diff --git a/builtin/submodule--helper.c b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
index 8943127ae7..b5d74cd415 100644
--- a/builtin/submodule--helper.c
+++ b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
@@ -1366,11 +1366,11 @@ static int module_clone(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	const char *name = NULL, *url = NULL, *depth = NULL;
 	int quiet = 0;
 	int progress = 0;
-	char *p, *path = NULL, *sm_gitdir;
+	char *path = NULL, *sm_gitdir;
 	struct strbuf sb = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct string_list reference = STRING_LIST_INIT_NODUP;
 	int dissociate = 0;
-	char *sm_alternate = NULL, *error_strategy = NULL;
+	struct repository subrepo;
 
 	struct option module_clone_options[] = {
 		OPT_STRING(0, "prefix", &prefix,
@@ -1443,27 +1443,17 @@ static int module_clone(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	connect_work_tree_and_git_dir(path, sm_gitdir, 0);
 
-	p = git_pathdup_submodule(path, "config");
-	if (!p)
-		die(_("could not get submodule directory for '%s'"), path);
+	if (repo_submodule_init_by_name(&subrepo, the_repository, path, name))
+		die(_("could not get a repository handle for submodule '%s'"), path);
 
 	/* setup alternateLocation and alternateErrorStrategy in the cloned submodule if needed */
-	git_config_get_string("submodule.alternateLocation", &sm_alternate);
-	if (sm_alternate)
-		git_config_set_in_file(p, "submodule.alternateLocation",
-					   sm_alternate);
-	git_config_get_string("submodule.alternateErrorStrategy", &error_strategy);
-	if (error_strategy)
-		git_config_set_in_file(p, "submodule.alternateErrorStrategy",
-					   error_strategy);
-
-	free(sm_alternate);
-	free(error_strategy);
+	repo_config_copy(&subrepo, the_repository, "submodule.alternateLocation");
+	repo_config_copy(&subrepo, the_repository, "submodule.alternateErrorStrategy");
 
+	repo_clear(&subrepo);
 	strbuf_release(&sb);
 	free(sm_gitdir);
 	free(path);
-	free(p);
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 151d28664e..007436b382 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -2157,6 +2157,16 @@ void repo_config_set(struct repository *r, const char *key, const char *value)
 		die(_("could not unset '%s'"), key);
 }
 
+void repo_config_copy(struct repository *dst, struct repository *src, const char *key)
+{
+	char *value = NULL;
+
+	repo_config_get_string(src, key, &value);
+	if (value)
+		repo_config_set(dst, key, value);
+	free(value);
+}
+
 int repo_config_set_worktree_gently(struct repository *r,
 				    const char *key, const char *value)
 {
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 62204dc252..22edd96716 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ extern void git_config_set_in_file(const char *, const char *, const char *);
 extern int git_config_set_gently(const char *, const char *);
 extern int repo_config_set_gently(struct repository *, const char *, const char *);
 extern void repo_config_set(struct repository *, const char *, const char *);
+extern void repo_config_copy(struct repository *dst, struct repository *src, const char *key);
 extern int repo_config_set_worktree_gently(struct repository *, const char *, const char *);
 extern void git_config_set(const char *, const char *);
 extern int git_config_parse_key(const char *, char **, int *);
diff --git a/repository.c b/repository.c
index 5dd1486718..f997bd1629 100644
--- a/repository.c
+++ b/repository.c
@@ -176,16 +176,23 @@ int repo_submodule_init(struct repository *submodule,
 			const char *path)
 {
 	const struct submodule *sub;
+
+	sub = submodule_from_path(superproject, &null_oid, path);
+	if (!sub)
+		return -1;
+	return repo_submodule_init_by_name(submodule, superproject,
+					   path, sub->name);
+}
+
+int repo_submodule_init_by_name(struct repository *submodule,
+				struct repository *superproject,
+				const char *path,
+				const char *name)
+{
 	struct strbuf gitdir = STRBUF_INIT;
 	struct strbuf worktree = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	sub = submodule_from_path(superproject, &null_oid, path);
-	if (!sub) {
-		ret = -1;
-		goto out;
-	}
-
 	strbuf_repo_worktree_path(&gitdir, superproject, "%s/.git", path);
 	strbuf_repo_worktree_path(&worktree, superproject, "%s", path);
 
@@ -199,7 +206,7 @@ int repo_submodule_init(struct repository *submodule,
 		 */
 		strbuf_reset(&gitdir);
 		strbuf_repo_git_path(&gitdir, superproject,
-				     "modules/%s", sub->name);
+				     "modules/%s", name);
 
 		if (repo_init(submodule, gitdir.buf, NULL)) {
 			ret = -1;
diff --git a/repository.h b/repository.h
index 9f16c42c1e..d3f0592471 100644
--- a/repository.h
+++ b/repository.h
@@ -119,6 +119,10 @@ int repo_init(struct repository *r, const char *gitdir, const char *worktree);
 int repo_submodule_init(struct repository *submodule,
 			struct repository *superproject,
 			const char *path);
+int repo_submodule_init_by_name(struct repository *submodule,
+				struct repository *superproject,
+				const char *path,
+				const char *name);
 void repo_clear(struct repository *repo);
 
 /*
