diff --git a/builtin/fetch.c b/builtin/fetch.c
index ade092bf8d..d84c26391c 100644
--- a/builtin/fetch.c
+++ b/builtin/fetch.c
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ static int git_fetch_config(const char *k, const char *v, void *cb)
 	if (!strcmp(k, "submodule.fetchjobs")) {
 		max_children = parse_submodule_fetchjobs(k, v);
 		return 0;
+	} else if (!strcmp(k, "fetch.recursesubmodules")) {
+		recurse_submodules = parse_fetch_recurse_submodules_arg(k, v);
+		return 0;
 	}
 
 	return git_default_config(k, v, cb);
@@ -81,6 +84,9 @@ static int gitmodules_fetch_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 	if (!strcmp(var, "submodule.fetchjobs")) {
 		max_children = parse_submodule_fetchjobs(var, value);
 		return 0;
+	} else if (!strcmp(var, "fetch.recursesubmodules")) {
+		recurse_submodules = parse_fetch_recurse_submodules_arg(var, value);
+		return 0;
 	}
 
 	return 0;
@@ -1355,7 +1361,6 @@ int cmd_fetch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		deepen = 1;
 
 	if (recurse_submodules != RECURSE_SUBMODULES_OFF) {
-		set_config_fetch_recurse_submodules(recurse_submodules_default);
 		gitmodules_config();
 		git_config(submodule_config, NULL);
 	}
@@ -1399,6 +1404,7 @@ int cmd_fetch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
 		result = fetch_populated_submodules(&options,
 						    submodule_prefix,
 						    recurse_submodules,
+						    recurse_submodules_default,
 						    verbosity < 0,
 						    max_children);
 		argv_array_clear(&options);
diff --git a/submodule.c b/submodule.c
index aa4fb1eaa2..1d9d2ce094 100644
--- a/submodule.c
+++ b/submodule.c
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 #include "worktree.h"
 #include "parse-options.h"
 
-static int config_fetch_recurse_submodules = RECURSE_SUBMODULES_ON_DEMAND;
 static int config_update_recurse_submodules = RECURSE_SUBMODULES_OFF;
 static struct string_list changed_submodule_paths = STRING_LIST_INIT_DUP;
 static int initialized_fetch_ref_tips;
@@ -160,10 +159,6 @@ static int git_modules_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *cb)
 {
 	if (starts_with(var, "submodule."))
 		return parse_submodule_config_option(var, value);
-	else if (!strcmp(var, "fetch.recursesubmodules")) {
-		config_fetch_recurse_submodules = parse_fetch_recurse_submodules_arg(var, value);
-		return 0;
-	}
 	return 0;
 }
 
@@ -714,11 +709,6 @@ done:
 		clear_commit_marks(right, ~0);
 }
 
-void set_config_fetch_recurse_submodules(int value)
-{
-	config_fetch_recurse_submodules = value;
-}
-
 int should_update_submodules(void)
 {
 	return config_update_recurse_submodules == RECURSE_SUBMODULES_ON;
@@ -1164,10 +1154,11 @@ struct submodule_parallel_fetch {
 	const char *work_tree;
 	const char *prefix;
 	int command_line_option;
+	int default_option;
 	int quiet;
 	int result;
 };
-#define SPF_INIT {0, ARGV_ARRAY_INIT, NULL, NULL, 0, 0, 0}
+#define SPF_INIT {0, ARGV_ARRAY_INIT, NULL, NULL, 0, 0, 0, 0}
 
 static int get_next_submodule(struct child_process *cp,
 			      struct strbuf *err, void *data, void **task_cb)
@@ -1205,10 +1196,10 @@ static int get_next_submodule(struct child_process *cp,
 					default_argv = "on-demand";
 				}
 			} else {
-				if ((config_fetch_recurse_submodules == RECURSE_SUBMODULES_OFF) ||
+				if ((spf->default_option == RECURSE_SUBMODULES_OFF) ||
 				    gitmodules_is_unmerged)
 					continue;
-				if (config_fetch_recurse_submodules == RECURSE_SUBMODULES_ON_DEMAND) {
+				if (spf->default_option == RECURSE_SUBMODULES_ON_DEMAND) {
 					if (!unsorted_string_list_lookup(&changed_submodule_paths, ce->name))
 						continue;
 					default_argv = "on-demand";
@@ -1275,6 +1266,7 @@ static int fetch_finish(int retvalue, struct strbuf *err,
 
 int fetch_populated_submodules(const struct argv_array *options,
 			       const char *prefix, int command_line_option,
+			       int default_option,
 			       int quiet, int max_parallel_jobs)
 {
 	int i;
@@ -1282,6 +1274,7 @@ int fetch_populated_submodules(const struct argv_array *options,
 
 	spf.work_tree = get_git_work_tree();
 	spf.command_line_option = command_line_option;
+	spf.default_option = default_option;
 	spf.quiet = quiet;
 	spf.prefix = prefix;
 
diff --git a/submodule.h b/submodule.h
index c8164a3b29..29a1ecd19a 100644
--- a/submodule.h
+++ b/submodule.h
@@ -76,7 +76,6 @@ extern void show_submodule_inline_diff(FILE *f, const char *path,
 		unsigned dirty_submodule, const char *meta,
 		const char *del, const char *add, const char *reset,
 		const struct diff_options *opt);
-extern void set_config_fetch_recurse_submodules(int value);
 /* Check if we want to update any submodule.*/
 extern int should_update_submodules(void);
 /*
@@ -87,6 +86,7 @@ extern const struct submodule *submodule_from_ce(const struct cache_entry *ce);
 extern void check_for_new_submodule_commits(struct object_id *oid);
 extern int fetch_populated_submodules(const struct argv_array *options,
 			       const char *prefix, int command_line_option,
+			       int default_option,
 			       int quiet, int max_parallel_jobs);
 extern unsigned is_submodule_modified(const char *path, int ignore_untracked);
 extern int submodule_uses_gitfile(const char *path);