diff --git a/extensions/git/src/model.ts b/extensions/git/src/model.ts
index 3ceb2dc3fc9..65036c93a7b 100644
--- a/extensions/git/src/model.ts
+++ b/extensions/git/src/model.ts
@@ -235,10 +235,9 @@ export class Model {
 			if (repository.submodules.length > submodulesLimit) {
 				window.showWarningMessage(localize('too many submodules', "The '{0}' repository has {1} submodules which won't be opened automatically. You can still open each one individually by opening a file within.", path.basename(repository.root), repository.submodules.length));
 				statusListener.dispose();
-				return;
 			}
 
-			this.scanSubmodules(repository);
+			this.scanSubmodules(repository, submodulesLimit);
 		};
 
 		const statusListener = repository.onDidRunGitStatus(checkForSubmodules);
@@ -260,7 +259,7 @@ export class Model {
 		this._onDidOpenRepository.fire(repository);
 	}
 
-	private scanSubmodules(repository: Repository): void {
+	private scanSubmodules(repository: Repository, limit: number): void {
 		const shouldScanSubmodules = workspace
 			.getConfiguration('git', Uri.file(repository.root))
 			.get<boolean>('detectSubmodules') === true;
@@ -270,6 +269,7 @@ export class Model {
 		}
 
 		repository.submodules
+			.slice(0, limit)
 			.map(r => path.join(repository.root, r.path))
 			.forEach(p => this.eventuallyScanPossibleGitRepository(p));
 	}