diff --git a/diff-lib.c b/diff-lib.c
index 9cdf6daa90..23e180eed1 100644
--- a/diff-lib.c
+++ b/diff-lib.c
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ int run_diff_files(struct rev_info *revs, unsigned int option)
 		unsigned int oldmode, newmode;
 		struct cache_entry *ce = active_cache[i];
 		int changed;
+		unsigned dirty_submodule = 0;
 
 		if (DIFF_OPT_TST(&revs->diffopt, QUICK) &&
 			DIFF_OPT_TST(&revs->diffopt, HAS_CHANGES))
@@ -173,12 +174,16 @@ int run_diff_files(struct rev_info *revs, unsigned int option)
 			if (silent_on_removed)
 				continue;
 			diff_addremove(&revs->diffopt, '-', ce->ce_mode,
-				       ce->sha1, ce->name);
+				       ce->sha1, ce->name, 0);
 			continue;
 		}
 		changed = ce_match_stat(ce, &st, ce_option);
-		if (S_ISGITLINK(ce->ce_mode) && !changed)
-			changed = is_submodule_modified(ce->name);
+		if (S_ISGITLINK(ce->ce_mode)
+		    && (!changed || (revs->diffopt.output_format & DIFF_FORMAT_PATCH))
+		    && is_submodule_modified(ce->name)) {
+			changed = 1;
+			dirty_submodule = 1;
+		}
 		if (!changed) {
 			ce_mark_uptodate(ce);
 			if (!DIFF_OPT_TST(&revs->diffopt, FIND_COPIES_HARDER))
@@ -188,7 +193,7 @@ int run_diff_files(struct rev_info *revs, unsigned int option)
 		newmode = ce_mode_from_stat(ce, st.st_mode);
 		diff_change(&revs->diffopt, oldmode, newmode,
 			    ce->sha1, (changed ? null_sha1 : ce->sha1),
-			    ce->name);
+			    ce->name, 0, dirty_submodule);
 
 	}
 	diffcore_std(&revs->diffopt);
@@ -204,16 +209,18 @@ int run_diff_files(struct rev_info *revs, unsigned int option)
 static void diff_index_show_file(struct rev_info *revs,
 				 const char *prefix,
 				 struct cache_entry *ce,
-				 const unsigned char *sha1, unsigned int mode)
+				 const unsigned char *sha1, unsigned int mode,
+				 unsigned dirty_submodule)
 {
 	diff_addremove(&revs->diffopt, prefix[0], mode,
-		       sha1, ce->name);
+		       sha1, ce->name, dirty_submodule);
 }
 
 static int get_stat_data(struct cache_entry *ce,
 			 const unsigned char **sha1p,
 			 unsigned int *modep,
-			 int cached, int match_missing)
+			 int cached, int match_missing,
+			 unsigned *dirty_submodule, int output_format)
 {
 	const unsigned char *sha1 = ce->sha1;
 	unsigned int mode = ce->ce_mode;
@@ -233,8 +240,13 @@ static int get_stat_data(struct cache_entry *ce,
 			return -1;
 		}
 		changed = ce_match_stat(ce, &st, 0);
-		if (changed
-		    || (S_ISGITLINK(ce->ce_mode) && is_submodule_modified(ce->name))) {
+		if (S_ISGITLINK(ce->ce_mode)
+		    && (!changed || (output_format & DIFF_FORMAT_PATCH))
+		    && is_submodule_modified(ce->name)) {
+			changed = 1;
+			*dirty_submodule = 1;
+		}
+		if (changed) {
 			mode = ce_mode_from_stat(ce, st.st_mode);
 			sha1 = null_sha1;
 		}
@@ -251,15 +263,17 @@ static void show_new_file(struct rev_info *revs,
 {
 	const unsigned char *sha1;
 	unsigned int mode;
+	unsigned dirty_submodule = 0;
 
 	/*
 	 * New file in the index: it might actually be different in
 	 * the working copy.
 	 */
-	if (get_stat_data(new, &sha1, &mode, cached, match_missing) < 0)
+	if (get_stat_data(new, &sha1, &mode, cached, match_missing,
+	    &dirty_submodule, revs->diffopt.output_format) < 0)
 		return;
 
-	diff_index_show_file(revs, "+", new, sha1, mode);
+	diff_index_show_file(revs, "+", new, sha1, mode, dirty_submodule);
 }
 
 static int show_modified(struct rev_info *revs,
@@ -270,11 +284,13 @@ static int show_modified(struct rev_info *revs,
 {
 	unsigned int mode, oldmode;
 	const unsigned char *sha1;
+	unsigned dirty_submodule = 0;
 
