diff --git a/submodule.c b/submodule.c
index 3c388f85cc..f93f0aff82 100644
--- a/submodule.c
+++ b/submodule.c
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 #include "commit-reach.h"
 
 static int config_update_recurse_submodules = RECURSE_SUBMODULES_OFF;
-static struct string_list changed_submodule_names = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
 static int initialized_fetch_ref_tips;
 static struct oid_array ref_tips_before_fetch;
 static struct oid_array ref_tips_after_fetch;
@@ -1136,7 +1135,8 @@ void check_for_new_submodule_commits(struct object_id *oid)
 	oid_array_append(&ref_tips_after_fetch, oid);
 }
 
-static void calculate_changed_submodule_paths(struct repository *r)
+static void calculate_changed_submodule_paths(struct repository *r,
+		struct string_list *changed_submodule_names)
 {
 	struct argv_array argv = ARGV_ARRAY_INIT;
 	struct string_list changed_submodules = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
@@ -1174,7 +1174,8 @@ static void calculate_changed_submodule_paths(struct repository *r)
 			continue;
 
 		if (!submodule_has_commits(r, path, commits))
-			string_list_append(&changed_submodule_names, name->string);
+			string_list_append(changed_submodule_names,
+					   name->string);
 	}
 
 	free_submodules_oids(&changed_submodules);
@@ -1221,8 +1222,10 @@ struct submodule_parallel_fetch {
 	int default_option;
 	int quiet;
 	int result;
+
+	struct string_list changed_submodule_names;
 };
-#define SPF_INIT {0, ARGV_ARRAY_INIT, NULL, NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0}
+#define SPF_INIT {0, ARGV_ARRAY_INIT, NULL, NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0, STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP }
 
 static int get_fetch_recurse_config(const struct submodule *submodule,
 				    struct submodule_parallel_fetch *spf)
@@ -1284,7 +1287,7 @@ static int get_next_submodule(struct child_process *cp,
 		case RECURSE_SUBMODULES_ON_DEMAND:
 			if (!submodule ||
 			    !string_list_lookup(
-					&changed_submodule_names,
+					&spf->changed_submodule_names,
 					submodule->name))
 				continue;
 			default_argv = "on-demand";
@@ -1376,8 +1379,8 @@ int fetch_populated_submodules(struct repository *r,
 	argv_array_push(&spf.args, "--recurse-submodules-default");
 	/* default value, "--submodule-prefix" and its value are added later */
 
-	calculate_changed_submodule_paths(r);
-	string_list_sort(&changed_submodule_names);
+	calculate_changed_submodule_paths(r, &spf.changed_submodule_names);
+	string_list_sort(&spf.changed_submodule_names);
 	run_processes_parallel(max_parallel_jobs,
 			       get_next_submodule,
 			       fetch_start_failure,
@@ -1386,7 +1389,7 @@ int fetch_populated_submodules(struct repository *r,
 
 	argv_array_clear(&spf.args);
 out:
-	string_list_clear(&changed_submodule_names, 1);
+	string_list_clear(&spf.changed_submodule_names, 1);
 	return spf.result;
 }