diff --git a/‎git/objects/submodule/base.py‎
Lines changed: 14 additions & 1 deletion b/‎git/objects/submodule/base.py‎
Lines changed: 14 additions & 1 deletion
diff --git a/‎git/objects/submodule/root.py‎
Lines changed: 8 additions & 1 deletion b/‎git/objects/submodule/root.py‎
Lines changed: 8 additions & 1 deletion
@@ -729,6 +729,7 @@ def update(
         clone_multi_options: Union[Sequence[TBD], None] = None,
         allow_unsafe_options: bool = False,
         allow_unsafe_protocols: bool = False,
+        no_fetch: bool = False,
     ) -> "Submodule":
         """Update the repository of this submodule to point to the checkout we point at
         with the binsha of this instance.
@@ -791,6 +792,10 @@ def update(
         :param allow_unsafe_options:
             Allow unsafe options to be used, like ``--upload-pack``.
 
+        :param no_fetch:
+            If ``True``, submodule updating will be attempted without fetching
+            new changes from remotes.
+
         :note:
             Does nothing in bare repositories.
 
@@ -853,7 +858,8 @@ def fetch_remotes(module_repo: "Repo") -> None:
             #######################################
             try:
                 mrepo = self.module()
-                fetch_remotes(mrepo)
+                if not no_fetch:
+                    fetch_remotes(mrepo)
             except InvalidGitRepositoryError:
                 mrepo = None
                 if not init:
@@ -880,6 +886,10 @@ def fetch_remotes(module_repo: "Repo") -> None:
                             raise OSError(
                                 "Module directory at %r does already exist and is non-empty" % checkout_module_abspath
                             )
+                        elif no_fetch:
+                            raise ValueError(
+                                "Module directory at %r is empty but fetching is disabled" % checkout_module_abspath
+                            )
                         os.makedirs(checkout_module_abspath, exist_ok=True)
                         self._write_git_file_and_module_config(checkout_module_abspath, module_abspath)
                         mrepo = git.Repo(checkout_module_abspath)
@@ -909,6 +919,8 @@ def fetch_remotes(module_repo: "Repo") -> None:
                         + "Cloning url '%s' to '%s' in submodule %r" % (self.url, checkout_module_abspath, self.name),
                     )
                     if not dry_run:
+                        if no_fetch:
+                            raise ValueError("Missing module at %r but fetching is disabled" % self.path) from None
                         if self.url.startswith("."):
                             url = urllib.parse.urljoin(self.repo.remotes.origin.url + "/", self.url)
                         else:
@@ -1057,6 +1069,7 @@ def fetch_remotes(module_repo: "Repo") -> None:
                         dry_run=dry_run,
                         force=force,
                         keep_going=keep_going,
+                        no_fetch=no_fetch,
                     )
                 # END handle recursive update
             # END handle dry run
 
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ def update(  # type: ignore[override]
         dry_run: bool = False,
         force_reset: bool = False,
         keep_going: bool = False,
+        no_fetch: bool = False,
     ) -> "RootModule":
         """Update the submodules of this repository to the current HEAD commit.
 
@@ -146,6 +147,10 @@ def update(  # type: ignore[override]
             In conjunction with `dry_run`, this can be useful to anticipate all errors
             when updating submodules.
 
+        :param no_fetch:
+            If ``True``, submodule updating will be attempted without fetching
+            new changes from remotes.
+
         :return:
             self
         """
@@ -274,7 +279,8 @@ def update(  # type: ignore[override]
                             if not dry_run:
                                 assert nn not in [r.name for r in rmts]
                                 smr = smm.create_remote(nn, sm.url)
-                                smr.fetch(progress=progress)
+                                if not no_fetch:
+                                    smr.fetch(progress=progress)
 
                                 # If we have a tracking branch, it should be available
                                 # in the new remote as well.
@@ -433,6 +439,7 @@ def update(  # type: ignore[override]
                 dry_run=dry_run,
                 force=force_reset,
                 keep_going=keep_going,
+                no_fetch=no_fetch,
             )
 
             # Update recursively depth first - question is which inconsistent state will