diff --git a/docs/source/changelog.rst b/docs/source/changelog.rst
index ccb944f0..91ffc7a9 100644
--- a/docs/source/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/source/changelog.rst
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ Release date: TBD
 
 New features
 ------------
-- Fix for submodule check out in :pr:`809` by :user:`davidbrochart`.
 - Add support for Figshare in :pr:`788` by :user:`nuest`.
 - Add support for Dataverse in :pr:`739` by :user:`Xarthisius`.
 
@@ -20,7 +19,7 @@ API changes
 
 Bug fixes
 ---------
-
+- Fix for submodule check out in :pr:`809` by :user:`davidbrochart`.
 
 
 Version 0.10.0
diff --git a/repo2docker/contentproviders/git.py b/repo2docker/contentproviders/git.py
index ff68ce9b..71e12d0e 100644
--- a/repo2docker/contentproviders/git.py
+++ b/repo2docker/contentproviders/git.py
@@ -21,29 +21,24 @@ class Git(ContentProvider):
 
         # make a, possibly shallow, clone of the remote repository
         try:
-            cmd = ["git", "clone", "--recursive"]
+            cmd = ["git", "clone"]
             if ref is None:
-                # check out of HEAD is performed after the clone is complete
                 cmd.extend(["--depth", "1"])
             else:
-                # don't check out HEAD, the given ref will be checked out later
-                # this prevents HEAD's submodules to be cloned if ref doesn't have them
-                cmd.extend(["--no-checkout"])
+                cmd.extend(["--branch", ref])
             cmd.extend([repo, output_dir])
             for line in execute_cmd(cmd, capture=yield_output):
                 yield line
 
         except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
-            msg = "Failed to clone repository from {repo}.".format(repo=repo)
+            msg = "Failed to clone repository from {repo}".format(repo=repo)
+            if ref is not None:
+                msg += " (ref {ref})".format(ref=ref)
+            msg += "."
             raise ContentProviderException(msg) from e
 
         # check out the specific ref given by the user
         if ref is not None:
-            # check out ref as it has not been done yet
-            for line in execute_cmd(
-                ["git", "checkout", ref], cwd=output_dir, capture=yield_output
-            ):
-                yield line
             hash = check_ref(ref, output_dir)
             if hash is None:
                 self.log.error(
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index eefe4fef..a8a2ac34 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -145,6 +145,10 @@ def repo_with_submodule():
         submod_sha1_b = _get_sha1(git_b_dir)
         _add_content_to_git(git_b_dir)
 
+        # create a new branch in the parent without any submodule
+        subprocess.check_call(
+            ["git", "checkout", "-b", "branch-without-submod"], cwd=git_a_dir
+        )
         # create a new branch in the parent to add the submodule
         subprocess.check_call(
             ["git", "checkout", "-b", "branch-with-submod"], cwd=git_a_dir
diff --git a/tests/unit/contentproviders/test_git.py b/tests/unit/contentproviders/test_git.py
index d5532009..3957a95f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/contentproviders/test_git.py
+++ b/tests/unit/contentproviders/test_git.py
@@ -23,6 +23,18 @@ def test_submodule_clone(repo_with_submodule):
     """Test git clone containing a git submodule."""
     upstream, expected_sha1_upstream, expected_sha1_submod = repo_with_submodule
 
+    # check that checking out a branch where there are no submodule
+    # indeed doesn't get any submodule, even though they are in master
+    with TemporaryDirectory() as clone_dir2:
+        submod_dir = os.path.join(clone_dir2, "submod")  # set by fixture
+        spec = {"repo": upstream, "ref": "branch-without-submod"}
+        git_content = Git()
+        for _ in git_content.fetch(spec, clone_dir2):
+            pass
+
+        assert os.path.exists(os.path.join(clone_dir2, "test"))
+        assert not os.path.exists(os.path.join(submod_dir, "test"))
+
     with TemporaryDirectory() as clone_dir:
         submod_dir = os.path.join(clone_dir, "submod")  # set by fixture
         spec = {"repo": upstream}