diff --git a/diff-lib.c b/diff-lib.c
index 1ab286a3ce..87a259111a 100644
--- a/diff-lib.c
+++ b/diff-lib.c
@@ -55,6 +55,27 @@ static int check_removed(const struct cache_entry *ce, struct stat *st)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Has a file changed or has a submodule new commits or a dirty work tree?
+ *
+ * Return 1 when changes are detected, 0 otherwise. If the DIRTY_SUBMODULES
+ * option is set, the caller does not only want to know if a submodule is
+ * modified at all but wants to know all the conditions that are met (new
+ * commits, untracked content and/or modified content).
+ */
+static int match_stat_with_submodule(struct diff_options *diffopt,
+				      struct cache_entry *ce, struct stat *st,
+				      unsigned ce_option, unsigned *dirty_submodule)
+{
+	int changed = ce_match_stat(ce, st, ce_option);
+	if (S_ISGITLINK(ce->ce_mode)
+	    && !DIFF_OPT_TST(diffopt, IGNORE_SUBMODULES)
+	    && (!changed || DIFF_OPT_TST(diffopt, DIRTY_SUBMODULES))) {
+		*dirty_submodule = is_submodule_modified(ce->name);
+	}
+	return changed;
+}
+
 int run_diff_files(struct rev_info *revs, unsigned int option)
 {
 	int entries, i;
@@ -177,16 +198,9 @@ int run_diff_files(struct rev_info *revs, unsigned int option)
 				       ce->sha1, ce->name, 0);
 			continue;
 		}
-		changed = ce_match_stat(ce, &st, ce_option);
-		if (S_ISGITLINK(ce->ce_mode)
-		    && !DIFF_OPT_TST(&revs->diffopt, IGNORE_SUBMODULES)
-		    && (!changed || (revs->diffopt.output_format & DIFF_FORMAT_PATCH)
-			|| DIFF_OPT_TST(&revs->diffopt, DIRTY_SUBMODULES))) {
-			dirty_submodule = is_submodule_modified(ce->name);
-			if (dirty_submodule)
-				changed = 1;
-		}
-		if (!changed) {
+		changed = match_stat_with_submodule(&revs->diffopt, ce, &st,
+						    ce_option, &dirty_submodule);
+		if (!changed && !dirty_submodule) {
 			ce_mark_uptodate(ce);
 			if (!DIFF_OPT_TST(&revs->diffopt, FIND_COPIES_HARDER))
 				continue;
@@ -241,15 +255,8 @@ static int get_stat_data(struct cache_entry *ce,
 			}
 			return -1;
 		}
-		changed = ce_match_stat(ce, &st, 0);
-		if (S_ISGITLINK(ce->ce_mode)
-		    && !DIFF_OPT_TST(diffopt, IGNORE_SUBMODULES)
-		    && (!changed || (diffopt->output_format & DIFF_FORMAT_PATCH)
-			|| DIFF_OPT_TST(diffopt, DIRTY_SUBMODULES))) {
-			*dirty_submodule = is_submodule_modified(ce->name);
-			if (*dirty_submodule)
-				changed = 1;
-		}
+		changed = match_stat_with_submodule(diffopt, ce, &st,
+						    0, dirty_submodule);
 		if (changed) {
 			mode = ce_mode_from_stat(ce, st.st_mode);
 			sha1 = null_sha1;
@@ -324,7 +331,7 @@ static int show_modified(struct rev_info *revs,
 	}
 
 	oldmode = old->ce_mode;
-	if (mode == oldmode && !hashcmp(sha1, old->sha1) &&
+	if (mode == oldmode && !hashcmp(sha1, old->sha1) && !dirty_submodule &&
 	    !DIFF_OPT_TST(&revs->diffopt, FIND_COPIES_HARDER))
 		return 0;
 
diff --git a/diff.c b/diff.c
index dfdfa1a813..f5d93e9694 100644
--- a/diff.c
+++ b/diff.c
@@ -2032,7 +2032,7 @@ static int diff_populate_gitlink(struct diff_filespec *s, int size_only)
 	char *data = xmalloc(100), *dirty = "";
 
 	/* Are we looking at the work tree? */
-	if (!s->sha1_valid && s->dirty_submodule)
+	if (s->dirty_submodule)
 		dirty = "-dirty";
 
 	len = snprintf(data, 100,
@@ -2628,6 +2628,12 @@ int diff_setup_done(struct diff_options *options)
 	 */
 	if (options->pickaxe)
 		DIFF_OPT_SET(options, RECURSIVE);
+	/*
+	 * When patches are generated, submodules diffed against the work tree
+	 * must be checked for dirtiness too so it can be shown in the output
+	 */
+	if (options->output_format & DIFF_FORMAT_PATCH)
+		DIFF_OPT_SET(options, DIRTY_SUBMODULES);
 
