diff --git a/src/bootstrap/bootstrap.py b/src/bootstrap/bootstrap.py
index 8dc2875ec4247..405b8bc5bdac2 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/bootstrap.py
+++ b/src/bootstrap/bootstrap.py
@@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ def update_submodules(self):
                                (self.get_toml('jemalloc') or self.get_mk('CFG_JEMALLOC_ROOT'))))
                      ]
         run(["git", "submodule", "update",
-                  "--init"] + submodules, cwd=self.rust_root, verbose=self.verbose)
+                  "--init", "--recursive"] + submodules, cwd=self.rust_root, verbose=self.verbose)
         run(["git", "submodule", "-q", "foreach", "git",
                   "reset", "-q", "--hard"], cwd=self.rust_root, verbose=self.verbose)
         run(["git", "submodule", "-q", "foreach", "git",
diff --git a/src/ci/init_repo.sh b/src/ci/init_repo.sh
index 817ed8dd55437..6cb37fe356a03 100755
--- a/src/ci/init_repo.sh
+++ b/src/ci/init_repo.sh
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ retry sh -c "rm -rf $cache_src_dir && mkdir -p $cache_src_dir && \
     git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/rust-lang/rust.git $cache_src_dir"
 (cd $cache_src_dir && git rm src/llvm)
 retry sh -c "cd $cache_src_dir && \
-    git submodule deinit -f . && git submodule sync && git submodule update --init"
+    git submodule deinit -f . && git submodule sync && git submodule update --init --recursive"
 
 travis_fold end update_cache
 travis_time_finish
@@ -69,11 +69,12 @@ for module in $modules; do
     fi
     if [ ! -d "$cache_src_dir/$module" ]; then
         echo "WARNING: $module not found in pristine repo"
-        retry sh -c "git submodule deinit -f $module && git submodule update --init $module"
+        retry sh -c "git submodule deinit -f $module && \
+            git submodule update --init --recursive $module"
         continue
     fi
     retry sh -c "git submodule deinit -f $module && \
-        git submodule update --init --reference $cache_src_dir/$module $module"
+        git submodule update --init --recursive --reference $cache_src_dir/$module $module"
 done
 
 travis_fold end update_submodules