diff --git a/builtin/rm.c b/builtin/rm.c
index d4989d4d86..4a4aec0d00 100644
--- a/builtin/rm.c
+++ b/builtin/rm.c
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ static void submodules_absorb_gitdir_if_needed(void)
 			continue;
 
 		if (!submodule_uses_gitfile(name))
-			absorb_git_dir_into_superproject(name);
+			absorb_git_dir_into_superproject(name, NULL);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/builtin/submodule--helper.c b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
index 05f2c9bc98..da844cad5c 100644
--- a/builtin/submodule--helper.c
+++ b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
@@ -113,10 +113,9 @@ static char *resolve_relative_url(const char *rel_url, const char *up_path, int
 }
 
 /* the result should be freed by the caller. */
-static char *get_submodule_displaypath(const char *path, const char *prefix)
+static char *get_submodule_displaypath(const char *path, const char *prefix,
+				       const char *super_prefix)
 {
-	const char *super_prefix = get_super_prefix();
-
 	if (prefix && super_prefix) {
 		BUG("cannot have prefix '%s' and superprefix '%s'",
 		    prefix, super_prefix);
@@ -294,7 +293,8 @@ static void runcommand_in_submodule_cb(const struct cache_entry *list_item,
 	struct child_process cp = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
 	char *displaypath;
 
-	displaypath = get_submodule_displaypath(path, info->prefix);
+	displaypath = get_submodule_displaypath(path, info->prefix,
+						get_super_prefix());
 
 	sub = submodule_from_path(the_repository, null_oid(), path);
 
@@ -447,7 +447,8 @@ static void init_submodule(const char *path, const char *prefix,
 	const char *upd;
 	char *url = NULL, *displaypath;
 
-	displaypath = get_submodule_displaypath(path, prefix);
+	displaypath = get_submodule_displaypath(path, prefix,
+						get_super_prefix());
 
 	sub = submodule_from_path(the_repository, null_oid(), path);
 
@@ -624,7 +625,8 @@ static void status_submodule(const char *path, const struct object_id *ce_oid,
 		die(_("no submodule mapping found in .gitmodules for path '%s'"),
 		      path);
 
-	displaypath = get_submodule_displaypath(path, prefix);
+	displaypath = get_submodule_displaypath(path, prefix,
+						get_super_prefix());
 
 	if ((CE_STAGEMASK & ce_flags) >> CE_STAGESHIFT) {
 		print_status(flags, 'U', path, null_oid(), displaypath);
@@ -948,7 +950,8 @@ static void generate_submodule_summary(struct summary_cb *info,
 		dst_abbrev = xstrndup(oid_to_hex(&p->oid_dst), 7);
 	}
 
-	displaypath = get_submodule_displaypath(p->sm_path, info->prefix);
+	displaypath = get_submodule_displaypath(p->sm_path, info->prefix,
+						get_super_prefix());
 
 	if (!missing_src && !missing_dst) {
 		struct child_process cp_rev_list = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
@@ -1239,7 +1242,8 @@ static void sync_submodule(const char *path, const char *prefix,
 		super_config_url = xstrdup("");
 	}
 
-	displaypath = get_submodule_displaypath(path, prefix);
+	displaypath = get_submodule_displaypath(path, prefix,
+						get_super_prefix());
 
 	if (!(flags & OPT_QUIET))
 		printf(_("Synchronizing submodule url for '%s'\n"),
@@ -1365,7 +1369,7 @@ static void deinit_submodule(const char *path, const char *prefix,
 	if (!sub || !sub->name)
 		goto cleanup;
 
-	displaypath = get_submodule_displaypath(path, prefix);
+	displaypath = get_submodule_displaypath(path, prefix, NULL);
 
 	/* remove the submodule work tree (unless the user already did it) */
 	if (is_directory(path)) {
@@ -1379,7 +1383,7 @@ static void deinit_submodule(const char *path, const char *prefix,
 					  ".git file by using absorbgitdirs."),
 					displaypath);
 
-			absorb_git_dir_into_superproject(path);
+			absorb_git_dir_into_superproject(path, NULL);
 
