diff --git a/git-submodule.sh b/git-submodule.sh
index 4d2bb37215..4fd8982894 100755
--- a/git-submodule.sh
+++ b/git-submodule.sh
@@ -374,41 +374,35 @@ cmd_init()
 cmd_update()
 {
 	# parse $args after "submodule ... update".
-	orig_args=$(git rev-parse --sq-quote "$@")
+	orig_flags=
 	while test $# -ne 0
 	do
 		case "$1" in
 		-q|--quiet)
-			shift
 			GIT_QUIET=1
 			;;
 		-i|--init)
 			init=1
-			shift
 			;;
 		-N|--no-fetch)
-			shift
 			nofetch=1
 			;;
 		-r|--rebase)
-			shift
 			update="rebase"
 			;;
 		--reference)
 			case "$2" in '') usage ;; esac
 			reference="--reference=$2"
-			shift 2
+			orig_flags="$orig_flags $(git rev-parse --sq-quote "$1")"
+			shift
 			;;
 		--reference=*)
 			reference="$1"
-			shift
 			;;
 		-m|--merge)
-			shift
 			update="merge"
 			;;
 		--recursive)
-			shift
 			recursive=1
 			;;
 		--)
@@ -422,6 +416,8 @@ cmd_update()
 			break
 			;;
 		esac
+		orig_flags="$orig_flags $(git rev-parse --sq-quote "$1")"
+		shift
 	done
 
 	if test -n "$init"
@@ -500,7 +496,7 @@ cmd_update()
 
 		if test -n "$recursive"
 		then
-			(clear_local_git_env; cd "$path" && eval cmd_update "$orig_args") ||
+			(clear_local_git_env; cd "$path" && eval cmd_update "$orig_flags") ||
 			die "Failed to recurse into submodule path '$path'"
 		fi
 	done
@@ -733,7 +729,7 @@ cmd_summary() {
 cmd_status()
 {
 	# parse $args after "submodule ... status".
-	orig_args=$(git rev-parse --sq-quote "$@")
+	orig_flags=
 	while test $# -ne 0
 	do
 		case "$1" in
@@ -757,6 +753,7 @@ cmd_status()
 			break
 			;;
 		esac
+		orig_flags="$orig_flags $(git rev-parse --sq-quote "$1")"
 		shift
 	done
 
diff --git a/t/t7407-submodule-foreach.sh b/t/t7407-submodule-foreach.sh
index 15d420fca6..d8ad25036f 100755
--- a/t/t7407-submodule-foreach.sh
+++ b/t/t7407-submodule-foreach.sh
@@ -226,6 +226,21 @@ test_expect_success 'test "status --recursive"' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+sed -e "/nested1 /s/.*/+$nested1sha1 nested1 (file2~1)/;/sub[1-3]/d" < expect > expect2
+mv -f expect2 expect
+
+test_expect_success 'ensure "status --cached --recursive" preserves the --cached flag' '
+	(
+		cd clone3 &&
+		(
+			cd nested1 &&
+			test_commit file2
+		) &&
+		git submodule status --cached --recursive -- nested1 > ../actual
+	) &&
+	test_cmp expect actual
+'
+
 test_expect_success 'use "git clone --recursive" to checkout all submodules' '
 	git clone --recursive super clone4 &&
 	test -d clone4/.git &&
@@ -254,4 +269,23 @@ test_expect_success 'test "update --recursive" with a flag with spaces' '
 	)
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'use "update --recursive nested1" to checkout all submodules rooted in nested1' '
+	git clone super clone6 &&
+	(
+		cd clone6 &&
+		test ! -d sub1/.git &&
+		test ! -d sub2/.git &&
+		test ! -d sub3/.git &&
+		test ! -d nested1/.git &&
+		git submodule update --init --recursive -- nested1 &&
+		test ! -d sub1/.git &&
+		test ! -d sub2/.git &&
+		test ! -d sub3/.git &&
+		test -d nested1/.git &&
+		test -d nested1/nested2/.git &&
+		test -d nested1/nested2/nested3/.git &&
+		test -d nested1/nested2/nested3/submodule/.git
+	)
+'
+
 test_done