Git - git.detectSubmodules is not honored

[fmontorsi-equinix]

Type: Bug

1. create a git repository with a git submodule in it; clone it locally
2. set git.detectSubmodules to False
3. open VS code, add the folder containing the git repository
4. go to the "Source Control" pane: you will see 2 entries, one for the main repository and one for the submodule, despite git.detectSubmodules being set to false

VS Code version: Code 1.101.2 (Universal) (2901c5a, 2025-06-24T20:27:15.391Z)
OS version: Darwin arm64 24.5.0
Modes:
Remote OS version: Linux x64 5.14.0-570.12.1.el9_6.x86_64

System Info

Item	Value
CPUs	Apple M3 Max (14 x 2400)
GPU Status	2d_canvas: enabled canvas_oop_rasterization: enabled_on direct_rendering_display_compositor: disabled_off_ok gpu_compositing: enabled multiple_raster_threads: enabled_on opengl: enabled_on rasterization: enabled raw_draw: disabled_off_ok skia_graphite: enabled_on video_decode: enabled video_encode: enabled webgl: enabled webgl2: enabled webgpu: enabled webnn: disabled_off
Load (avg)	3, 3, 3
Memory (System)	36.00GB (0.86GB free)
Process Argv	--crash-reporter-id f521bfa4-c7a4-4023-ba2d-808d63423225
Screen Reader	no
VM	0%

Item	Value
Remote	SSH: mymetal2
OS	Linux x64 5.14.0-570.12.1.el9_6.x86_64
CPUs	Intel(R) Xeon(R) E-2378G CPU @ 2.80GHz (16 x 4803)
Memory (System)	62.68GB (52.95GB free)
VM	0%

Extensions (36)

Extension	Author (truncated)	Version
continue	Con	1.0.15
graphql	mqu	0.1.2
remote-ssh	ms-	0.120.0
remote-ssh-edit	ms-	0.87.0
remote-explorer	ms-	0.5.0
asciidoctor-vscode	asc	3.4.2
divider	din	2.4.1
docker	doc	0.11.0
html-preview-vscode	geo	0.2.5
vscode-github-actions	git	0.27.2
go	gol	0.48.0
markdown-toc	jof	1.4.0
vscode-github-actions	me-	3.0.1
vscode-containers	ms-	2.0.3
vscode-docker	ms-	2.0.0
black-formatter	ms-	2025.2.0
debugpy	ms-	2025.8.0
flake8	ms-	2025.2.0
python	ms-	2025.8.0
vscode-pylance	ms-	2025.6.2
cmake-tools	ms-	1.20.53
cpptools	ms-	1.26.3
cpptools-extension-pack	ms-	1.3.1
live-server	ms-	0.4.15
makefile-tools	ms-	0.12.17
vscode-protolint	ple	0.8.0
vscode-yaml	red	1.18.0
rust-analyzer	rus	0.3.2527
ruby-extensions-pack	Sho	0.1.13
ruby-lsp	Sho	0.9.28
sorbet-vscode-extension	sor	0.3.43
comment-divider	sta	0.4.0
cmake	twx	0.0.17
vscode-lldb	vad	1.11.4
codetour	vsl	0.0.59
vscode-proto3	zxh	0.5.5

(1 theme extensions excluded)

A/B Experiments

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pythonvspyt551:31249599
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dwnewjupyter:31046869
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dwcopilot:31170013
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dwoutputs:31242946
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pythoneinst12:31285622
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pythonpulldiag:31335739
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jhi8h917:31341130
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usemarketplace:31336439
nesew2to5:31336538
agentclaude:31335815
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nes-diff-11:31337487
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yijiwantestdri0626-c:31336931
ji9b5146:31342393

[lszomoru]

@fmontorsi-equinix, do you by any chance have a public GitHub repository in which you can reproduce the issue? Thanks!

[fmontorsi-equinix]

@lszomoru I have created this one: https://github.com/f18m/vscode-issue-254407

[fmontorsi-equinix]

More detailed step-by-step procedure:

1. run git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/f18m/vscode-issue-254407.git
2. open vscode, set git.detectSubmodules to False
3. starting from empty workspace, add the folder "vscode-issue-254407"
4. go to the "Source Control" pane: you will see 2 entries, one for the main repository and one for the submodule, despite git.detectSubmodules being set to false:

The "my-submodule-test2" should not be listed under Repositories, according to my understanding of the git.detectSubmodules setting

[lszomoru]

Thanks! I was able to reproduce the issue locally.

If you run code-insiders . the setting is honored but if you open the workspace using the workspace file it is not.