diff --git a/submodule.c b/submodule.c
index 6f7d883de950af8ba6427537d09e021a4bed36bd..00dd655a5339b8e16c5b631d11c8072359430cb7 100644
--- a/submodule.c
+++ b/submodule.c
@@ -500,27 +500,67 @@ static int has_remote(const char *refname, const struct object_id *oid,
 	return 1;
 }
 
-static int submodule_needs_pushing(const char *path, const unsigned char sha1[20])
+static int append_sha1_to_argv(const unsigned char sha1[20], void *data)
 {
-	if (add_submodule_odb(path) || !lookup_commit_reference(sha1))
+	struct argv_array *argv = data;
+	argv_array_push(argv, sha1_to_hex(sha1));
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int check_has_commit(const unsigned char sha1[20], void *data)
+{
+	int *has_commit = data;
+
+	if (!lookup_commit_reference(sha1))
+		*has_commit = 0;
+
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static int submodule_has_commits(const char *path, struct sha1_array *commits)
+{
+	int has_commit = 1;
+
+	if (add_submodule_odb(path))
+		return 0;
+
+	sha1_array_for_each_unique(commits, check_has_commit, &has_commit);
+	return has_commit;
+}
+
+static int submodule_needs_pushing(const char *path, struct sha1_array *commits)
+{
+	if (!submodule_has_commits(path, commits))
+		/*
+		 * NOTE: We do consider it safe to return "no" here. The
+		 * correct answer would be "We do not know" instead of
+		 * "No push needed", but it is quite hard to change
+		 * the submodule pointer without having the submodule
+		 * around. If a user did however change the submodules
+		 * without having the submodule around, this indicates
+		 * an expert who knows what they are doing or a
+		 * maintainer integrating work from other people. In
+		 * both cases it should be safe to skip this check.
+		 */
 		return 0;
 
 	if (for_each_remote_ref_submodule(path, has_remote, NULL) > 0) {
 		struct child_process cp = CHILD_PROCESS_INIT;
-		const char *argv[] = {"rev-list", NULL, "--not", "--remotes", "-n", "1" , NULL};
 		struct strbuf buf = STRBUF_INIT;
 		int needs_pushing = 0;
 
-		argv[1] = sha1_to_hex(sha1);
-		cp.argv = argv;
+		argv_array_push(&cp.args, "rev-list");
+		sha1_array_for_each_unique(commits, append_sha1_to_argv, &cp.args);
+		argv_array_pushl(&cp.args, "--not", "--remotes", "-n", "1" , NULL);
+
 		prepare_submodule_repo_env(&cp.env_array);
 		cp.git_cmd = 1;
 		cp.no_stdin = 1;
 		cp.out = -1;
 		cp.dir = path;
 		if (start_command(&cp))
-			die("Could not run 'git rev-list %s --not --remotes -n 1' command in submodule %s",
-				sha1_to_hex(sha1), path);
+			die("Could not run 'git rev-list <commits> --not --remotes -n 1' command in submodule %s",
+					path);
 		if (strbuf_read(&buf, cp.out, 41))
 			needs_pushing = 1;
 		finish_command(&cp);
@@ -532,19 +572,34 @@ static int submodule_needs_pushing(const char *path, const unsigned char sha1[20
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static struct sha1_array *submodule_commits(struct string_list *submodules,
+					    const char *path)
+{
+	struct string_list_item *item;
+
+	item = string_list_insert(submodules, path);
+	if (item->util)
+		return (struct sha1_array *) item->util;
+
+	/* NEEDSWORK: should we have sha1_array_init()? */
+	item->util = xcalloc(1, sizeof(struct sha1_array));
+	return (struct sha1_array *) item->util;
+}
+
 static void collect_submodules_from_diff(struct diff_queue_struct *q,
 					 struct diff_options *options,
 					 void *data)
 {
 	int i;
-	struct string_list *needs_pushing = data;
+	struct string_list *submodules = data;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < q->nr; i++) {
 		struct diff_filepair *p = q->queue[i];
+		struct sha1_array *commits;
 		if (!S_ISGITLINK(p->two->mode))
 			continue;
-		if (submodule_needs_pushing(p->two->path, p->two->oid.hash))
-			string_list_insert(needs_pushing, p->two->path);
+		commits = submodule_commits(submodules, p->two->path);
+		sha1_array_append(commits, p->two->oid.hash);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -560,32 +615,48 @@ static void find_unpushed_submodule_commits(struct commit *commit,
 	diff_tree_combined_merge(commit, 1, &rev);
 }
 
-int find_unpushed_submodules(unsigned char new_sha1[20],
+static void free_submodules_sha1s(struct string_list *submodules)
+{
+	struct string_list_item *item;
+	for_each_string_list_item(item, submodules)
+		sha1_array_clear((struct sha1_array *) item->util);
+	string_list_clear(submodules, 1);
+}
+
+int find_unpushed_submodules(struct sha1_array *commits,
 		const char *remotes_name, struct string_list *needs_pushing)
 {
 	struct rev_info rev;
 	struct commit *commit;
-	const char *argv[] = {NULL, NULL, "--not", "NULL", NULL};
-	int argc = ARRAY_SIZE(argv) - 1;
-	char *sha1_copy;
-
-	struct strbuf remotes_arg = STRBUF_INIT;
+	struct string_list submodules = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
+	struct string_list_item *submodule;
+	struct argv_array argv = ARGV_ARRAY_INIT;
 
