@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ def _config_parser(cls, repo, parent_commit, read_only):
         if not repo.bare and parent_matches_head:
             fp_module = cls.k_modules_file
             fp_module_path = os.path.join(repo.working_tree_dir, fp_module)
-            if not os.path.isfile(fp_module_path):
+            if read_only and not os.path.isfile(fp_module_path):
                 raise IOError("%s file was not accessible" % fp_module_path)
             # END handle existance
             fp_module = fp_module_path
 
@@ -582,3 +582,10 @@ def test_root_module(self, rwrepo):
 
         # gitdb: has either 1 or 2 submodules depending on the version
         assert len(nsm.children()) >= 1 and nsmc.module_exists()
+
+    @with_rw_repo(k_no_subm_tag, bare=False)
+    def test_first_submodule(self, rwrepo):
+        assert len(list(rwrepo.iter_submodules())) == 0
+        sm = rwrepo.create_submodule('first', 'submodules/first', rwrepo.git_dir, no_checkout=True)
+        assert sm.exists() and sm.module_exists()
+        rwrepo.index.commit("Added submodule")