-	if (get_stat_data(new, &sha1, &mode, cached, match_missing) < 0) {
+	if (get_stat_data(new, &sha1, &mode, cached, match_missing,
+			  &dirty_submodule, revs->diffopt.output_format) < 0) {
 		if (report_missing)
 			diff_index_show_file(revs, "-", old,
-					     old->sha1, old->ce_mode);
+					     old->sha1, old->ce_mode, 0);
 		return -1;
 	}
 
@@ -309,7 +325,7 @@ static int show_modified(struct rev_info *revs,
 		return 0;
 
 	diff_change(&revs->diffopt, oldmode, mode,
-		    old->sha1, sha1, old->name);
+		    old->sha1, sha1, old->name, 0, dirty_submodule);
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -356,7 +372,7 @@ static void do_oneway_diff(struct unpack_trees_options *o,
 	 * Something removed from the tree?
 	 */
 	if (!idx) {
-		diff_index_show_file(revs, "-", tree, tree->sha1, tree->ce_mode);
+		diff_index_show_file(revs, "-", tree, tree->sha1, tree->ce_mode, 0);
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index 750c066a5e..8986873c0e 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -2032,7 +2032,7 @@ static int diff_populate_gitlink(struct diff_filespec *s, int size_only)
 	char *data = xmalloc(100), *dirty = "";
 
 	/* Are we looking at the work tree? */
-	if (!s->sha1_valid && is_submodule_modified(s->path))
+	if (!s->sha1_valid && s->dirty_submodule)
 		dirty = "-dirty";
 
 	len = snprintf(data, 100,
@@ -3719,7 +3719,7 @@ int diff_result_code(struct diff_options *opt, int status)
 void diff_addremove(struct diff_options *options,
 		    int addremove, unsigned mode,
 		    const unsigned char *sha1,
-		    const char *concatpath)
+		    const char *concatpath, unsigned dirty_submodule)
 {
 	struct diff_filespec *one, *two;
 
@@ -3751,8 +3751,10 @@ void diff_addremove(struct diff_options *options,
 
 	if (addremove != '+')
 		fill_filespec(one, sha1, mode);
-	if (addremove != '-')
+	if (addremove != '-') {
 		fill_filespec(two, sha1, mode);
+		two->dirty_submodule = dirty_submodule;
+	}
 
 	diff_queue(&diff_queued_diff, one, two);
 	if (!DIFF_OPT_TST(options, DIFF_FROM_CONTENTS))
@@ -3763,7 +3765,8 @@ void diff_change(struct diff_options *options,
 		 unsigned old_mode, unsigned new_mode,
 		 const unsigned char *old_sha1,
 		 const unsigned char *new_sha1,
-		 const char *concatpath)
+		 const char *concatpath,
+		 unsigned old_dirty_submodule, unsigned new_dirty_submodule)
 {
 	struct diff_filespec *one, *two;
 
@@ -3776,6 +3779,8 @@ void diff_change(struct diff_options *options,
 		const unsigned char *tmp_c;
 		tmp = old_mode; old_mode = new_mode; new_mode = tmp;
 		tmp_c = old_sha1; old_sha1 = new_sha1; new_sha1 = tmp_c;
+		tmp = old_dirty_submodule; old_dirty_submodule = new_dirty_submodule;
+			new_dirty_submodule = tmp;
 	}
 
 	if (options->prefix &&
@@ -3786,6 +3791,8 @@ void diff_change(struct diff_options *options,
 	two = alloc_filespec(concatpath);
 	fill_filespec(one, old_sha1, old_mode);
 	fill_filespec(two, new_sha1, new_mode);
+	one->dirty_submodule = old_dirty_submodule;
+	two->dirty_submodule = new_dirty_submodule;
 
 	diff_queue(&diff_queued_diff, one, two);
 	if (!DIFF_OPT_TST(options, DIFF_FROM_CONTENTS))
diff --git a/diff.h b/diff.h
index 6f6d0ed01d..968a8dce95 100644
--- a/diff.h
+++ b/diff.h
@@ -14,12 +14,13 @@ typedef void (*change_fn_t)(struct diff_options *options,
 		 unsigned old_mode, unsigned new_mode,
 		 const unsigned char *old_sha1,
 		 const unsigned char *new_sha1,
-		 const char *fullpath);
+		 const char *fullpath,
+		 unsigned old_dirty_submodule, unsigned new_dirty_submodule);
 