 	if (options->detect_rename && options->rename_limit < 0)
 		options->rename_limit = diff_rename_limit_default;
@@ -3086,7 +3092,8 @@ int diff_unmodified_pair(struct diff_filepair *p)
 	 * dealing with a change.
 	 */
 	if (one->sha1_valid && two->sha1_valid &&
-	    !hashcmp(one->sha1, two->sha1))
+	    !hashcmp(one->sha1, two->sha1) &&
+	    !one->dirty_submodule && !two->dirty_submodule)
 		return 1; /* no change */
 	if (!one->sha1_valid && !two->sha1_valid)
 		return 1; /* both look at the same file on the filesystem. */
@@ -3221,6 +3228,8 @@ static void diff_resolve_rename_copy(void)
 		}
 		else if (hashcmp(p->one->sha1, p->two->sha1) ||
 			 p->one->mode != p->two->mode ||
+			 p->one->dirty_submodule ||
+			 p->two->dirty_submodule ||
 			 is_null_sha1(p->one->sha1))
 			p->status = DIFF_STATUS_MODIFIED;
 		else {
diff --git a/t/t7506-status-submodule.sh b/t/t7506-status-submodule.sh
index 1c8d32a99e..dc9150a71f 100755
--- a/t/t7506-status-submodule.sh
+++ b/t/t7506-status-submodule.sh
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ test_expect_success 'status with modified file in submodule' '
 	(cd sub && git reset --hard) &&
 	echo "changed" >sub/foo &&
 	git status >output &&
-	grep "modified:   sub (new commits, modified content)" output
+	grep "modified:   sub (modified content)" output
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'status with modified file in submodule (porcelain)' '
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ test_expect_success 'status with modified file in submodule (porcelain)' '
 test_expect_success 'status with added file in submodule' '
 	(cd sub && git reset --hard && echo >foo && git add foo) &&
 	git status >output &&
-	grep "modified:   sub (new commits, modified content)" output
+	grep "modified:   sub (modified content)" output
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'status with added file in submodule (porcelain)' '
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ test_expect_success 'status with untracked file in submodule' '
 	(cd sub && git reset --hard) &&
 	echo "content" >sub/new-file &&
 	git status >output &&
-	grep "modified:   sub (new commits, untracked content)" output
+	grep "modified:   sub (untracked content)" output
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'status with untracked file in submodule (porcelain)' '
@@ -74,6 +74,84 @@ test_expect_success 'status with untracked file in submodule (porcelain)' '
 	EOF
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'status with added and untracked file in submodule' '
+	(cd sub && git reset --hard && echo >foo && git add foo) &&
+	echo "content" >sub/new-file &&
+	git status >output &&
+	grep "modified:   sub (modified content, untracked content)" output
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'status with added and untracked file in submodule (porcelain)' '
+	(cd sub && git reset --hard && echo >foo && git add foo) &&
+	echo "content" >sub/new-file &&
+	git status --porcelain >output &&
+	diff output - <<-\EOF
+	 M sub
+	EOF
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'status with modified file in modified submodule' '
+	(cd sub && git reset --hard) &&
+	rm sub/new-file &&
+	(cd sub && echo "next change" >foo && git commit -m "next change" foo) &&
+	echo "changed" >sub/foo &&
+	git status >output &&
+	grep "modified:   sub (new commits, modified content)" output
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'status with modified file in modified submodule (porcelain)' '
+	(cd sub && git reset --hard) &&
+	echo "changed" >sub/foo &&
+	git status --porcelain >output &&
+	diff output - <<-\EOF
+	 M sub
+	EOF
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'status with added file in modified submodule' '
+	(cd sub && git reset --hard && echo >foo && git add foo) &&
+	git status >output &&
+	grep "modified:   sub (new commits, modified content)" output
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'status with added file in modified submodule (porcelain)' '
+	(cd sub && git reset --hard && echo >foo && git add foo) &&
+	git status --porcelain >output &&
+	diff output - <<-\EOF
+	 M sub
+	EOF
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'status with untracked file in modified submodule' '
+	(cd sub && git reset --hard) &&
+	echo "content" >sub/new-file &&
+	git status >output &&
+	grep "modified:   sub (new commits, untracked content)" output
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'status with untracked file in modified submodule (porcelain)' '
+	git status --porcelain >output &&
+	diff output - <<-\EOF
+	 M sub
+	EOF
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'status with added and untracked file in modified submodule' '
+	(cd sub && git reset --hard && echo >foo && git add foo) &&
+	echo "content" >sub/new-file &&
+	git status >output &&
+	grep "modified:   sub (new commits, modified content, untracked content)" output
+'
+
+test_expect_success 'status with added and untracked file in modified submodule (porcelain)' '
+	(cd sub && git reset --hard && echo >foo && git add foo) &&
+	echo "content" >sub/new-file &&
+	git status --porcelain >output &&
+	diff output - <<-\EOF
+	 M sub
+	EOF
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'rm submodule contents' '
 	rm -rf sub/* sub/.git
 '