 		}
 
@@ -1958,7 +1962,8 @@ static int prepare_to_clone_next_submodule(const struct cache_entry *ce,
 	enum submodule_update_type update_type;
 	char *key;
 	const struct update_data *ud = suc->update_data;
-	char *displaypath = get_submodule_displaypath(ce->name, ud->prefix);
+	char *displaypath = get_submodule_displaypath(ce->name, ud->prefix,
+						      get_super_prefix());
 	struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int needs_cloning = 0;
 	int need_free_url = 0;
@@ -2608,7 +2613,8 @@ static int update_submodules(struct update_data *update_data)
 			goto fail;
 
 		update_data->displaypath = get_submodule_displaypath(
-			update_data->sm_path, update_data->prefix);
+			update_data->sm_path, update_data->prefix,
+			get_super_prefix());
 		code = update_submodule(update_data);
 		FREE_AND_NULL(update_data->displaypath);
 fail:
@@ -2828,6 +2834,7 @@ static int absorb_git_dirs(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	int i;
 	struct pathspec pathspec = { 0 };
 	struct module_list list = MODULE_LIST_INIT;
+	const char *super_prefix;
 	struct option embed_gitdir_options[] = {
 		OPT_END()
 	};
@@ -2843,8 +2850,10 @@ static int absorb_git_dirs(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (module_list_compute(argv, prefix, &pathspec, &list) < 0)
 		goto cleanup;
 
+	super_prefix = get_super_prefix();
 	for (i = 0; i < list.nr; i++)
-		absorb_git_dir_into_superproject(list.entries[i]->name);
+		absorb_git_dir_into_superproject(list.entries[i]->name,
+						 super_prefix);
 
 	ret = 0;
 cleanup:
diff --git a/submodule.c b/submodule.c
index 8ac2fca855..bf19598b8c 100644
--- a/submodule.c
+++ b/submodule.c
@@ -2145,7 +2145,8 @@ int submodule_move_head(const char *path,
 	if (!(flags & SUBMODULE_MOVE_HEAD_DRY_RUN)) {
 		if (old_head) {
 			if (!submodule_uses_gitfile(path))
-				absorb_git_dir_into_superproject(path);
+				absorb_git_dir_into_superproject(path,
+								 get_super_prefix());
 		} else {
 			struct strbuf gitdir = STRBUF_INIT;
 			submodule_name_to_gitdir(&gitdir, the_repository,
@@ -2315,7 +2316,8 @@ static void relocate_single_git_dir_into_superproject(const char *path)
 	strbuf_release(&new_gitdir);
 }
 
-static void absorb_git_dir_into_superproject_recurse(const char *path)
+static void absorb_git_dir_into_superproject_recurse(const char *path,
+						     const char *super_prefix)
 {
 
 	struct child_process cp = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
@@ -2323,8 +2325,8 @@ static void absorb_git_dir_into_superproject_recurse(const char *path)
 	cp.dir = path;
 	cp.git_cmd = 1;
 	cp.no_stdin = 1;
-	strvec_pushf(&cp.args, "--super-prefix=%s%s/",
-		     get_super_prefix_or_empty(), path);
+	strvec_pushf(&cp.args, "--super-prefix=%s%s/", super_prefix ?
+		     super_prefix : "", path);
 	strvec_pushl(&cp.args, "submodule--helper",
 		     "absorbgitdirs", NULL);
 	prepare_submodule_repo_env(&cp.env);
@@ -2337,7 +2339,8 @@ static void absorb_git_dir_into_superproject_recurse(const char *path)
  * having its git directory within the working tree to the git dir nested
  * in its superprojects git dir under modules/.
  */
-void absorb_git_dir_into_superproject(const char *path)
+void absorb_git_dir_into_superproject(const char *path,
+				      const char *super_prefix)
 {
 	int err_code;
 	const char *sub_git_dir;
@@ -2386,7 +2389,7 @@ void absorb_git_dir_into_superproject(const char *path)
 	}
 	strbuf_release(&gitdir);
 
-	absorb_git_dir_into_superproject_recurse(path);
+	absorb_git_dir_into_superproject_recurse(path, super_prefix);
 }
 
 int get_superproject_working_tree(struct strbuf *buf)
diff --git a/submodule.h b/submodule.h
index b52a4ff1e7..f90ee547d0 100644
--- a/submodule.h
+++ b/submodule.h
@@ -164,7 +164,8 @@ void submodule_unset_core_worktree(const struct submodule *sub);
  */
 void prepare_submodule_repo_env(struct strvec *env);
 
-void absorb_git_dir_into_superproject(const char *path);
+void absorb_git_dir_into_superproject(const char *path,
+				      const char *super_prefix);
 
 /*
  * Return the absolute path of the working tree of the superproject, which this