diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/AbstractSubmoduleSubscription.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/AbstractSubmoduleSubscription.java
index 61eed38b68..721628dab5 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/AbstractSubmoduleSubscription.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/AbstractSubmoduleSubscription.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ package com.google.gerrit.acceptance.git;
 
 import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
 
+import com.google.common.collect.Iterables;
 import com.google.gerrit.acceptance.AbstractDaemonTest;
 import com.google.gerrit.common.Nullable;
 import com.google.gerrit.common.data.Permission;
@@ -31,7 +32,10 @@ import org.eclipse.jgit.revwalk.RevCommit;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.revwalk.RevObject;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.revwalk.RevTree;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.revwalk.RevWalk;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.transport.PushResult;
 import org.eclipse.jgit.transport.RefSpec;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.transport.RemoteRefUpdate;
+import org.eclipse.jgit.transport.RemoteRefUpdate.Status;
 
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 
@@ -57,12 +61,21 @@ public abstract class AbstractSubmoduleSubscription extends AbstractDaemonTest {
       .message(message)
       .add("a.txt", "a contents: " + contentCounter.incrementAndGet())
       .create();
-    String refspec = "HEAD:" + ref;
+
+    String pushedRef = ref;
     if (!topic.isEmpty()) {
-      refspec += "/" + topic;
+      pushedRef += "/" + topic;
     }
-    repo.git().push().setRemote("origin").setRefSpecs(
-        new RefSpec(refspec)).call();
+    String refspec = "HEAD:" + pushedRef;
+
+    Iterable<PushResult> res = repo.git().push()
+        .setRemote("origin").setRefSpecs(new RefSpec(refspec)).call();
+
+    RemoteRefUpdate u = Iterables.getOnlyElement(res).getRemoteUpdate(pushedRef);
+    assertThat(u).isNotNull();
+    assertThat(u.getStatus()).isEqualTo(Status.OK);
+    assertThat(u.getNewObjectId()).isEqualTo(ret);
+
     return ret;
   }
 
diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/SubmoduleSubscriptionsIT.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/SubmoduleSubscriptionsIT.java
index 1fcc42055e..f53575923f 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/SubmoduleSubscriptionsIT.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/SubmoduleSubscriptionsIT.java
@@ -107,6 +107,33 @@ public class SubmoduleSubscriptionsIT extends AbstractSubmoduleSubscription {
         "subscribed-to-project", subHEAD);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testSubscriptionWildcardACLForMissingProject() throws Exception {
+    TestRepository<?> subRepo = createProjectWithPush("subscribed-to-project");
+    allowSubmoduleSubscription("subscribed-to-project", "refs/heads/*",
+        "not-existing-super-project", "refs/heads/*");
+    pushChangeTo(subRepo, "master");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testSubscriptionWildcardACLForMissingBranch() throws Exception {
+    createProjectWithPush("super-project");
+    TestRepository<?> subRepo = createProjectWithPush("subscribed-to-project");
+    allowSubmoduleSubscription("subscribed-to-project", "refs/heads/*",
+        "super-project", "refs/heads/*");
+    pushChangeTo(subRepo, "foo");
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  public void testSubscriptionWildcardACLForMissingGitmodules() throws Exception {
+    TestRepository<?> superRepo = createProjectWithPush("super-project");
+    TestRepository<?> subRepo = createProjectWithPush("subscribed-to-project");
+    allowSubmoduleSubscription("subscribed-to-project", "refs/heads/*",
+        "super-project", "refs/heads/*");
+    pushChangeTo(superRepo, "master");
+    pushChangeTo(subRepo, "master");
+  }
+
   @Test
   public void testSubscriptionWildcardACLOneOnOneMapping() throws Exception {
     TestRepository<?> superRepo = createProjectWithPush("super-project");
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/SubmoduleOp.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/SubmoduleOp.java
index 16e265a538..5893c6bd4f 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/SubmoduleOp.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/SubmoduleOp.java
@@ -152,10 +152,10 @@ public class SubmoduleOp {
         Project.NameKey p = targetBranch.getParentKey();
         try {
           orm.openRepo(p, false);
-          OpenRepo or = orm.getRepo(project);
-          ObjectId id = or.repo.resolve(branch.get());
+          OpenRepo or = orm.getRepo(p);
+          ObjectId id = or.repo.resolve(targetBranch.get());
           if (id == null) {
-            logDebug("The branch " + branch + " doesn't exist.");
+            logDebug("The branch " + targetBranch + " doesn't exist.");
             continue;
           }
         } catch (NoSuchProjectException e) {