How do I remove a Git submodule? By the way, is there a reason I can't simply do git submodule rm whatever ? Via the page Git Submodule Tutorial: To remove a submodule you need to: Delete the relevant section from the .gitmodules file. Stage the .gitmodules changes: git add .gitmodules Delete the relevant section from .git/config. Remove the submodule files from the working tree and index: git r..