diff --git a/submodule-config.c b/submodule-config.c
index 6eb13a5536..774fb10544 100644
--- a/submodule-config.c
+++ b/submodule-config.c
@@ -398,6 +398,8 @@ static int parse_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *data)
 	if (!strcmp(item.buf, "path")) {
 		if (!value)
 			ret = config_error_nonbool(var);
+		else if (looks_like_command_line_option(value))
+			warn_command_line_option(var, value);
 		else if (!me->overwrite && submodule->path)
 			warn_multiple_config(me->treeish_name, submodule->name,
 					"path");
diff --git a/t/t7417-submodule-path-url.sh b/t/t7417-submodule-path-url.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..638293f0da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t7417-submodule-path-url.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='check handling of .gitmodule path with dash'
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+test_expect_success 'create submodule with dash in path' '
+	git init upstream &&
+	git -C upstream commit --allow-empty -m base &&
+	git submodule add ./upstream sub &&
+	git mv sub ./-sub &&
+	git commit -m submodule
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'clone rejects unprotected dash' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf dst" &&
+	git clone --recurse-submodules . dst 2>err &&
+	test_i18ngrep ignoring err
+'
+
+test_done