diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/util/SubmoduleSectionParser.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/util/SubmoduleSectionParser.java
index 8970425c02..c6a67db900 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/util/SubmoduleSectionParser.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/util/SubmoduleSectionParser.java
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ public class SubmoduleSectionParser {
     final String url = bbc.getString("submodule", id, "url");
     final String path = bbc.getString("submodule", id, "path");
     String branch = bbc.getString("submodule", id, "branch");
+    SubmoduleSubscription ss = null;
 
     try {
       if (url != null && url.length() > 0 && path != null && path.length() > 0
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ public class SubmoduleSectionParser {
             }
 
             if (repoManager.list().contains(new Project.NameKey(projectName))) {
-              return new SubmoduleSubscription(
+              ss = new SubmoduleSubscription(
                   superProjectBranch,
                   new Branch.NameKey(new Project.NameKey(projectName), branch),
                   path);
@@ -120,6 +121,6 @@ public class SubmoduleSectionParser {
       // Error in url syntax (in fact it is uri syntax)
     }
 
-    return null;
+    return ss;
   }
 }
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/server/util/SubmoduleSectionParserTest.java b/gerrit-server/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/server/util/SubmoduleSectionParserTest.java
index d87888f212..67f56fc884 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/server/util/SubmoduleSectionParserTest.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/server/util/SubmoduleSectionParserTest.java
@@ -186,6 +186,28 @@ public class SubmoduleSectionParserTest extends LocalDiskRepositoryTestCase {
         new ArrayList<SubmoduleSubscription>());
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testSubmodulesParseWithSubProjectFound() throws Exception {
+    Map<String, SubmoduleSection> sectionsToReturn = new TreeMap<>();
+    sectionsToReturn.put("a/b", new SubmoduleSection(
+        "ssh://localhost/a/b", "a/b", "."));
+
+    Map<String, String> reposToBeFound = new HashMap<>();
+    reposToBeFound.put("a/b", "a/b");
+    reposToBeFound.put("b", "b");
+
+    Branch.NameKey superBranchNameKey =
+        new Branch.NameKey(new Project.NameKey("super-project"),
+            "refs/heads/master");
+
+    List<SubmoduleSubscription> expectedSubscriptions = new ArrayList<>();
+    expectedSubscriptions
+        .add(new SubmoduleSubscription(superBranchNameKey, new Branch.NameKey(
+            new Project.NameKey("a/b"), "refs/heads/master"), "a/b"));
+    execute(superBranchNameKey, sectionsToReturn, reposToBeFound,
+        expectedSubscriptions);
+  }
+
   private void execute(final Branch.NameKey superProjectBranch,
       final Map<String, SubmoduleSection> sectionsToReturn,
       final Map<String, String> reposToBeFound,
@@ -213,11 +235,10 @@ public class SubmoduleSectionParserTest extends LocalDiskRepositoryTestCase {
             projectNameCandidate = projectNameCandidate.substring(0, //
                 projectNameCandidate.length() - Constants.DOT_GIT_EXT.length());
           }
-          if (projectNameCandidate.equals(reposToBeFound.get(id))) {
+          if (reposToBeFound.containsValue(projectNameCandidate)) {
             expect(repoManager.list()).andReturn(
                 new TreeSet<>(Collections.singletonList(
                     new Project.NameKey(projectNameCandidate))));
-            break;
           } else {
             expect(repoManager.list()).andReturn(
                 new TreeSet<>(Collections.<Project.NameKey> emptyList()));