diff --git a/Documentation/git-submodule.txt b/Documentation/git-submodule.txt
index 8bf173a906af3dc652eea2b849b0bf6dd2265ba4..b1996f1a6311f99e2d583a1ad6cb839dd4efc7aa 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-submodule.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-submodule.txt
@@ -208,6 +208,8 @@ OPTIONS
 -b::
 --branch::
 	Branch of repository to add as submodule.
+	The name of the branch is recorded as `submodule.<path>.branch` in
+	`.gitmodules` for `update --remote`.
 
 -f::
 --force::
diff --git a/git-submodule.sh b/git-submodule.sh
index 6ae51c6c72ecdc5be5f1b43bce9699337a1d6697..22ec5b63b4cd36dd10277e842970f9534a623a2f 100755
--- a/git-submodule.sh
+++ b/git-submodule.sh
@@ -417,6 +417,10 @@ Use -f if you really want to add it." >&2
 
 	git config -f .gitmodules submodule."$sm_name".path "$sm_path" &&
 	git config -f .gitmodules submodule."$sm_name".url "$repo" &&
+	if test -n "$branch"
+	then
+		git config -f .gitmodules submodule."$sm_name".branch "$branch"
+	fi &&
 	git add --force .gitmodules ||
 	die "$(eval_gettext "Failed to register submodule '\$sm_path'")"
 }
diff --git a/t/t7400-submodule-basic.sh b/t/t7400-submodule-basic.sh
index de7d45352e001d3c1b2c7f24361dc38dd9e0ea0a..2683cba7e3f0ba7fbb7ea1752a39a6068fc91718 100755
--- a/t/t7400-submodule-basic.sh
+++ b/t/t7400-submodule-basic.sh
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ test_expect_success 'submodule add --branch' '
 	(
 		cd addtest &&
 		git submodule add -b initial "$submodurl" submod-branch &&
+		test "initial" = "$(git config -f .gitmodules submodule.submod-branch.branch)" &&
 		git submodule init
 	) &&