diff --git a/builtin/mv.c b/builtin/mv.c
index 16ce99b499..1d3ef63fa3 100644
--- a/builtin/mv.c
+++ b/builtin/mv.c
@@ -118,55 +118,60 @@ int cmd_mv(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 				&& lstat(dst, &st) == 0)
 			bad = _("cannot move directory over file");
 		else if (src_is_dir) {
-			const char *src_w_slash = add_slash(src);
-			int len_w_slash = length + 1;
-			int first, last;
+			int first = cache_name_pos(src, length);
+			if (first >= 0) {
+				if (!S_ISGITLINK(active_cache[first]->ce_mode))
+					die (_("Huh? Directory %s is in index and no submodule?"), src);
+			} else {
+				const char *src_w_slash = add_slash(src);
+				int last, len_w_slash = length + 1;
 
-			modes[i] = WORKING_DIRECTORY;
+				modes[i] = WORKING_DIRECTORY;
 
-			first = cache_name_pos(src_w_slash, len_w_slash);
-			if (first >= 0)
-				die (_("Huh? %.*s is in index?"),
-						len_w_slash, src_w_slash);
+				first = cache_name_pos(src_w_slash, len_w_slash);
+				if (first >= 0)
+					die (_("Huh? %.*s is in index?"),
+							len_w_slash, src_w_slash);
 
-			first = -1 - first;
-			for (last = first; last < active_nr; last++) {
-				const char *path = active_cache[last]->name;
-				if (strncmp(path, src_w_slash, len_w_slash))
-					break;
-			}
-			free((char *)src_w_slash);
-
-			if (last - first < 1)
-				bad = _("source directory is empty");
-			else {
-				int j, dst_len;
-
-				if (last - first > 0) {
-					source = xrealloc(source,
-							(argc + last - first)
-							* sizeof(char *));
-					destination = xrealloc(destination,
-							(argc + last - first)
-							* sizeof(char *));
-					modes = xrealloc(modes,
-							(argc + last - first)
-							* sizeof(enum update_mode));
+				first = -1 - first;
+				for (last = first; last < active_nr; last++) {
+					const char *path = active_cache[last]->name;
+					if (strncmp(path, src_w_slash, len_w_slash))
+						break;
 				}
+				free((char *)src_w_slash);
 
-				dst = add_slash(dst);
-				dst_len = strlen(dst);
+				if (last - first < 1)
+					bad = _("source directory is empty");
+				else {
+					int j, dst_len;
 
-				for (j = 0; j < last - first; j++) {
-					const char *path =
-						active_cache[first + j]->name;
-					source[argc + j] = path;
-					destination[argc + j] =
-						prefix_path(dst, dst_len,
-							path + length + 1);
-					modes[argc + j] = INDEX;
+					if (last - first > 0) {
+						source = xrealloc(source,
+								(argc + last - first)
+								* sizeof(char *));
+						destination = xrealloc(destination,
+								(argc + last - first)
+								* sizeof(char *));
+						modes = xrealloc(modes,
+								(argc + last - first)
+								* sizeof(enum update_mode));
+					}
+
+					dst = add_slash(dst);
+					dst_len = strlen(dst);
+
+					for (j = 0; j < last - first; j++) {
+						const char *path =
+							active_cache[first + j]->name;
+						source[argc + j] = path;
+						destination[argc + j] =
+							prefix_path(dst, dst_len,
+								path + length + 1);
+						modes[argc + j] = INDEX;
+					}
+					argc += last - first;
 				}
-				argc += last - first;
 			}
 		} else if (cache_name_pos(src, length) < 0)
 			bad = _("not under version control");
diff --git a/t/t7001-mv.sh b/t/t7001-mv.sh
index 101816e718..15c18b6006 100755
--- a/t/t7001-mv.sh
+++ b/t/t7001-mv.sh
@@ -259,4 +259,38 @@ test_expect_success SYMLINKS 'check moved symlink' '
 
 rm -f moved symlink
 
+test_expect_success 'setup submodule' '
+	git commit -m initial &&
+	git reset --hard &&
+	git submodule add ./. sub &&
+	echo content >file &&
+	git add file &&
+	git commit -m "added sub and file"
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git mv cannot move a submodule in a file' '
+	test_must_fail git mv sub file
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'git mv moves a submodule with a .git directory and no .gitmodules' '
+	entry="$(git ls-files --stage sub | cut -f 1)" &&
+	git rm .gitmodules &&
+	(
+		cd sub &&
+		rm -f .git &&
+		cp -a ../.git/modules/sub .git &&
+		GIT_WORK_TREE=. git config --unset core.worktree
+	) &&
+	mkdir mod &&
+	git mv sub mod/sub &&
+	! test -e sub &&
+	[ "$entry" = "$(git ls-files --stage mod/sub | cut -f 1)" ] &&
+	(
+		cd mod/sub &&
+		git status
+	) &&
+	git update-index --refresh &&
+	git diff-files --quiet
+'
+
 test_done