diff --git a/builtin/worktree.c b/builtin/worktree.c
index 5e8402617727f9cf9c017df3ea6c576e2d59240d..3f9907fcc994d248ba604509f6feb5bdc0499329 100644
--- a/builtin/worktree.c
+++ b/builtin/worktree.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "refs.h"
 #include "run-command.h"
 #include "sigchain.h"
+#include "submodule.h"
 #include "refs.h"
 #include "utf8.h"
 #include "worktree.h"
@@ -724,20 +725,36 @@ static int unlock_worktree(int ac, const char **av, const char *prefix)
 static void validate_no_submodules(const struct worktree *wt)
 {
 	struct index_state istate = { NULL };
+	struct strbuf path = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int i, found_submodules = 0;
 
-	if (read_index_from(&istate, worktree_git_path(wt, "index"),
-			    get_worktree_git_dir(wt)) > 0) {
+	if (is_directory(worktree_git_path(wt, "modules"))) {
+		/*
+		 * There could be false positives, e.g. the "modules"
+		 * directory exists but is empty. But it's a rare case and
+		 * this simpler check is probably good enough for now.
+		 */
+		found_submodules = 1;
+	} else if (read_index_from(&istate, worktree_git_path(wt, "index"),
+				   get_worktree_git_dir(wt)) > 0) {
 		for (i = 0; i < istate.cache_nr; i++) {
 			struct cache_entry *ce = istate.cache[i];
+			int err;
 
-			if (S_ISGITLINK(ce->ce_mode)) {
-				found_submodules = 1;
-				break;
-			}
+			if (!S_ISGITLINK(ce->ce_mode))
+				continue;
+
+			strbuf_reset(&path);
+			strbuf_addf(&path, "%s/%s", wt->path, ce->name);
+			if (!is_submodule_populated_gently(path.buf, &err))
+				continue;
+
+			found_submodules = 1;
+			break;
 		}
 	}
 	discard_index(&istate);
+	strbuf_release(&path);
 
 	if (found_submodules)
 		die(_("working trees containing submodules cannot be moved or removed"));
diff --git a/t/t2028-worktree-move.sh b/t/t2028-worktree-move.sh
index 33c033773367a135d4cb7eb23f9e9d3131197174..939d18d7286c1be1e58a698e9164fda8e24c654a 100755
--- a/t/t2028-worktree-move.sh
+++ b/t/t2028-worktree-move.sh
@@ -112,6 +112,26 @@ test_expect_success 'move locked worktree (force)' '
 	git worktree move --force --force flump ploof
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'move a repo with uninitialized submodule' '
+	git init withsub &&
+	(
+		cd withsub &&
+		test_commit initial &&
+		git submodule add "$PWD"/.git sub &&
+		git commit -m withsub &&
+		git worktree add second HEAD &&
+		git worktree move second third
+	)
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'not move a repo with initialized submodule' '
+	(
+		cd withsub &&
+		git -C third submodule update &&
+		test_must_fail git worktree move third forth
+	)
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'remove main worktree' '
 	test_must_fail git worktree remove .
 '
@@ -185,4 +205,21 @@ test_expect_success 'remove cleans up .git/worktrees when empty' '
 	)
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'remove a repo with uninitialized submodule' '
+	(
+		cd withsub &&
+		git worktree add to-remove HEAD &&
+		git worktree remove to-remove
+	)
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'not remove a repo with initialized submodule' '
+	(
+		cd withsub &&
+		git worktree add to-remove HEAD &&
+		git -C to-remove submodule update &&
+		test_must_fail git worktree remove to-remove
+	)
+'
+
 test_done