diff --git a/make/git-submod.mk b/make/git-submod.mk
index 2b70b313..2d551e13 100644
--- a/make/git-submod.mk
+++ b/make/git-submod.mk
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@ install:
 clean:
 distclean:
 
+SUBMOD_SRC_DIR ?= .
+export GIT_EXEC_PATH = $(SUBMOD_SRC_DIR)
+
 git-submod-init-remote:
 	@echo "FIXME: git-srv-admin.sh needs to support creating a bare repo below <user>/contrib/<project>."
 	@echo "FIXME: Then this target in $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)) has to do the following:"