diff --git a/Documentation/git-submodule.txt b/Documentation/git-submodule.txt
index ca0347a37b..73ef8b9696 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-submodule.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-submodule.txt
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ If you really want to remove a submodule from the repository and commit
 that use linkgit:git-rm[1] instead. See linkgit:gitsubmodules[7] for removal
 options.
 
-update [--init] [--remote] [-N|--no-fetch] [--[no-]recommend-shallow] [-f|--force] [--checkout|--rebase|--merge] [--reference <repository>] [--depth <depth>] [--recursive] [--jobs <n>] [--[no-]single-branch] [--filter <filter-spec>] [--] [<path>...]::
+update [--init] [--remote] [-N|--no-fetch] [--[no-]recommend-shallow] [-f|--force] [--checkout|--rebase|--merge] [--reference <repository>] [--ref-format <format>] [--depth <depth>] [--recursive] [--jobs <n>] [--[no-]single-branch] [--filter <filter-spec>] [--] [<path>...]::
 +
 --
 Update the registered submodules to match what the superproject
@@ -185,6 +185,9 @@ submodule with the `--init` option.
 If `--recursive` is specified, this command will recurse into the
 registered submodules, and update any nested submodules within.
 
+If `--ref-format <format>`  is specified, the ref storage format of newly
+cloned submodules will be set accordingly.
+
 If `--filter <filter-spec>` is specified, the given partial clone filter will be
 applied to the submodule. See linkgit:git-rev-list[1] for details on filter
 specifications.
diff --git a/builtin/submodule--helper.c b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
index f1218a1995..42a36bc2f7 100644
--- a/builtin/submodule--helper.c
+++ b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
@@ -1532,6 +1532,7 @@ struct module_clone_data {
 	const char *url;
 	const char *depth;
 	struct list_objects_filter_options *filter_options;
+	enum ref_storage_format ref_storage_format;
 	unsigned int quiet: 1;
 	unsigned int progress: 1;
 	unsigned int dissociate: 1;
@@ -1540,6 +1541,7 @@ struct module_clone_data {
 };
 #define MODULE_CLONE_DATA_INIT { \
 	.single_branch = -1, \
+	.ref_storage_format = REF_STORAGE_FORMAT_UNKNOWN, \
 }
 
 struct submodule_alternate_setup {
@@ -1738,6 +1740,9 @@ static int clone_submodule(const struct module_clone_data *clone_data,
 				strvec_pushl(&cp.args, "--reference",
 					     item->string, NULL);
 		}
+		if (clone_data->ref_storage_format != REF_STORAGE_FORMAT_UNKNOWN)
+			strvec_pushf(&cp.args, "--ref-format=%s",
+				     ref_storage_format_to_name(clone_data->ref_storage_format));
 		if (clone_data->dissociate)
 			strvec_push(&cp.args, "--dissociate");
 		if (sm_gitdir && *sm_gitdir)
@@ -1832,6 +1837,7 @@ static int module_clone(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	struct string_list reference = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
 	struct list_objects_filter_options filter_options =
 		LIST_OBJECTS_FILTER_INIT;
+	const char *ref_storage_format = NULL;
 
 	struct option module_clone_options[] = {
 		OPT_STRING(0, "prefix", &clone_data.prefix,
@@ -1849,6 +1855,8 @@ static int module_clone(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		OPT_STRING_LIST(0, "reference", &reference,
 			   N_("repo"),
 			   N_("reference repository")),
+		OPT_STRING(0, "ref-format", &ref_storage_format, N_("format"),
+			   N_("specify the reference format to use")),
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "dissociate", &dissociate,
 			   N_("use --reference only while cloning")),
 		OPT_STRING(0, "depth", &clone_data.depth,
@@ -1875,6 +1883,11 @@ static int module_clone(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, module_clone_options,
 			     git_submodule_helper_usage, 0);
 