 typedef void (*add_remove_fn_t)(struct diff_options *options,
 		    int addremove, unsigned mode,
 		    const unsigned char *sha1,
-		    const char *fullpath);
+		    const char *fullpath, unsigned dirty_submodule);
 
 typedef void (*diff_format_fn_t)(struct diff_queue_struct *q,
 		struct diff_options *options, void *data);
@@ -177,13 +178,14 @@ extern void diff_addremove(struct diff_options *,
 			   int addremove,
 			   unsigned mode,
 			   const unsigned char *sha1,
-			   const char *fullpath);
+			   const char *fullpath, unsigned dirty_submodule);
 
 extern void diff_change(struct diff_options *,
 			unsigned mode1, unsigned mode2,
 			const unsigned char *sha1,
 			const unsigned char *sha2,
-			const char *fullpath);
+			const char *fullpath,
+			unsigned dirty_submodule1, unsigned dirty_submodule2);
 
 extern void diff_unmerge(struct diff_options *,
 			 const char *path,
diff --git a/diffcore.h b/diffcore.h
index 5b634585e8..66687c3fe5 100644
--- a/diffcore.h
+++ b/diffcore.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ struct diff_filespec {
 #define DIFF_FILE_VALID(spec) (((spec)->mode) != 0)
 	unsigned should_free : 1; /* data should be free()'ed */
 	unsigned should_munmap : 1; /* data should be munmap()'ed */
+	unsigned dirty_submodule : 1;  /* For submodules: its work tree is dirty */
 
 	struct userdiff_driver *driver;
 	/* data should be considered "binary"; -1 means "don't know yet" */
diff --git a/revision.c b/revision.c
index 25fa14d93e..769cfd4251 100644
--- a/revision.c
+++ b/revision.c
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ static int tree_difference = REV_TREE_SAME;
 static void file_add_remove(struct diff_options *options,
 		    int addremove, unsigned mode,
 		    const unsigned char *sha1,
-		    const char *fullpath)
+		    const char *fullpath, unsigned dirty_submodule)
 {
 	int diff = addremove == '+' ? REV_TREE_NEW : REV_TREE_OLD;
 
@@ -281,7 +281,8 @@ static void file_change(struct diff_options *options,
 		 unsigned old_mode, unsigned new_mode,
 		 const unsigned char *old_sha1,
 		 const unsigned char *new_sha1,
-		 const char *fullpath)
+		 const char *fullpath,
+		 unsigned old_dirty_submodule, unsigned new_dirty_submodule)
 {
 	tree_difference = REV_TREE_DIFFERENT;
 	DIFF_OPT_SET(options, HAS_CHANGES);
diff --git a/tree-diff.c b/tree-diff.c
index 7d745b4406..fe9f52c479 100644
--- a/tree-diff.c
+++ b/tree-diff.c
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ static int compare_tree_entry(struct tree_desc *t1, struct tree_desc *t2, const
 		if (DIFF_OPT_TST(opt, TREE_IN_RECURSIVE)) {
 			newbase[baselen + pathlen1] = 0;
 			opt->change(opt, mode1, mode2,
-				    sha1, sha2, newbase);
+				    sha1, sha2, newbase, 0, 0);
 			newbase[baselen + pathlen1] = '/';
 		}
 		retval = diff_tree_sha1(sha1, sha2, newbase, opt);
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ static int compare_tree_entry(struct tree_desc *t1, struct tree_desc *t2, const
 	}
 
 	fullname = malloc_fullname(base, baselen, path1, pathlen1);
-	opt->change(opt, mode1, mode2, sha1, sha2, fullname);
+	opt->change(opt, mode1, mode2, sha1, sha2, fullname, 0, 0);
 	free(fullname);
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ static void show_entry(struct diff_options *opt, const char *prefix, struct tree
 
 		if (DIFF_OPT_TST(opt, TREE_IN_RECURSIVE)) {
 			newbase[baselen + pathlen] = 0;
-			opt->add_remove(opt, *prefix, mode, sha1, newbase);
+			opt->add_remove(opt, *prefix, mode, sha1, newbase, 0);
 			newbase[baselen + pathlen] = '/';
 		}
 
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ static void show_entry(struct diff_options *opt, const char *prefix, struct tree
 		free(newbase);
 	} else {
 		char *fullname = malloc_fullname(base, baselen, path, pathlen);
-		opt->add_remove(opt, prefix[0], mode, sha1, fullname);
+		opt->add_remove(opt, prefix[0], mode, sha1, fullname, 0);
 		free(fullname);
 	}
 }