diff --git a/docs/fdroid.texi b/docs/fdroid.texi
index cb5d17a2..765dd5e8 100644
--- a/docs/fdroid.texi
+++ b/docs/fdroid.texi
@@ -820,8 +820,10 @@ Specifies to build from a subdirectory of the checked out source code.
 Normally this directory is changed to before building,
 
 @item submodules=yes
-Use if the project (git only) has submodules - causes git submodule
-init and update to be executed after the source is cloned.
+Use if the project (git only) has submodules - causes @code{git submodule
+update --init --recursive} to be executed after the source is cloned.
+Submodules are reset and cleaned like the main app repository itself before
+each build.
 
 @item init=xxxx
 As for 'prebuild', but runs on the source code BEFORE any other processing
diff --git a/fdroidserver/common.py b/fdroidserver/common.py
index 3bca96d3..6ccb30d0 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/common.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/common.py
@@ -336,10 +336,8 @@ class vcs_git(vcs):
 
     def initsubmodules(self):
         self.checkrepo()
-        if subprocess.call(['git', 'submodule', 'init'],
-                cwd=self.local) != 0:
-            raise VCSException("Git submodule init failed")
-        if subprocess.call(['git', 'submodule', 'update'],
+        if subprocess.call(['git', 'submodule', 'update',
+            '--init', '--recursive'],
                 cwd=self.local) != 0:
             raise VCSException("Git submodule update failed")
         if subprocess.call(['git', 'submodule', 'foreach',