diff --git a/builtin/grep.c b/builtin/grep.c
index 601f801158..81c53c862b 100644
--- a/builtin/grep.c
+++ b/builtin/grep.c
@@ -418,16 +418,19 @@ static int grep_submodule(struct grep_opt *opt, struct repository *superproject,
 			  const struct object_id *oid,
 			  const char *filename, const char *path)
 {
-	struct repository submodule;
+	struct repository subrepo;
+	const struct submodule *sub = submodule_from_path(superproject,
+							  &null_oid, path);
+
 	int hit;
 
 	if (!is_submodule_active(superproject, path))
 		return 0;
 
-	if (repo_submodule_init(&submodule, superproject, path))
+	if (repo_submodule_init(&subrepo, superproject, sub))
 		return 0;
 
-	repo_read_gitmodules(&submodule);
+	repo_read_gitmodules(&subrepo);
 
 	/*
 	 * NEEDSWORK: This adds the submodule's object directory to the list of
@@ -440,7 +443,7 @@ static int grep_submodule(struct grep_opt *opt, struct repository *superproject,
 	 * object.
 	 */
 	grep_read_lock();
-	add_to_alternates_memory(submodule.objects->objectdir);
+	add_to_alternates_memory(subrepo.objects->objectdir);
 	grep_read_unlock();
 
 	if (oid) {
@@ -465,14 +468,14 @@ static int grep_submodule(struct grep_opt *opt, struct repository *superproject,
 
 		init_tree_desc(&tree, data, size);
 		hit = grep_tree(opt, pathspec, &tree, &base, base.len,
-				object->type == OBJ_COMMIT, &submodule);
+				object->type == OBJ_COMMIT, &subrepo);
 		strbuf_release(&base);
 		free(data);
 	} else {
-		hit = grep_cache(opt, &submodule, pathspec, 1);
+		hit = grep_cache(opt, &subrepo, pathspec, 1);
 	}
 
-	repo_clear(&submodule);
+	repo_clear(&subrepo);
 	return hit;
 }
 
diff --git a/builtin/ls-files.c b/builtin/ls-files.c
index 7f9919a362..4d1649c1b3 100644
--- a/builtin/ls-files.c
+++ b/builtin/ls-files.c
@@ -206,17 +206,19 @@ static void show_files(struct repository *repo, struct dir_struct *dir);
 static void show_submodule(struct repository *superproject,
 			   struct dir_struct *dir, const char *path)
 {
-	struct repository submodule;
+	struct repository subrepo;
+	const struct submodule *sub = submodule_from_path(superproject,
+							  &null_oid, path);
 
-	if (repo_submodule_init(&submodule, superproject, path))
+	if (repo_submodule_init(&subrepo, superproject, sub))
 		return;
 
-	if (repo_read_index(&submodule) < 0)
+	if (repo_read_index(&subrepo) < 0)
 		die("index file corrupt");
 
-	show_files(&submodule, dir);
+	show_files(&subrepo, dir);
 
-	repo_clear(&submodule);
+	repo_clear(&subrepo);
 }
 
 static void show_ce(struct repository *repo, struct dir_struct *dir,
diff --git a/builtin/submodule--helper.c b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
index 247881189f..8214e77688 100644
--- a/builtin/submodule--helper.c
+++ b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
@@ -2038,7 +2038,7 @@ static int ensure_core_worktree(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	if (!sub)
 		BUG("We could get the submodule handle before?");
 
-	if (repo_submodule_init(&subrepo, the_repository, path))
+	if (repo_submodule_init(&subrepo, the_repository, sub))
 		die(_("could not get a repository handle for submodule '%s'"), path);
 
 	if (!repo_config_get_string(&subrepo, "core.worktree", &cw)) {
diff --git a/repository.c b/repository.c
index 5dd1486718..aabe64ee5d 100644
--- a/repository.c
+++ b/repository.c
@@ -166,30 +166,23 @@ int repo_init(struct repository *repo,
 	return -1;
 }
 
-/*
- * Initialize 'submodule' as the submodule given by 'path' in parent repository
- * 'superproject'.
- * Return 0 upon success and a non-zero value upon failure.
- */
-int repo_submodule_init(struct repository *submodule,
+int repo_submodule_init(struct repository *subrepo,
 			struct repository *superproject,
-			const char *path)
+			const struct submodule *sub)
 {
-	const struct submodule *sub;
 	struct strbuf gitdir = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct strbuf worktree = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	sub = submodule_from_path(superproject, &null_oid, path);
 	if (!sub) {
 		ret = -1;
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	strbuf_repo_worktree_path(&gitdir, superproject, "%s/.git", path);
-	strbuf_repo_worktree_path(&worktree, superproject, "%s", path);
+	strbuf_repo_worktree_path(&gitdir, superproject, "%s/.git", sub->path);
+	strbuf_repo_worktree_path(&worktree, superproject, "%s", sub->path);
 
-	if (repo_init(submodule, gitdir.buf, worktree.buf)) {
+	if (repo_init(subrepo, gitdir.buf, worktree.buf)) {
 		/*
 		 * If initilization fails then it may be due to the submodule
 		 * not being populated in the superproject's worktree.  Instead
@@ -201,16 +194,16 @@ int repo_submodule_init(struct repository *submodule,
 		strbuf_repo_git_path(&gitdir, superproject,
 				     "modules/%s", sub->name);
 
-		if (repo_init(submodule, gitdir.buf, NULL)) {
+		if (repo_init(subrepo, gitdir.buf, NULL)) {
 			ret = -1;
 			goto out;
 		}
 	}
 
-	submodule->submodule_prefix = xstrfmt("%s%s/",
-					      superproject->submodule_prefix ?
-					      superproject->submodule_prefix :
-					      "", path);
+	subrepo->submodule_prefix = xstrfmt("%s%s/",
+					    superproject->submodule_prefix ?
+					    superproject->submodule_prefix :
+					    "", sub->path);
 
 out:
 	strbuf_release(&gitdir);
diff --git a/repository.h b/repository.h
index 9f16c42c1e..a9c7a5baa5 100644
--- a/repository.h
+++ b/repository.h
@@ -116,9 +116,16 @@ void repo_set_worktree(struct repository *repo, const char *path);
 void repo_set_hash_algo(struct repository *repo, int algo);
 void initialize_the_repository(void);
 int repo_init(struct repository *r, const char *gitdir, const char *worktree);
-int repo_submodule_init(struct repository *submodule,
+
+/*
+ * Initialize the repository 'subrepo' as the submodule given by the
+ * struct submodule 'sub' in parent repository 'superproject'.
+ * Return 0 upon success and a non-zero value upon failure.
+ */
+struct submodule;
+int repo_submodule_init(struct repository *subrepo,
 			struct repository *superproject,
-			const char *path);
+			const struct submodule *sub);
 void repo_clear(struct repository *repo);
 
 /*
