diff --git a/builtin/submodule--helper.c b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
index 78614743ed..a39b93f274 100644
--- a/builtin/submodule--helper.c
+++ b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
@@ -2129,8 +2129,7 @@ static int fetch_in_submodule(const char *module_path, int depth, int quiet,
 	return run_command(&cp);
 }
 
-static int run_update_command(const struct update_data *ud, int subforce,
-			      int *must_die_on_failure)
+static int run_update_command(const struct update_data *ud, int subforce)
 {
 	struct child_process cp = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
 	char *oid = oid_to_hex(&ud->oid);
@@ -2193,8 +2192,6 @@ static int run_update_command(const struct update_data *ud, int subforce,
 			    ud->update_strategy.type);
 		}
 
-		if (ret == 128)
-			*must_die_on_failure = 1;
 		return ret;
 	}
 
@@ -2226,8 +2223,7 @@ static int run_update_command(const struct update_data *ud, int subforce,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int run_update_procedure(const struct update_data *ud,
-				int *must_die_on_failure)
+static int run_update_procedure(const struct update_data *ud)
 {
 	int subforce = is_null_oid(&ud->suboid) || ud->force;
 
@@ -2254,7 +2250,7 @@ static int run_update_procedure(const struct update_data *ud,
 			    ud->displaypath, oid_to_hex(&ud->oid));
 	}
 
-	return run_update_command(ud, subforce, must_die_on_failure);
+	return run_update_command(ud, subforce);
 }
 
 static const char *remote_submodule_branch(const char *path)
@@ -2391,8 +2387,7 @@ static void update_data_to_args(const struct update_data *update_data,
 				    "--no-single-branch");
 }
 
-static int update_submodule(struct update_data *update_data,
-			    int *must_die_on_failure)
+static int update_submodule(struct update_data *update_data)
 {
 	int ret;
 
@@ -2406,10 +2401,8 @@ static int update_submodule(struct update_data *update_data,
 						  update_data->sm_path,
 						  update_data->update_default,
 						  &update_data->update_strategy);
-	if (ret) {
-		*must_die_on_failure = 1;
+	if (ret)
 		return ret;
-	}
 
 	if (update_data->just_cloned)
 		oidcpy(&update_data->suboid, null_oid());
@@ -2437,11 +2430,9 @@ static int update_submodule(struct update_data *update_data,
 	}
 
 	if (!oideq(&update_data->oid, &update_data->suboid) || update_data->force) {
-		ret = run_update_procedure(update_data, must_die_on_failure);
-		if (*must_die_on_failure)
-			return ret;
+		ret = run_update_procedure(update_data);
 		if (ret)
-			return 1;
+			return ret;
 	}
 
 	if (update_data->recursive) {
@@ -2458,12 +2449,9 @@ static int update_submodule(struct update_data *update_data,
 		update_data_to_args(&next, &cp.args);
 
 		ret = run_command(&cp);
-		if (!ret)
-			return 0;
-		die_message(_("Failed to recurse into submodule path '%s'"),
-			    update_data->displaypath);
-		if (ret == 128)
-			*must_die_on_failure = 1;
+		if (ret)
+			die_message(_("Failed to recurse into submodule path '%s'"),
+				    update_data->displaypath);
 		return ret;
 	}
 
@@ -2496,20 +2484,19 @@ static int update_submodules(struct update_data *update_data)
 
 	for (i = 0; i < suc.update_clone_nr; i++) {
 		struct update_clone_data ucd = suc.update_clone[i];
-		int must_die_on_failure = 0;
 		int code;
 
 		oidcpy(&update_data->oid, &ucd.oid);
 		update_data->just_cloned = ucd.just_cloned;
 		update_data->sm_path = ucd.sub->path;
 
-		code = update_submodule(update_data, &must_die_on_failure);
-		if (code)
-			ret = code;
-		if (must_die_on_failure)
+		code = update_submodule(update_data);
+		if (!code)
+			continue;
+		ret = code;
+		if (ret == 128)
 			goto cleanup;
-		else if (code)
-			ret = 1;
+		ret = 1;
 	}
 
 cleanup: