Table of Contents
1. Remove the submodule from your working tree
2. Clean up config files (important for full removal)
3. Verify everything is gone
Home Development Tools git How do I remove a submodule from my Git repository?

How do I remove a submodule from my Git repository?

Jul 19, 2025 am 01:19 AM
Remove Git submodule

To cleanly remove a Git submodule, first deinitialize it with git submodule deinit -f path/to/submodule, then delete its files via rm -rf .git/modules/path/to/submodule and git rm -f path/to/submodule, and finally remove related entries from .git/config and .gitmodules before committing the changes. This ensures complete removal without leaving behind configuration or data traces.

How do I remove a submodule from my Git repository?

Removing a submodule from a Git repository isn't as straightforward as deleting a regular file or folder, because submodules are tracked separately and have their own entries in the .git directory. Here's how to cleanly remove one without leaving behind any leftover traces.


1. Remove the submodule from your working tree

First, you need to tell Git to stop tracking the submodule. From your main repo’s root directory, run:

git submodule deinit -f path/to/submodule

This removes the submodule’s working directory and unsubscribes it from being updated automatically.

Then, remove the submodule files from the .git/modules directory:

rm -rf .git/modules/path/to/submodule

Finally, remove the submodule directory itself:

git rm -f path/to/submodule

This effectively deletes the submodule from your project.


2. Clean up config files (important for full removal)

Even after removing the submodule directory, some configuration entries might still exist in .git/config and .gitmodules.

Open .git/config and look for a section like this:

[submodule "path/to/submodule"]
    url = https://github.com/example/repo.git

Delete that entire block.

Also, open .gitmodules and remove the corresponding entry for the submodule there as well.

After editing these files, don’t forget to stage and commit the changes:

git add .gitmodules
git add .git/config
git commit -m "Removed submodule at path/to/submodule"

3. Verify everything is gone

To make sure no traces of the submodule remain, check the following:

  • The submodule directory should no longer exist in your working tree.
  • There should be no related entries in .git/config or .gitmodules.
  • Running git ls-files shouldn’t show any paths related to the submodule.

If you're unsure, try cloning the repo fresh somewhere else to confirm the submodule doesn't reappear.


Basically, removing a Git submodule involves three steps: deinitializing it, deleting its files and internal data, and cleaning up config files. It’s not complicated, but skipping any of those parts can leave leftovers that cause confusion later.

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