diff --git a/git-p4.py b/git-p4.py
index eab69590c4162f3e4a51c97819f2089a30247ec5..a22354ae825ccacb5a7da93993cfae8386304bab 100755
--- a/git-p4.py
+++ b/git-p4.py
@@ -135,8 +135,8 @@ def p4_system(cmd):
 def p4_integrate(src, dest):
     p4_system(["integrate", "-Dt", src, dest])
 
-def p4_sync(path):
-    p4_system(["sync", path])
+def p4_sync(f, *options):
+    p4_system(["sync"] + list(options) + [f])
 
 def p4_add(f):
     p4_system(["add", f])
@@ -1361,12 +1361,18 @@ def run(self, args):
         self.oldWorkingDirectory = os.getcwd()
 
         # ensure the clientPath exists
+        new_client_dir = False
         if not os.path.exists(self.clientPath):
+            new_client_dir = True
             os.makedirs(self.clientPath)
 
         chdir(self.clientPath)
         print "Synchronizing p4 checkout..."
-        p4_sync("...")
+        if new_client_dir:
+            # old one was destroyed, and maybe nobody told p4
+            p4_sync("...", "-f")
+        else:
+            p4_sync("...")
         self.check()
 
         commits = []
diff --git a/t/t9807-git-p4-submit.sh b/t/t9807-git-p4-submit.sh
index 15417165e8900a87fbfbe54e757306e9070ea06f..2d7dc27f31287e817295d92ec835035622dfd930 100755
--- a/t/t9807-git-p4-submit.sh
+++ b/t/t9807-git-p4-submit.sh
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ test_expect_success 'submit with no client dir' '
 		rm -rf "$cli" &&
 		git config git-p4.skipSubmitEdit true &&
 		git p4 submit
+	) &&
+	(
+		cd "$cli" &&
+		test_path_is_file file1 &&
+		test_path_is_file file2
 	)
 '
 
@@ -44,7 +49,6 @@ test_expect_success 'submit --origin' '
 	) &&
 	(
 		cd "$cli" &&
-		p4 sync &&
 		test_path_is_missing "file3.t" &&
 		test_path_is_file "file4.t"
 	)
@@ -79,7 +83,6 @@ test_expect_success 'submit with master branch name from argv' '
 	) &&
 	(
 		cd "$cli" &&
-		p4 sync &&
 		test_path_is_file "file6.t" &&
 		test_path_is_missing "file7.t"
 	)