diff --git a/builtin/submodule--helper.c b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
index a26477ce04..15ae986692 100644
--- a/builtin/submodule--helper.c
+++ b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
@@ -71,21 +71,6 @@ static char *get_default_remote(void)
 	return repo_get_default_remote(the_repository);
 }
 
-static int print_default_remote(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
-{
-	char *remote;
-
-	if (argc != 1)
-		die(_("submodule--helper print-default-remote takes no arguments"));
-
-	remote = get_default_remote();
-	if (remote)
-		printf("%s\n", remote);
-
-	free(remote);
-	return 0;
-}
-
 static int starts_with_dot_slash(const char *str)
 {
 	return str[0] == '.' && is_dir_sep(str[1]);
@@ -2026,6 +2011,7 @@ struct update_data {
 	unsigned int quiet;
 	unsigned int nofetch;
 	unsigned int just_cloned;
+	unsigned int remote;
 };
 #define UPDATE_DATA_INIT { \
 	.update_strategy = SUBMODULE_UPDATE_STRATEGY_INIT, \
@@ -2585,6 +2571,8 @@ static int run_update_procedure(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		OPT_CALLBACK_F(0, "oid", &opt.oid, N_("sha1"),
 			       N_("SHA1 expected by superproject"), PARSE_OPT_NONEG,
 			       parse_opt_object_id),
+		OPT_BOOL(0, "remote", &opt.remote,
+			 N_("use SHA-1 of submodule's remote tracking branch")),
 		OPT_END()
 	};
 
@@ -2988,6 +2976,25 @@ static int update_submodule2(struct update_data *update_data)
 			    update_data->displaypath);
 	}
 
+	if (update_data->remote) {
+		char *remote_name = get_default_remote_submodule(update_data->sm_path);
+		const char *branch = remote_submodule_branch(update_data->sm_path);
+		char *remote_ref = xstrfmt("refs/remotes/%s/%s", remote_name, branch);
+
+		if (!update_data->nofetch) {
+			if (fetch_in_submodule(update_data->sm_path, update_data->depth,
+					      0, NULL))
+				die(_("Unable to fetch in submodule path '%s'"),
+				    update_data->sm_path);
+		}
+
+		if (resolve_gitlink_ref(update_data->sm_path, remote_ref, &update_data->oid))
+			die(_("Unable to find %s revision in submodule path '%s'"),
+			    remote_ref, update_data->sm_path);
+
+		free(remote_ref);
+	}
+
 	if (!oideq(&update_data->oid, &update_data->suboid) || update_data->force)
 		return do_run_update_procedure(update_data);
 
@@ -3389,10 +3396,10 @@ static struct cmd_struct commands[] = {
 	{"foreach", module_foreach, SUPPORT_SUPER_PREFIX},
 	{"init", module_init, SUPPORT_SUPER_PREFIX},
 	{"status", module_status, SUPPORT_SUPER_PREFIX},
-	{"print-default-remote", print_default_remote, 0},
 	{"sync", module_sync, SUPPORT_SUPER_PREFIX},
 	{"deinit", module_deinit, 0},
 	{"summary", module_summary, SUPPORT_SUPER_PREFIX},
+	/* NEEDSWORK: remote-branch is also obsolete */
 	{"remote-branch", resolve_remote_submodule_branch, 0},
 	{"push-check", push_check, 0},
 	{"absorb-git-dirs", absorb_git_dirs, SUPPORT_SUPER_PREFIX},
diff --git a/git-submodule.sh b/git-submodule.sh
index d48c314f01..29fd69250d 100755
--- a/git-submodule.sh
+++ b/git-submodule.sh
@@ -246,20 +246,6 @@ cmd_deinit()
 	git ${wt_prefix:+-C "$wt_prefix"} submodule--helper deinit ${GIT_QUIET:+--quiet} ${force:+--force} ${deinit_all:+--all} -- "$@"
 }
 
-# usage: fetch_in_submodule <module_path> [<depth>] [<sha1>]
-# Because arguments are positional, use an empty string to omit <depth>
-# but include <sha1>.
-fetch_in_submodule () (
-	sanitize_submodule_env &&
-	cd "$1" &&
-	if test $# -eq 3
-	then
-		echo "$3" | git fetch ${GIT_QUIET:+--quiet} --stdin ${2:+"$2"}
-	else
-		git fetch ${GIT_QUIET:+--quiet} ${2:+"$2"}
-	fi
-)
-
 #
 # Update each submodule path to correct revision, using clone and checkout as needed
 #
@@ -396,21 +382,6 @@ cmd_update()
 			just_cloned=
 		fi
 
-		if test -n "$remote"
-		then
-			branch=$(git submodule--helper remote-branch "$sm_path")
-			if test -z "$nofetch"
-			then
-				# Fetch remote before determining tracking $sha1
-				fetch_in_submodule "$sm_path" $depth ||
-				die "fatal: $(eval_gettext "Unable to fetch in submodule path '\$sm_path'")"
-			fi
-			remote_name=$(sanitize_submodule_env; cd "$sm_path" && git submodule--helper print-default-remote)
-			sha1=$(sanitize_submodule_env; cd "$sm_path" &&
-				git rev-parse --verify "${remote_name}/${branch}") ||
-			die "fatal: $(eval_gettext "Unable to find current \${remote_name}/\${branch} revision in submodule path '\$sm_path'")"
-		fi
-
 		out=$(git submodule--helper run-update-procedure \
 			  ${wt_prefix:+--prefix "$wt_prefix"} \
 			  ${GIT_QUIET:+--quiet} \
@@ -421,6 +392,7 @@ cmd_update()
 			  ${update:+--update "$update"} \
 			  ${prefix:+--recursive-prefix "$prefix"} \
 			  ${sha1:+--oid "$sha1"} \
+			  ${remote:+--remote} \
 			  "--" \
 			  "$sm_path")
 