+	if (ref_storage_format) {
+		clone_data.ref_storage_format = ref_storage_format_by_name(ref_storage_format);
+		if (clone_data.ref_storage_format == REF_STORAGE_FORMAT_UNKNOWN)
+			die(_("unknown ref storage format '%s'"), ref_storage_format);
+	}
 	clone_data.dissociate = !!dissociate;
 	clone_data.quiet = !!quiet;
 	clone_data.progress = !!progress;
@@ -1974,6 +1987,7 @@ struct update_data {
 	struct submodule_update_strategy update_strategy;
 	struct list_objects_filter_options *filter_options;
 	struct module_list list;
+	enum ref_storage_format ref_storage_format;
 	int depth;
 	int max_jobs;
 	int single_branch;
@@ -1997,6 +2011,7 @@ struct update_data {
 #define UPDATE_DATA_INIT { \
 	.update_strategy = SUBMODULE_UPDATE_STRATEGY_INIT, \
 	.list = MODULE_LIST_INIT, \
+	.ref_storage_format = REF_STORAGE_FORMAT_UNKNOWN, \
 	.recommend_shallow = -1, \
 	.references = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP, \
 	.single_branch = -1, \
@@ -2132,6 +2147,9 @@ static int prepare_to_clone_next_submodule(const struct cache_entry *ce,
 			     expand_list_objects_filter_spec(suc->update_data->filter_options));
 	if (suc->update_data->require_init)
 		strvec_push(&child->args, "--require-init");
+	if (suc->update_data->ref_storage_format != REF_STORAGE_FORMAT_UNKNOWN)
+		strvec_pushf(&child->args, "--ref-format=%s",
+			     ref_storage_format_to_name(suc->update_data->ref_storage_format));
 	strvec_pushl(&child->args, "--path", sub->path, NULL);
 	strvec_pushl(&child->args, "--name", sub->name, NULL);
 	strvec_pushl(&child->args, "--url", url, NULL);
@@ -2562,6 +2580,9 @@ static void update_data_to_args(const struct update_data *update_data,
 		for_each_string_list_item(item, &update_data->references)
 			strvec_pushl(args, "--reference", item->string, NULL);
 	}
+	if (update_data->ref_storage_format != REF_STORAGE_FORMAT_UNKNOWN)
+		strvec_pushf(args, "--ref-format=%s",
+			     ref_storage_format_to_name(update_data->ref_storage_format));
 	if (update_data->filter_options && update_data->filter_options->choice)
 		strvec_pushf(args, "--filter=%s",
 				expand_list_objects_filter_spec(
@@ -2737,6 +2758,7 @@ static int module_update(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	struct update_data opt = UPDATE_DATA_INIT;
 	struct list_objects_filter_options filter_options =
 		LIST_OBJECTS_FILTER_INIT;
+	const char *ref_storage_format = NULL;
 	int ret;
 	struct option module_update_options[] = {
 		OPT__SUPER_PREFIX(&opt.super_prefix),
@@ -2760,6 +2782,8 @@ static int module_update(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			SM_UPDATE_REBASE),
 		OPT_STRING_LIST(0, "reference", &opt.references, N_("repo"),
 			   N_("reference repository")),
+		OPT_STRING(0, "ref-format", &ref_storage_format, N_("format"),
+			   N_("specify the reference format to use")),
 		OPT_BOOL(0, "dissociate", &opt.dissociate,
 			   N_("use --reference only while cloning")),
 		OPT_INTEGER(0, "depth", &opt.depth,
@@ -2803,6 +2827,12 @@ static int module_update(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 				   module_update_options);
 	}
 
+	if (ref_storage_format) {
+		opt.ref_storage_format = ref_storage_format_by_name(ref_storage_format);
+		if (opt.ref_storage_format == REF_STORAGE_FORMAT_UNKNOWN)
+			die(_("unknown ref storage format '%s'"), ref_storage_format);
+	}
+
 	opt.filter_options = &filter_options;
 	opt.prefix = prefix;
 
diff --git a/git-submodule.sh b/git-submodule.sh
index 7f9582d923..dcbe943071 100755
--- a/git-submodule.sh
+++ b/git-submodule.sh
@@ -268,6 +268,14 @@ cmd_update()
 		-r|--rebase)
 			rebase=1
 			;;
+		--ref-format)
+			case "$2" in '') usage ;; esac
+			ref_format="--ref-format=$2"
+			shift
+			;;
+		--ref-format=*)
+			ref_format="$1"
+			;;
 		--reference)
 			case "$2" in '') usage ;; esac
 			reference="--reference=$2"
@@ -349,6 +357,7 @@ cmd_update()
 		${rebase:+--rebase} \
 		${merge:+--merge} \
 		${checkout:+--checkout} \
+		${ref_format:+"$ref_format"} \
 		${reference:+"$reference"} \
 		${dissociate:+"--dissociate"} \
 		${depth:+"$depth"} \
diff --git a/t/t7424-submodule-mixed-ref-formats.sh b/t/t7424-submodule-mixed-ref-formats.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..de84007554
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/t7424-submodule-mixed-ref-formats.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+test_description='submodules handle mixed ref storage formats'
+
+. ./test-lib.sh
+
+test_ref_format () {
+	echo "$2" >expect &&
+	git -C "$1" rev-parse --show-ref-format >actual &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+}
+
+for OTHER_FORMAT in files reftable
+do
+	if test "$OTHER_FORMAT" = "$GIT_DEFAULT_REF_FORMAT"
+	then
+		continue
+	fi
+
+test_expect_success 'setup' '
+	git config set --global protocol.file.allow always
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'clone submodules with different ref storage format' '
+	test_when_finished "rm -rf submodule upstream downstream" &&
+
+	git init submodule &&
+	test_commit -C submodule submodule-initial &&
+	git init upstream &&
+	git -C upstream submodule add "file://$(pwd)/submodule" &&
+	git -C upstream commit -m "upstream submodule" &&
+
+	git clone --no-recurse-submodules "file://$(pwd)/upstream" downstream &&
+	test_ref_format downstream "$GIT_DEFAULT_REF_FORMAT" &&
+	git -C downstream submodule update --init --ref-format=$OTHER_FORMAT &&
+	test_ref_format downstream/submodule "$OTHER_FORMAT"
+'
+
+done
+
+test_done