-	strbuf_addf(&remotes_arg, "--remotes=%s", remotes_name);
 	init_revisions(&rev, NULL);
-	sha1_copy = xstrdup(sha1_to_hex(new_sha1));
-	argv[1] = sha1_copy;
-	argv[3] = remotes_arg.buf;
-	setup_revisions(argc, argv, &rev, NULL);
+
+	/* argv.argv[0] will be ignored by setup_revisions */
+	argv_array_push(&argv, "find_unpushed_submodules");
+	sha1_array_for_each_unique(commits, append_sha1_to_argv, &argv);
+	argv_array_push(&argv, "--not");
+	argv_array_pushf(&argv, "--remotes=%s", remotes_name);
+
+	setup_revisions(argv.argc, argv.argv, &rev, NULL);
 	if (prepare_revision_walk(&rev))
 		die("revision walk setup failed");
 
 	while ((commit = get_revision(&rev)) != NULL)
-		find_unpushed_submodule_commits(commit, needs_pushing);
+		find_unpushed_submodule_commits(commit, &submodules);
 
 	reset_revision_walk();
-	free(sha1_copy);
-	strbuf_release(&remotes_arg);
+	argv_array_clear(&argv);
+
+	for_each_string_list_item(submodule, &submodules) {
+		struct sha1_array *commits = (struct sha1_array *) submodule->util;
+
+		if (submodule_needs_pushing(submodule->string, commits))
+			string_list_insert(needs_pushing, submodule->string);
+	}
+	free_submodules_sha1s(&submodules);
 
 	return needs_pushing->nr;
 }
@@ -612,12 +683,12 @@ static int push_submodule(const char *path)
 	return 1;
 }
 
-int push_unpushed_submodules(unsigned char new_sha1[20], const char *remotes_name)
+int push_unpushed_submodules(struct sha1_array *commits, const char *remotes_name)
 {
 	int i, ret = 1;
 	struct string_list needs_pushing = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
 
-	if (!find_unpushed_submodules(new_sha1, remotes_name, &needs_pushing))
+	if (!find_unpushed_submodules(commits, remotes_name, &needs_pushing))
 		return 1;
 
 	for (i = 0; i < needs_pushing.nr; i++) {
diff --git a/submodule.h b/submodule.h
index d9e197a948fdab44b7a5df4161a5df9c3a2938ff..9454806dc5df9a80aa4bf1f7c647404e9df1b3a7 100644
--- a/submodule.h
+++ b/submodule.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 struct diff_options;
 struct argv_array;
+struct sha1_array;
 
 enum {
 	RECURSE_SUBMODULES_CHECK = -4,
@@ -62,9 +63,9 @@ int submodule_uses_gitfile(const char *path);
 int ok_to_remove_submodule(const char *path);
 int merge_submodule(unsigned char result[20], const char *path, const unsigned char base[20],
 		    const unsigned char a[20], const unsigned char b[20], int search);
-int find_unpushed_submodules(unsigned char new_sha1[20], const char *remotes_name,
+int find_unpushed_submodules(struct sha1_array *commits, const char *remotes_name,
 		struct string_list *needs_pushing);
-int push_unpushed_submodules(unsigned char new_sha1[20], const char *remotes_name);
+int push_unpushed_submodules(struct sha1_array *commits, const char *remotes_name);
 void connect_work_tree_and_git_dir(const char *work_tree, const char *git_dir);
 int parallel_submodules(void);
 
diff --git a/transport.c b/transport.c
index d57e8dec28d6890ce981a8422e9b8b60b697ecd6..f48286905786a9492edd82adc3b633411dbce152 100644
--- a/transport.c
+++ b/transport.c
@@ -949,23 +949,36 @@ int transport_push(struct transport *transport,
 
 		if ((flags & TRANSPORT_RECURSE_SUBMODULES_ON_DEMAND) && !is_bare_repository()) {
 			struct ref *ref = remote_refs;
+			struct sha1_array commits = SHA1_ARRAY_INIT;
+
 			for (; ref; ref = ref->next)
-				if (!is_null_oid(&ref->new_oid) &&
-				    !push_unpushed_submodules(ref->new_oid.hash,
-					    transport->remote->name))
-				    die ("Failed to push all needed submodules!");
+				if (!is_null_oid(&ref->new_oid))
+					sha1_array_append(&commits, ref->new_oid.hash);
+
+			if (!push_unpushed_submodules(&commits, transport->remote->name)) {
+				sha1_array_clear(&commits);
+				die("Failed to push all needed submodules!");
+			}
+			sha1_array_clear(&commits);
 		}
 
 		if ((flags & (TRANSPORT_RECURSE_SUBMODULES_ON_DEMAND |
 			      TRANSPORT_RECURSE_SUBMODULES_CHECK)) && !is_bare_repository()) {
 			struct ref *ref = remote_refs;
 			struct string_list needs_pushing = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
+			struct sha1_array commits = SHA1_ARRAY_INIT;
 
 			for (; ref; ref = ref->next)
-				if (!is_null_oid(&ref->new_oid) &&
-				    find_unpushed_submodules(ref->new_oid.hash,
-					    transport->remote->name, &needs_pushing))
-					die_with_unpushed_submodules(&needs_pushing);
+				if (!is_null_oid(&ref->new_oid))
+					sha1_array_append(&commits, ref->new_oid.hash);
+
+			if (find_unpushed_submodules(&commits, transport->remote->name,
+						&needs_pushing)) {
+				sha1_array_clear(&commits);
+				die_with_unpushed_submodules(&needs_pushing);
+			}
+			string_list_clear(&needs_pushing, 0);
+			sha1_array_clear(&commits);
 		}
 
 		push_ret = transport->push_refs(transport, remote_refs, flags);