diff --git a/builtin/submodule--helper.c b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
index d452af40d2d..6c53c83a2af 100644
--- a/builtin/submodule--helper.c
+++ b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ static void runcommand_in_submodule_cb(const struct cache_entry *list_item,
 static int module_foreach(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	struct foreach_cb info = FOREACH_CB_INIT;
-	struct pathspec pathspec;
+	struct pathspec pathspec = { 0 };
 	struct module_list list = MODULE_LIST_INIT;
 	struct option module_foreach_options[] = {
 		OPT__QUIET(&info.quiet, N_("suppress output of entering each submodule command")),
@@ -379,12 +379,13 @@ static int module_foreach(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		N_("git submodule foreach [--quiet] [--recursive] [--] <command>"),
 		NULL
 	};
+	int ret = 1;
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, module_foreach_options,
 			     git_submodule_helper_usage, 0);
 
 	if (module_list_compute(0, NULL, prefix, &pathspec, &list) < 0)
-		return 1;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	info.argc = argc;
 	info.argv = argv;
@@ -392,7 +393,10 @@ static int module_foreach(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	for_each_listed_submodule(&list, runcommand_in_submodule_cb, &info);
 
-	return 0;
+	ret = 0;
+cleanup:
+	clear_pathspec(&pathspec);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static int starts_with_dot_slash(const char *const path)
@@ -502,7 +506,7 @@ static void init_submodule_cb(const struct cache_entry *list_item, void *cb_data
 static int module_init(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	struct init_cb info = INIT_CB_INIT;
-	struct pathspec pathspec;
+	struct pathspec pathspec = { 0 };
 	struct module_list list = MODULE_LIST_INIT;
 	int quiet = 0;
 	struct option module_init_options[] = {
@@ -513,12 +517,13 @@ static int module_init(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		N_("git submodule init [<options>] [<path>]"),
 		NULL
 	};
+	int ret = 1;
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, module_init_options,
 			     git_submodule_helper_usage, 0);
 
 	if (module_list_compute(argc, argv, prefix, &pathspec, &list) < 0)
-		return 1;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	/*
 	 * If there are no path args and submodule.active is set then,
@@ -533,7 +538,10 @@ static int module_init(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	for_each_listed_submodule(&list, init_submodule_cb, &info);
 
-	return 0;
+	ret = 0;
+cleanup:
+	clear_pathspec(&pathspec);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 struct status_cb {
@@ -680,7 +688,7 @@ static void status_submodule_cb(const struct cache_entry *list_item,
 static int module_status(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	struct status_cb info = STATUS_CB_INIT;
-	struct pathspec pathspec;
+	struct pathspec pathspec = { 0 };
 	struct module_list list = MODULE_LIST_INIT;
 	int quiet = 0;
 	struct option module_status_options[] = {
@@ -693,12 +701,13 @@ static int module_status(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		N_("git submodule status [--quiet] [--cached] [--recursive] [<path>...]"),
 		NULL
 	};
+	int ret = 1;
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, module_status_options,
 			     git_submodule_helper_usage, 0);
 
 	if (module_list_compute(argc, argv, prefix, &pathspec, &list) < 0)
-		return 1;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	info.prefix = prefix;
 	if (quiet)
@@ -706,7 +715,10 @@ static int module_status(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	for_each_listed_submodule(&list, status_submodule_cb, &info);
 
-	return 0;
+	ret = 0;
+cleanup:
+	clear_pathspec(&pathspec);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 struct module_cb {
@@ -1245,7 +1257,7 @@ static void sync_submodule_cb(const struct cache_entry *list_item, void *cb_data
 static int module_sync(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	struct sync_cb info = SYNC_CB_INIT;
-	struct pathspec pathspec;
+	struct pathspec pathspec = { 0 };
 	struct module_list list = MODULE_LIST_INIT;
 	int quiet = 0;
 	int recursive = 0;
@@ -1259,12 +1271,13 @@ static int module_sync(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		N_("git submodule sync [--quiet] [--recursive] [<path>]"),
 		NULL
 	};
+	int ret = 1;
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, module_sync_options,
 			     git_submodule_helper_usage, 0);
 
 	if (module_list_compute(argc, argv, prefix, &pathspec, &list) < 0)
-		return 1;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	info.prefix = prefix;
 	if (quiet)
@@ -1274,7 +1287,10 @@ static int module_sync(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	for_each_listed_submodule(&list, sync_submodule_cb, &info);
 
