diff --git a/Documentation/git-submodule.txt b/Documentation/git-submodule.txt
index cdabfd29ad..76a832a3ac 100644
--- a/Documentation/git-submodule.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git-submodule.txt
@@ -95,6 +95,10 @@ is the superproject and submodule repositories will be kept
 together in the same relative location, and only the
 superproject's URL needs to be provided: git-submodule will correctly
 locate the submodule using the relative URL in .gitmodules.
++
+The submodule will be added with "git add --force <path>". I.e. git
+doesn't care if the new path is in a `gitignore`. Your invocation of
+"git submodule add" is considered enough to override it.
 
 status::
 	Show the status of the submodules. This will print the SHA-1 of the
diff --git a/git-submodule.sh b/git-submodule.sh
index d9950c2b7f..ad2417d1b0 100755
--- a/git-submodule.sh
+++ b/git-submodule.sh
@@ -234,12 +234,12 @@ cmd_add()
 		) || die "Unable to checkout submodule '$path'"
 	fi
 
-	git add "$path" ||
+	git add --force "$path" ||
 	die "Failed to add submodule '$path'"
 
 	git config -f .gitmodules submodule."$path".path "$path" &&
 	git config -f .gitmodules submodule."$path".url "$repo" &&
-	git add .gitmodules ||
+	git add --force .gitmodules ||
 	die "Failed to register submodule '$path'"
 }
 
diff --git a/t/t7400-submodule-basic.sh b/t/t7400-submodule-basic.sh
index 97ff074da7..d9f2785993 100755
--- a/t/t7400-submodule-basic.sh
+++ b/t/t7400-submodule-basic.sh
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ test_expect_success 'setup - hide init subdirectory' '
 '
 
 test_expect_success 'setup - repository to add submodules to' '
-	git init addtest
+	git init addtest &&
+	git init addtest-ignore
 '
 
 # The 'submodule add' tests need some repository to add as a submodule.
@@ -85,6 +86,27 @@ test_expect_success 'submodule add' '
 	test_cmp empty untracked
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'submodule add to .gitignored path' '
+	echo "refs/heads/master" >expect &&
+	>empty &&
+
+	(
+		cd addtest-ignore &&
+		# Does not use test_commit due to the ignore
+		echo "*" > .gitignore &&
+		git add --force .gitignore &&
+		git commit -m"Ignore everything" &&
+		git submodule add "$submodurl" submod &&
+		git submodule init
+	) &&
+
+	rm -f heads head untracked &&
+	inspect addtest/submod ../.. &&
+	test_cmp expect heads &&
+	test_cmp expect head &&
+	test_cmp empty untracked
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'submodule add --branch' '
 	echo "refs/heads/initial" >expect-head &&
 	cat <<-\EOF >expect-heads &&