diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 6fc0e5ae68..258ce6b0f0 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -1389,10 +1389,22 @@ extern struct alternate_object_database {
 extern void prepare_alt_odb(void);
 extern void read_info_alternates(const char * relative_base, int depth);
 extern char *compute_alternate_path(const char *path, struct strbuf *err);
-extern void add_to_alternates_file(const char *reference);
 typedef int alt_odb_fn(struct alternate_object_database *, void *);
 extern int foreach_alt_odb(alt_odb_fn, void*);
 
+/*
+ * Add the directory to the on-disk alternates file; the new entry will also
+ * take effect in the current process.
+ */
+extern void add_to_alternates_file(const char *dir);
+
+/*
+ * Add the directory to the in-memory list of alternates (along with any
+ * recursive alternates it points to), but do not modify the on-disk alternates
+ * file.
+ */
+extern void add_to_alternates_memory(const char *dir);
+
 struct pack_window {
 	struct pack_window *next;
 	unsigned char *base;
diff --git a/sha1_file.c b/sha1_file.c
index 3d8c1e88a5..7a3b745448 100644
--- a/sha1_file.c
+++ b/sha1_file.c
@@ -440,6 +440,17 @@ void add_to_alternates_file(const char *reference)
 	free(alts);
 }
 
+void add_to_alternates_memory(const char *reference)
+{
+	/*
+	 * Make sure alternates are initialized, or else our entry may be
+	 * overwritten when they are.
+	 */
+	prepare_alt_odb();
+
+	link_alt_odb_entries(reference, strlen(reference), '\n', NULL, 0);
+}
+
 /*
  * Compute the exact path an alternate is at and returns it. In case of
  * error NULL is returned and the human readable error is added to `err`
diff --git a/submodule.c b/submodule.c
index 0ef2ff4321..8b3274a9dc 100644
--- a/submodule.c
+++ b/submodule.c
@@ -123,9 +123,7 @@ void stage_updated_gitmodules(void)
 static int add_submodule_odb(const char *path)
 {
 	struct strbuf objects_directory = STRBUF_INIT;
-	struct alternate_object_database *alt_odb;
 	int ret = 0;
-	size_t alloc;
 
 	ret = strbuf_git_path_submodule(&objects_directory, path, "objects/");
 	if (ret)
@@ -134,26 +132,7 @@ static int add_submodule_odb(const char *path)
 		ret = -1;
 		goto done;
 	}
-	/* avoid adding it twice */
-	prepare_alt_odb();
-	for (alt_odb = alt_odb_list; alt_odb; alt_odb = alt_odb->next)
-		if (alt_odb->name - alt_odb->base == objects_directory.len &&
-				!strncmp(alt_odb->base, objects_directory.buf,
-					objects_directory.len))
-			goto done;
-
-	alloc = st_add(objects_directory.len, 42); /* for "12/345..." sha1 */
-	alt_odb = xmalloc(st_add(sizeof(*alt_odb), alloc));
-	alt_odb->next = alt_odb_list;
-	xsnprintf(alt_odb->base, alloc, "%s", objects_directory.buf);
-	alt_odb->name = alt_odb->base + objects_directory.len;
-	alt_odb->name[2] = '/';
-	alt_odb->name[40] = '\0';
-	alt_odb->name[41] = '\0';
-	alt_odb_list = alt_odb;
-
-	/* add possible alternates from the submodule */
-	read_info_alternates(objects_directory.buf, 0);
+	add_to_alternates_memory(objects_directory.buf);
 done:
 	strbuf_release(&objects_directory);
 	return ret;