    git checkout baz
+    git tag 2
+
+    cd ..
+    mkdir repo
+    mkdir metadata
+    echo "RepoType: git" >> metadata/fake.yml
+    echo "Repo: file://$(pwd)/bar" >> metadata/fake.yml
+    echo "AutoUpdateMode: Version" >> metadata/fake.yml
+    echo "UpdateCheckMode: Tags" >> metadata/fake.yml
+    echo "UpdateCheckData: '|||'" >> metadata/fake.yml
+    echo "CurrentVersion: 1" >> metadata/fake.yml
+    echo "CurrentVersionCode: 1" >> metadata/fake.yml
+
+    $fdroid checkupdates --allow-dirty
+    grep "CurrentVersionCode: 2" metadata/fake.yml
+fi
+
+
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
 
 # remove this to prevent git conflicts and complaining