diff --git a/git/objects/submodule/base.py b/git/objects/submodule/base.py
index c6c6d6996..90f796bdb 100644
--- a/git/objects/submodule/base.py
+++ b/git/objects/submodule/base.py
@@ -836,7 +836,7 @@ def remove(self, module=True, force=False, configuration=True, dry_run=False):
                         num_branches_with_new_commits += len(mod.git.cherry(rref)) != 0
                     # END for each remote ref
                     # not a single remote branch contained all our commits
-                    if num_branches_with_new_commits == len(rrefs):
+                    if len(rrefs) and num_branches_with_new_commits == len(rrefs):
                         raise InvalidGitRepositoryError(
                             "Cannot delete module at %s as there are new commits" % mod.working_tree_dir)
                     # END handle new commits
diff --git a/git/test/lib/helper.py b/git/test/lib/helper.py
index a85ac2fd6..2d21f5bf7 100644
--- a/git/test/lib/helper.py
+++ b/git/test/lib/helper.py
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ def wrapper(self):
             try:
                 return func(self, path)
             except Exception:
-                log.info.write("Test %s.%s failed, output is at %r\n",
-                               type(self).__name__, func.__name__, path)
+                log.info("Test %s.%s failed, output is at %r\n",
+                         type(self).__name__, func.__name__, path)
                 keep = True
                 raise
         finally:
@@ -107,6 +107,8 @@ def wrapper(self):
             gc.collect()
             if not keep:
                 rmtree(path)
+    wrapper.__name__ = func.__name__
+    return wrapper
 
 
 def with_rw_repo(working_tree_ref, bare=False):
diff --git a/git/test/test_submodule.py b/git/test/test_submodule.py
index bfa0379d1..6dcf18311 100644
--- a/git/test/test_submodule.py
+++ b/git/test/test_submodule.py
@@ -317,8 +317,8 @@ def _do_base_tests(self, rwrepo):
             # forcibly delete the child repository
             prev_count = len(sm.children())
             self.failUnlessRaises(ValueError, csm.remove, force=True)
-            # We removed sm, which removed all submodules. Howver, the instance we have
-            # still points to the commit prior to that, where it still existed
+            # We removed sm, which removed all submodules. However, the instance we
+            # have still points to the commit prior to that, where it still existed
             csm.set_parent_commit(csm.repo.commit(), check=False)
             assert not csm.exists()
             assert not csm.module_exists()
@@ -801,6 +801,24 @@ def assert_exists(sm, value=True):
             assert os.path.isdir(sm_module_path) == dry_run
         # end for each dry-run mode
 
+    @with_rw_directory
+    def test_remove_norefs(self, rwdir):
+        parent = git.Repo.init(os.path.join(rwdir, 'parent'))
+        sm_name = 'mymodules/myname'
+        sm = parent.create_submodule(sm_name, sm_name, url=self._small_repo_url())
+        assert sm.exists()
+
+        parent.index.commit("Added submodule")
+
+        assert sm.repo is parent  # yoh was surprised since expected sm repo!!
+        # so created a new instance for submodule
+        smrepo = git.Repo(os.path.join(rwdir, 'parent', sm.path))
+        # Adding a remote without fetching so would have no references
+        smrepo.create_remote('special', 'git@server-shouldnotmatter:repo.git')
+        # And we should be able to remove it just fine
+        sm.remove()
+        assert not sm.exists()
+
     @with_rw_directory
     def test_rename(self, rwdir):
         parent = git.Repo.init(os.path.join(rwdir, 'parent'))