diff --git a/Documentation/git.txt b/Documentation/git.txt
index 7913fc2513234d..2188ae60566849 100644
--- a/Documentation/git.txt
+++ b/Documentation/git.txt
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ SYNOPSIS
     [--exec-path[=<path>]] [--html-path] [--man-path] [--info-path]
     [-p|--paginate|--no-pager] [--no-replace-objects] [--bare]
     [--git-dir=<path>] [--work-tree=<path>] [--namespace=<name>]
+    [--super-prefix=<path>]
     <command> [<args>]
 
 DESCRIPTION
@@ -601,6 +602,11 @@ foo.bar= ...`) sets `foo.bar` to the empty string.
 	details.  Equivalent to setting the `GIT_NAMESPACE` environment
 	variable.
 
+--super-prefix=<path>::
+	Currently for internal use only.  Set a prefix which gives a path from
+	above a repository down to its root.  One use is to give submodules
+	context about the superproject that invoked it.
+
 --bare::
 	Treat the repository as a bare repository.  If GIT_DIR
 	environment is not set, it is set to the current working
diff --git a/cache.h b/cache.h
index 35563266bf54c4..8cf495db75914f 100644
--- a/cache.h
+++ b/cache.h
@@ -408,6 +408,7 @@ static inline enum object_type object_type(unsigned int mode)
 #define GIT_NAMESPACE_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_NAMESPACE"
 #define GIT_WORK_TREE_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_WORK_TREE"
 #define GIT_PREFIX_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_PREFIX"
+#define GIT_SUPER_PREFIX_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_INTERNAL_SUPER_PREFIX"
 #define DEFAULT_GIT_DIR_ENVIRONMENT ".git"
 #define DB_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY"
 #define INDEX_ENVIRONMENT "GIT_INDEX_FILE"
@@ -468,6 +469,7 @@ extern int get_common_dir_noenv(struct strbuf *sb, const char *gitdir);
 extern int get_common_dir(struct strbuf *sb, const char *gitdir);
 extern const char *get_git_namespace(void);
 extern const char *strip_namespace(const char *namespaced_ref);
+extern const char *get_super_prefix(void);
 extern const char *get_git_work_tree(void);
 
 /*
diff --git a/environment.c b/environment.c
index ca72464a985021..d12d7db20a5552 100644
--- a/environment.c
+++ b/environment.c
@@ -100,6 +100,8 @@ static char *work_tree;
 static const char *namespace;
 static size_t namespace_len;
 
+static const char *super_prefix;
+
 static const char *git_dir, *git_common_dir;
 static char *git_object_dir, *git_index_file, *git_graft_file;
 int git_db_env, git_index_env, git_graft_env, git_common_dir_env;
@@ -120,6 +122,7 @@ const char * const local_repo_env[] = {
 	NO_REPLACE_OBJECTS_ENVIRONMENT,
 	GIT_REPLACE_REF_BASE_ENVIRONMENT,
 	GIT_PREFIX_ENVIRONMENT,
+	GIT_SUPER_PREFIX_ENVIRONMENT,
 	GIT_SHALLOW_FILE_ENVIRONMENT,
 	GIT_COMMON_DIR_ENVIRONMENT,
 	NULL
@@ -222,6 +225,16 @@ const char *strip_namespace(const char *namespaced_ref)
 	return namespaced_ref + namespace_len;
 }
 
+const char *get_super_prefix(void)
+{
+	static int initialized;
+	if (!initialized) {
+		super_prefix = getenv(GIT_SUPER_PREFIX_ENVIRONMENT);
+		initialized = 1;
+	}
+	return super_prefix;
+}
+
 static int git_work_tree_initialized;
 
 /*
diff --git a/git.c b/git.c
index 1c611517585318..469a83f2b42ce7 100644
--- a/git.c
+++ b/git.c
@@ -164,6 +164,20 @@ static int handle_options(const char ***argv, int *argc, int *envchanged)
 			setenv(GIT_WORK_TREE_ENVIRONMENT, cmd, 1);
 			if (envchanged)
 				*envchanged = 1;
+		} else if (!strcmp(cmd, "--super-prefix")) {
+			if (*argc < 2) {
+				fprintf(stderr, "No prefix given for --super-prefix.\n" );
+				usage(git_usage_string);
+			}
+			setenv(GIT_SUPER_PREFIX_ENVIRONMENT, (*argv)[1], 1);
+			if (envchanged)
+				*envchanged = 1;
+			(*argv)++;
+			(*argc)--;
+		} else if (skip_prefix(cmd, "--super-prefix=", &cmd)) {
+			setenv(GIT_SUPER_PREFIX_ENVIRONMENT, cmd, 1);
+			if (envchanged)
+				*envchanged = 1;
 		} else if (!strcmp(cmd, "--bare")) {
 			char *cwd = xgetcwd();
 			is_bare_repository_cfg = 1;
@@ -310,6 +324,7 @@ static int handle_alias(int *argcp, const char ***argv)
  * RUN_SETUP for reading from the configuration file.
  */
 #define NEED_WORK_TREE		(1<<3)
+#define SUPPORT_SUPER_PREFIX	(1<<4)
 
 struct cmd_struct {
 	const char *cmd;
@@ -344,6 +359,13 @@ static int run_builtin(struct cmd_struct *p, int argc, const char **argv)
 	}
 	commit_pager_choice();
 
+	if (!help && get_super_prefix()) {
+		if (!(p->option & SUPPORT_SUPER_PREFIX))
+			die("%s doesn't support --super-prefix", p->cmd);
+		if (prefix)
+			die("can't use --super-prefix from a subdirectory");
+	}
+
 	if (!help && p->option & NEED_WORK_TREE)
 		setup_work_tree();
 
@@ -558,6 +580,9 @@ static void execv_dashed_external(const char **argv)
 	const char *tmp;
 	int status;
 
+	if (get_super_prefix())
+		die("%s doesn't support --super-prefix", argv[0]);
+
 	if (use_pager == -1)
 		use_pager = check_pager_config(argv[0]);
 	commit_pager_choice();