diff --git a/make/git-submod.mk b/make/git-submod.mk
index 22b4605f..3851a6c6 100644
--- a/make/git-submod.mk
+++ b/make/git-submod.mk
@@ -8,13 +8,16 @@ ifeq ($(USE_USER_URL),true)
   JANWARE_USER_PREFIX        = $(JANWARE_USER)@
 endif
 
+SUBMOD_SRC_DIR              ?= .
 GIT_SRV_ADMIN_SH             = ssh $(JANWARE_USER_PREFIX)git.janware.com /opt/jw-build/bin/git-srv-admin.sh
 GIT_REPO_URL                 = ssh://$(JANWARE_USER_PREFIX)git.janware.com/srv/git/$(JANWARE_USER)/contrib/$(SUBMOD_PKG_NAME)
 SUBMOD_PATH                  = $(patsubst $(abspath $(TOPDIR))/%,%,$(abspath $(CWD)/$(SUBMOD_SRC_DIR)))
-SUBMOD_SRC_DIR              ?= .
 SUB_GIT                      = git -C $(SUBMOD_SRC_DIR)
-SUBMOD_PKG_NAME             := $(shell $(SUB_GIT) remote -v | sed -n 's/^[a-zA-Z_]\+\s//; s/  *.*//; s%.*/%%; s%\.git%%; 1p')
-SUBMOD_MAIN_BRANCH          := $(firstword $(shell $(SUB_GIT) branch --format '%(refname:lstrip=2)'))
+
+ifeq ($(wildcard $(SUBMOD_SRC_DIR)/.git),)
+  SUBMOD_PKG_NAME           := $(shell $(SUB_GIT) remote -v | sed -n 's/^[a-zA-Z_]\+\s//; s/  *.*//; s%.*/%%; s%\.git%%; 1p')
+  SUBMOD_MAIN_BRANCH        := $(firstword $(shell $(SUB_GIT) branch --format '%(refname:lstrip=2)'))
+endif
 
 include $(JWBDIR)/make/defs.mk