diff --git a/build/ensure/git/git.ts b/build/ensure/git/git.ts
index 5eae2b745c..f67648fd31 100644
--- a/build/ensure/git/git.ts
+++ b/build/ensure/git/git.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,15 @@ namespace $ {
 		}
 
 		protected override update(dir: string) {
+			if (this.submodules().has(dir)) {
+				this.$.$mol_log3_rise({
+					place: '$mol_build_ensure_git.update()',
+					message: 'Submodule detected, no git pull',
+					dir,
+				})
+				return false
+			}
+
 			const out = this.$.$mol_run.spawn({
 				command: 'git rev-parse --abbrev-ref --symbolic-full-name HEAD', dir,
 			})
@@ -50,21 +59,52 @@ namespace $ {
 			return git_dir.exists() && git_dir.type() === 'dir'
 		}
 
-		@ $mol_mem
-		protected submodules() {
-			const dir = this.root().path()
-			if (! this.is_git( dir ) ) return new Set<string>()
+		@ $mol_action
+		protected submodule_dirs(opts: { dir: string, recursive?: boolean }) {
+			const dir = this.$.$mol_file.absolute( opts.dir )
 
-			const command = 'git submodule status --recursive'
-			const output = this.$.$mol_run.spawn({ command, dir }).stdout.toString().trim()
+			const output = this.$.$mol_run.spawn({
+				command: [ 'git', 'submodule', 'status', ...( opts.recursive ? ['--recursive'] : [] ) ],
+				dir: dir.path(),
+			}).stdout.toString().trim()
 
 			const dirs = output
 				.split('\n')
 				.map( str => str.match( /^\s*[^ ]+\s+([^ ]*).*/ )?.[1]?.trim() )
 				.filter($mol_guard_defined)
-				.map(str => `${dir}/${str}`)
+				.map(subdir => dir.resolve(subdir))
 
-			return new Set(dirs)
+			return dirs
+		}
+
+		@ $mol_mem
+		protected root_is_submodule() {
+			const root = this.root()
+			if (this.is_git(root.path())) return false
+
+			const parent = root.parent()
+
+			try {
+				const dirs = this.submodule_dirs({ dir: parent.path() })
+
+				return dirs.includes(root)
+			} catch (e) {
+				if ($mol_promise_like(e)) $mol_fail_hidden(e)
+				this.$.$mol_fail_log(e)
+				return false
+			}
+		}
+
+		@ $mol_mem
+		protected submodules() {
+			const root = this.root()
+			if (! this.is_git( root.path() ) ) return new Set<string>()
+
+			const dirs = this.submodule_dirs({ dir: root.path(), recursive: true })
+
+			if (this.root_is_submodule()) dirs.push(root)
+
+			return new Set(dirs.map(mod => mod.path()))
 		}
 
 		protected override inited(path: string) {
@@ -89,9 +129,9 @@ namespace $ {
 
 			const branch_norm = branch ?? this.branch_remote(dir)
 
-			this.$.$mol_run.spawn( { command: ['git', 'remote', 'add', '--track', branch_norm, 'origin' , url ], dir } )
+			this.$.$mol_run.spawn( { command: [ 'git', 'remote', 'add', '--track', branch_norm, 'origin' , url ], dir } )
 			this.$.$mol_run.spawn( { command: [ 'git', 'pull', 'origin', branch_norm ], dir } )
-	
+
 			return null
 		}