diff --git a/builtin/submodule--helper.c b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
index fc10ace5a8..7ea82d7fa2 100644
--- a/builtin/submodule--helper.c
+++ b/builtin/submodule--helper.c
@@ -1208,6 +1208,22 @@ static int module_summary(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix,
 	return ret;
 }
 
+static int module_gitdir(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix UNUSED,
+			 struct repository *repo)
+{
+	struct strbuf gitdir = STRBUF_INIT;
+
+	if (argc != 2)
+		usage(_("git submodule--helper gitdir <name>"));
+
+	submodule_name_to_gitdir(&gitdir, repo, argv[1]);
+
+	printf("%s\n", gitdir.buf);
+
+	strbuf_release(&gitdir);
+	return 0;
+}
+
 struct sync_cb {
 	const char *prefix;
 	const char *super_prefix;
@@ -3587,6 +3603,7 @@ int cmd_submodule__helper(int argc,
 		NULL
 	};
 	struct option options[] = {
+		OPT_SUBCOMMAND("gitdir", &fn, module_gitdir),
 		OPT_SUBCOMMAND("clone", &fn, module_clone),
 		OPT_SUBCOMMAND("add", &fn, module_add),
 		OPT_SUBCOMMAND("update", &fn, module_update),