diff --git a/pathspec.c b/pathspec.c
index 06778fc756..1c07c23fe0 100644
--- a/pathspec.c
+++ b/pathspec.c
@@ -205,6 +205,15 @@ static unsigned prefix_pathspec(struct pathspec_item *item,
 	*raw = item->match = match;
 	item->original = elt;
 	item->len = strlen(item->match);
+
+	if ((flags & PATHSPEC_STRIP_SUBMODULE_SLASH_CHEAP) &&
+	    (item->len >= 1 && item->match[item->len - 1] == '/') &&
+	    (i = cache_name_pos(item->match, item->len - 1)) >= 0 &&
+	    S_ISGITLINK(active_cache[i]->ce_mode)) {
+		item->len--;
+		match[item->len] = '\0';
+	}
+
 	if (limit_pathspec_to_literal())
 		item->nowildcard_len = item->len;
 	else
diff --git a/pathspec.h b/pathspec.h
index aa98597bda..51448513e6 100644
--- a/pathspec.h
+++ b/pathspec.h
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ struct pathspec {
 #define PATHSPEC_PREFER_CWD (1<<0) /* No args means match cwd */
 #define PATHSPEC_PREFER_FULL (1<<1) /* No args means match everything */
 #define PATHSPEC_MAXDEPTH_VALID (1<<2) /* max_depth field is valid */
+/* strip the trailing slash if the given path is a gitlink */
+#define PATHSPEC_STRIP_SUBMODULE_SLASH_CHEAP (1<<3)
 
 extern int init_pathspec(struct pathspec *, const char **);
 extern void parse_pathspec(struct pathspec *pathspec,