-	return 0;
+	ret = 0;
+cleanup:
+	clear_pathspec(&pathspec);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 struct deinit_cb {
@@ -1383,7 +1399,7 @@ static void deinit_submodule_cb(const struct cache_entry *list_item,
 static int module_deinit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	struct deinit_cb info = DEINIT_CB_INIT;
-	struct pathspec pathspec;
+	struct pathspec pathspec = { 0 };
 	struct module_list list = MODULE_LIST_INIT;
 	int quiet = 0;
 	int force = 0;
@@ -1398,6 +1414,7 @@ static int module_deinit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		N_("git submodule deinit [--quiet] [-f | --force] [--all | [--] [<path>...]]"),
 		NULL
 	};
+	int ret = 1;
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, module_deinit_options,
 			     git_submodule_helper_usage, 0);
@@ -1412,7 +1429,7 @@ static int module_deinit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		die(_("Use '--all' if you really want to deinitialize all submodules"));
 
 	if (module_list_compute(argc, argv, prefix, &pathspec, &list) < 0)
-		return 1;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	info.prefix = prefix;
 	if (quiet)
@@ -1422,7 +1439,10 @@ static int module_deinit(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 
 	for_each_listed_submodule(&list, deinit_submodule_cb, &info);
 
-	return 0;
+	ret = 0;
+cleanup:
+	clear_pathspec(&pathspec);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 struct module_clone_data {
@@ -2516,7 +2536,7 @@ static int update_submodules(struct update_data *update_data)
 
 static int module_update(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
-	struct pathspec pathspec;
+	struct pathspec pathspec = { 0 };
 	struct update_data opt = UPDATE_DATA_INIT;
 	struct list_objects_filter_options filter_options = { 0 };
 	int ret;
@@ -2593,8 +2613,8 @@ static int module_update(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		opt.update_strategy.type = opt.update_default;
 
 	if (module_list_compute(argc, argv, prefix, &pathspec, &opt.list) < 0) {
-		list_objects_filter_release(&filter_options);
-		return 1;
+		ret = 1;
+		goto cleanup;
 	}
 
 	if (pathspec.nr)
@@ -2605,8 +2625,10 @@ static int module_update(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		struct init_cb info = INIT_CB_INIT;
 
 		if (module_list_compute(argc, argv, opt.prefix,
-					&pathspec, &list) < 0)
-			return 1;
+					&pathspec, &list) < 0) {
+			ret = 1;
+			goto cleanup;
+		}
 
 		/*
 		 * If there are no path args and submodule.active is set then,
@@ -2623,7 +2645,9 @@ static int module_update(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 	}
 
 	ret = update_submodules(&opt);
+cleanup:
 	list_objects_filter_release(&filter_options);
+	clear_pathspec(&pathspec);
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -2707,7 +2731,7 @@ static int push_check(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 static int absorb_git_dirs(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 {
 	int i;
-	struct pathspec pathspec;
+	struct pathspec pathspec = { 0 };
 	struct module_list list = MODULE_LIST_INIT;
 	unsigned flags = ABSORB_GITDIR_RECURSE_SUBMODULES;
 	struct option embed_gitdir_options[] = {
@@ -2722,17 +2746,21 @@ static int absorb_git_dirs(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		N_("git submodule absorbgitdirs [<options>] [<path>...]"),
 		NULL
 	};
+	int ret = 1;
 
 	argc = parse_options(argc, argv, prefix, embed_gitdir_options,
 			     git_submodule_helper_usage, 0);
 
 	if (module_list_compute(argc, argv, prefix, &pathspec, &list) < 0)
-		return 1;
+		goto cleanup;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < list.nr; i++)
 		absorb_git_dir_into_superproject(list.entries[i]->name, flags);
 
-	return 0;
+	ret = 0;
+cleanup:
+	clear_pathspec(&pathspec);
+	return ret;
 }
 
 static int module_config(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
