diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4cab10a2a4..30f19d33bb 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -48,9 +48,11 @@ Makefile: .git-submodule-status
 
 .PHONY: git-submodule-update
 git-submodule-update:
+ifneq ($(GIT_SUBMODULES_ACTION),ignore)
 	$(call quiet-command, \
 		(GIT="$(GIT)" "$(SRC_PATH)/scripts/git-submodule.sh" $(GIT_SUBMODULES_ACTION) $(GIT_SUBMODULES)), \
 		"GIT","$(GIT_SUBMODULES)")
+endif
 
 # 0. ensure the build tree is okay
 
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index f32c6f1a26..cca532bb0c 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -256,11 +256,11 @@ gdb_bin=$(command -v "gdb-multiarch" || command -v "gdb")
 if test -e "$source_path/.git"
 then
     git_submodules_action="update"
-    git_submodules="ui/keycodemapdb"
 else
     git_submodules_action="ignore"
-    git_submodules=""
 fi
+
+git_submodules="ui/keycodemapdb"
 git="git"
 
 # Don't accept a target_list environment variable.
@@ -3627,9 +3627,7 @@ fi
 case "$fdt" in
   auto | enabled | internal)
     # Simpler to always update submodule, even if not needed.
-    if test "$git_submodules_action" != "ignore"; then
-      git_submodules="${git_submodules} dtc"
-    fi
+    git_submodules="${git_submodules} dtc"
     ;;
 esac
 
@@ -4351,9 +4349,7 @@ fi
 case "$capstone" in
   auto | enabled | internal)
     # Simpler to always update submodule, even if not needed.
-    if test "$git_submodules_action" != "ignore"; then
-      git_submodules="${git_submodules} capstone"
-    fi
+    git_submodules="${git_submodules} capstone"
     ;;
 esac
 
@@ -5283,9 +5279,7 @@ fi
 case "$slirp" in
   auto | enabled | internal)
     # Simpler to always update submodule, even if not needed.
-    if test "$git_submodules_action" != "ignore"; then
-      git_submodules="${git_submodules} slirp"
-    fi
+    git_submodules="${git_submodules} slirp"
     ;;
 esac
 
@@ -5477,9 +5471,7 @@ if test "$cpu" = "s390x" ; then
     roms="$roms s390-ccw"
     # SLOF is required for building the s390-ccw firmware on s390x,
     # since it is using the libnet code from SLOF for network booting.
-    if test "$git_submodules_action" != "ignore"; then
-      git_submodules="${git_submodules} roms/SLOF"
-    fi
+    git_submodules="${git_submodules} roms/SLOF"
   fi
 fi