diff --git a/builtin/submodule--helper.c b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
index f13202b90e..ad1ef4e7bb 100644
--- a/builtin/submodule--helper.c
+++ b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
@@ -477,22 +477,18 @@ static int starts_with_dot_dot_slash(const char *const path)
 
 struct init_cb {
 	const char *prefix;
-	const char *superprefix;
 	unsigned int flags;
 };
 #define INIT_CB_INIT { 0 }
 
 static void init_submodule(const char *path, const char *prefix,
-			   const char *superprefix, unsigned int flags)
+			   unsigned int flags)
 {
 	const struct submodule *sub;
 	struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
 	char *upd = NULL, *url = NULL, *displaypath;
 
-	/* try superprefix from the environment, if it is not passed explicitly */
-	if (!superprefix)
-		superprefix = get_super_prefix();
-	displaypath = do_get_submodule_displaypath(path, prefix, superprefix);
+	displaypath = do_get_submodule_displaypath(path, prefix, get_super_prefix());
 
 	sub = submodule_from_path(the_repository, null_oid(), path);
 
@@ -566,7 +562,7 @@ static void init_submodule(const char *path, const char *prefix,
 static void init_submodule_cb(const struct cache_entry *list_item, void *cb_data)
 {
 	struct init_cb *info = cb_data;
-	init_submodule(list_item->name, info->prefix, info->superprefix, info->flags);
+	init_submodule(list_item->name, info->prefix, info->flags);
 }
 
 static int module_init(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
@@ -1878,7 +1874,6 @@ struct submodule_update_clone {
 
 struct update_data {
 	const char *prefix;
-	const char *recursive_prefix;
 	const char *displaypath;
 	enum submodule_update_type update_default;
 	struct object_id suboid;
@@ -1949,7 +1944,7 @@ static int prepare_to_clone_next_submodule(const struct cache_entry *ce,
 	char *key;
 	struct update_data *ud = suc->update_data;
 	char *displaypath = do_get_submodule_displaypath(ce->name, ud->prefix,
-							 ud->recursive_prefix);
+							 get_super_prefix());
 	struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int needs_cloning = 0;
 	int need_free_url = 0;
@@ -2415,12 +2410,12 @@ static void update_data_to_args(struct update_data *update_data, struct strvec *
 {
 	enum submodule_update_type update_type = update_data->update_default;
 
-	strvec_pushl(args, "submodule--helper", "update", "--recursive", NULL);
-	strvec_pushf(args, "--jobs=%d", update_data->max_jobs);
 	if (update_data->displaypath) {
-		strvec_push(args, "--recursive-prefix");
+		strvec_push(args, "--super-prefix");
 		strvec_pushf(args, "%s/", update_data->displaypath);
 	}
+	strvec_pushl(args, "submodule--helper", "update", "--recursive", NULL);
+	strvec_pushf(args, "--jobs=%d", update_data->max_jobs);
 	if (update_data->quiet)
 		strvec_push(args, "--quiet");
 	if (update_data->force)
@@ -2468,7 +2463,7 @@ static int update_submodule(struct update_data *update_data)
 
 	update_data->displaypath = do_get_submodule_displaypath(update_data->sm_path,
 								update_data->prefix,
-								update_data->recursive_prefix);
+								get_super_prefix());
 
 	determine_submodule_update_strategy(the_repository, update_data->just_cloned,
 					    update_data->sm_path, update_data->update_default,
@@ -2592,10 +2587,6 @@ static int module_update(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		OPT_STRING(0, "prefix", &opt.prefix,
 			   N_("path"),
 			   N_("path into the working tree")),
-		OPT_STRING(0, "recursive-prefix", &opt.recursive_prefix,
-			   N_("path"),
-			   N_("path into the working tree, across nested "
-			      "submodule boundaries")),
 		OPT_SET_INT(0, "checkout", &opt.update_default,
 			N_("use the 'checkout' update strategy (default)"),
 			SM_UPDATE_CHECKOUT),
@@ -2681,7 +2672,6 @@ static int module_update(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 			module_list_active(&list);
 
 		info.prefix = opt.prefix;
-		info.superprefix = opt.recursive_prefix;
 		if (opt.quiet)
 			info.flags |= OPT_QUIET;
 
@@ -3378,9 +3368,9 @@ struct cmd_struct {
 static struct cmd_struct commands[] = {
 	{"list", module_list, 0},
 	{"name", module_name, 0},
-	{"clone", module_clone, 0},
+	{"clone", module_clone, SUPPORT_SUPER_PREFIX},
 	{"add", module_add, 0},
-	{"update", module_update, 0},
+	{"update", module_update, SUPPORT_SUPER_PREFIX},
 	{"resolve-relative-url-test", resolve_relative_url_test, 0},
 	{"foreach", module_foreach, SUPPORT_SUPER_PREFIX},
 	{"init", module_init, 0},