diff --git a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/GitSCM.java b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/GitSCM.java
index c4145f9..c7232b5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/GitSCM.java
+++ b/src/main/java/hudson/plugins/git/GitSCM.java
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@ public class GitSCM extends SCM implements Serializable {
 
     private Collection<SubmoduleConfig> submoduleCfg;
 
+    private boolean ignoreSubmodules;
+
     public static final String GIT_BRANCH = "GIT_BRANCH";
     public static final String GIT_COMMIT = "GIT_COMMIT";
 
@@ -129,6 +131,10 @@ public class GitSCM extends SCM implements Serializable {
         return submoduleCfg;
     }
 
+    public boolean getIgnoreSubmodules() {
+        return ignoreSubmodules;
+    }
+
     public void setSubmoduleCfg(Collection<SubmoduleConfig> submoduleCfg) {
         this.submoduleCfg = submoduleCfg;
     }
@@ -140,6 +146,7 @@ public class GitSCM extends SCM implements Serializable {
                   PreBuildMergeOptions mergeOptions,
                   boolean doGenerateSubmoduleConfigurations,
                   Collection<SubmoduleConfig> submoduleCfg,
+                  boolean ignoreSubmodules,
                   boolean clean,
                   boolean wipeOutWorkspace,
                   BuildChooser buildChooser, GitRepositoryBrowser browser,
@@ -162,6 +169,7 @@ public class GitSCM extends SCM implements Serializable {
 
         this.doGenerateSubmoduleConfigurations = doGenerateSubmoduleConfigurations;
         this.submoduleCfg = submoduleCfg;
+        this.ignoreSubmodules = ignoreSubmodules;
 
         this.clean = clean;
         this.wipeOutWorkspace = wipeOutWorkspace;
@@ -512,6 +520,7 @@ public class GitSCM extends SCM implements Serializable {
             List<IndexEntry> submodules = new GitUtils(listener, git)
                 .getSubmodules("HEAD");
 
+          if (!getIgnoreSubmodules()) {
             for (IndexEntry submodule : submodules) {
                 try {
                     RemoteConfig submoduleRemoteRepository = getSubmoduleRepository(workspace, remoteRepository, submodule.getFile());
@@ -529,6 +538,7 @@ public class GitSCM extends SCM implements Serializable {
                                  + submodule.getFile()
                                  + " - could be unavailable. Continuing anyway");
                 }
+          }
 
             }
         } catch (GitException ex) {
@@ -785,7 +795,7 @@ public class GitSCM extends SCM implements Serializable {
                         }
 
                         
-                        if (git.hasGitModules()) {
+                        if (git.hasGitModules() && !getIgnoreSubmodules()) {
                             git.submoduleInit();
                             git.submoduleUpdate(recursiveSubmodules);
                         }
@@ -874,7 +884,7 @@ public class GitSCM extends SCM implements Serializable {
                                 return new Object[]{null, buildData};
                             }
 
-                            if (git.hasGitModules()) {
+                            if (git.hasGitModules() && !getIgnoreSubmodules()) {
                                 git.submoduleUpdate(recursiveSubmodules);
                             }
 
@@ -945,7 +955,7 @@ public class GitSCM extends SCM implements Serializable {
                         combinator.createSubmoduleCombinations();
                     }
 
-                    if (git.hasGitModules()) {
+                    if (git.hasGitModules() && !getIgnoreSubmodules()) {
                         git.submoduleInit();
                         git.submoduleSync();
 
@@ -1129,6 +1139,7 @@ public class GitSCM extends SCM implements Serializable {
                               mergeOptions,
                               req.getParameter("git.generate") != null,
                               submoduleCfg,
+                              req.getParameter("git.ignoreSubmodules") != null,
                               req.getParameter("git.clean") != null,
                               req.getParameter("git.wipeOutWorkspace") != null,
                               req.bindJSON(BuildChooser.class,formData.getJSONObject("buildChooser")),
diff --git a/src/main/resources/hudson/plugins/git/GitSCM/config.jelly b/src/main/resources/hudson/plugins/git/GitSCM/config.jelly
index 9dad3c8..286e118 100644
--- a/src/main/resources/hudson/plugins/git/GitSCM/config.jelly
+++ b/src/main/resources/hudson/plugins/git/GitSCM/config.jelly
@@ -171,6 +171,11 @@
               </j:forEach>
           </select>
       </f:entry>
+
+    <f:entry title="Ignore submodules" help="/plugin/git/ignoreSubmodules.html">
+      <f:checkbox name="git.ignoreSubmodules" checked="${scm.ignoreSubmodules}" />
+    </f:entry>
+
   </f:advanced>
   
   <t:listScmBrowsers name="git.browser" />
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/ignoreSubmodules.html b/src/main/webapp/ignoreSubmodules.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..472a3e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/webapp/ignoreSubmodules.html
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<div>
+  Do not automatically update any submodules in the main git repository.
+</div>
diff --git a/src/test/java/hudson/plugins/git/GitSCMTest.java b/src/test/java/hudson/plugins/git/GitSCMTest.java
index 06db855..dcece49 100644
--- a/src/test/java/hudson/plugins/git/GitSCMTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/hudson/plugins/git/GitSCMTest.java
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ public class GitSCMTest extends HudsonTestCase {
         project.setScm(new GitSCM(
                 createRemoteRepositories(relativeTargetDir),
                 Collections.singletonList(new BranchSpec(branchString)),
-                new PreBuildMergeOptions(), false, Collections.<SubmoduleConfig>emptyList(), false,
+                new PreBuildMergeOptions(), false, Collections.<SubmoduleConfig>emptyList(), false, false,
                 false, new DefaultBuildChooser(), null, null, authorOrCommitter, relativeTargetDir,
                 excludedRegions, excludedUsers, localBranch, false));
         project.getBuildersList().add(new CaptureEnvironmentBuilder());