diff --git a/submodule.c b/submodule.c
index f93f0aff82..0c81aca6f2 100644
--- a/submodule.c
+++ b/submodule.c
@@ -1139,8 +1139,7 @@ static void calculate_changed_submodule_paths(struct repository *r,
 		struct string_list *changed_submodule_names)
 {
 	struct argv_array argv = ARGV_ARRAY_INIT;
-	struct string_list changed_submodules = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
-	const struct string_list_item *name;
+	struct string_list_item *name;
 
 	/* No need to check if there are no submodules configured */
 	if (!submodule_from_path(r, NULL, NULL))
@@ -1157,9 +1156,9 @@ static void calculate_changed_submodule_paths(struct repository *r,
 	 * Collect all submodules (whether checked out or not) for which new
 	 * commits have been recorded upstream in "changed_submodule_names".
 	 */
-	collect_changed_submodules(r, &changed_submodules, &argv);
+	collect_changed_submodules(r, changed_submodule_names, &argv);
 
-	for_each_string_list_item(name, &changed_submodules) {
+	for_each_string_list_item(name, changed_submodule_names) {
 		struct oid_array *commits = name->util;
 		const struct submodule *submodule;
 		const char *path = NULL;
@@ -1173,12 +1172,14 @@ static void calculate_changed_submodule_paths(struct repository *r,
 		if (!path)
 			continue;
 
-		if (!submodule_has_commits(r, path, commits))
-			string_list_append(changed_submodule_names,
-					   name->string);
+		if (submodule_has_commits(r, path, commits)) {
+			oid_array_clear(commits);
+			*name->string = '\0';
+		}
 	}
 
-	free_submodules_oids(&changed_submodules);
+	string_list_remove_empty_items(changed_submodule_names, 1);
+
 	argv_array_clear(&argv);
 	oid_array_clear(&ref_tips_before_fetch);
 	oid_array_clear(&ref_tips_after_fetch);
@@ -1389,7 +1390,7 @@ int fetch_populated_submodules(struct repository *r,
 
 	argv_array_clear(&spf.args);
 out:
-	string_list_clear(&spf.changed_submodule_names, 1);
+	free_submodules_oids(&spf.changed_submodule_names);
 	return spf.result;
 }