diff --git a/autosubmit/config/config_common.py b/autosubmit/config/config_common.py
index f1aa6f83f9e47dfca9b3dd9ef0d20fd87d83358b..4e19c9076b7c6c97a14813073f71a2bea9e140e4 100644
--- a/autosubmit/config/config_common.py
+++ b/autosubmit/config/config_common.py
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ class AutosubmitConfig(object):
             if project_type == 'git':
                 result = result and parser.check_exists('git', 'PROJECT_ORIGIN')
                 result = result and parser.check_exists('git', 'PROJECT_BRANCH')
-                #result = result and parser.check_is_boolean('git', 'RECURSIVE')
+
             elif project_type == 'svn':
                 result = result and parser.check_exists('svn', 'PROJECT_URL')
                 result = result and parser.check_exists('svn', 'PROJECT_REVISION')
@@ -611,14 +611,16 @@ class AutosubmitConfig(object):
         :rtype: str
         """
         return self._exp_parser.get_option('git', 'PROJECT_COMMIT', None)
-    #def get_git_recursive(self):
-        #"""
-        #Returns git recursive boolean from experiment's config file
-
-        #:return: git commit
-        #:rtype: str
-        #"""
-        #return self._exp_parser.get_option('git', 'RECURSIVE', True)
+    def get_submodules_list(self):
+        """
+        Returns submodules list from experiment's config file
+        Default is --recursive
+        :return: submodules to load
+        :rtype: list
+        """
+        return ' '.join(self._exp_parser.get_option('git', 'PROJECT_SUBMODULES','').split()).split()
+
+
     def get_project_destination(self):
         """
         Returns git commit from experiment's config file
diff --git a/autosubmit/config/files/expdef.conf b/autosubmit/config/files/expdef.conf
index cb66124914e6e25348d0d0cabf753228f57040af..96e2b6fd32c5c2e5153fba6c82367f2677f7210f 100644
--- a/autosubmit/config/files/expdef.conf
+++ b/autosubmit/config/files/expdef.conf
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ PROJECT_ORIGIN =
 PROJECT_BRANCH =
 # type = STRING, default = leave empty, help = if model branch is a TAG leave empty
 PROJECT_COMMIT =
-
+# type = STRING, default = leave empty and will load all submodules, help = loadThisSubmodule alsoloadthis anotherLoad ...
+PROJECT_SUBMODULES =
 # If PROJECT_TYPE is not svn, no need to change
 [svn]
 # type = STRING, help = 'https://svn.ec-earth.org/ecearth3'
diff --git a/autosubmit/git/autosubmit_git.py b/autosubmit/git/autosubmit_git.py
index 23a2b719230e90232af84dbfda9a7d693b9b976b..da234f06c14d1e154b610cc930a601a11971f433 100644
--- a/autosubmit/git/autosubmit_git.py
+++ b/autosubmit/git/autosubmit_git.py
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ class AutosubmitGit:
         git_project_origin = as_conf.get_git_project_origin()
         git_project_branch = as_conf.get_git_project_branch()
         git_project_commit = as_conf.get_git_project_commit()
-
+        git_project_submodules = as_conf.get_submodules_list()
         project_destination = as_conf.get_project_destination()
         project_path = os.path.join(BasicConfig.LOCAL_ROOT_DIR, as_conf.expid, BasicConfig.LOCAL_PROJ_DIR)
         git_path = as_conf.get_project_dir()
@@ -147,9 +147,18 @@ class AutosubmitGit:
         if git_project_commit:
             Log.info("Fetching {0} into {1}", git_project_commit + " " + git_project_origin, project_path)
             try:
-                command = "cd {0}; git clone {1} {4}; cd {2}; git checkout {3}; " \
-                          "git submodule update --init ".format(project_path, git_project_origin, git_path,
-                                                                           git_project_commit, project_destination)
+
+                command = "cd {0}; git clone {1} {4}; cd {2}; git checkout {3};".format(project_path,
+                                                                                        git_project_origin, git_path,
+                                                                                        git_project_commit,
+                                                                                        project_destination)
+                if git_project_submodules.__len__() <= 0:
+                    command += " git submodule update --init --recursive"
+                else:
+
+                    command += " cd {0}; git submodule init;".format(project_destination)
+                    for submodule in git_project_submodules:
+                        command += " git submodule update {0};".format(submodule)
                 output = subprocess.check_output(command, shell=True)
             except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
                 Log.error("Can not checkout commit {0}: {1}", git_project_commit, output)
@@ -159,8 +168,17 @@ class AutosubmitGit:
         else:
             Log.info("Cloning {0} into {1}", git_project_branch + " " + git_project_origin, project_path)
             try:
-                command = "cd {0}; git clone  -b {1} {2} {3}".format(project_path, git_project_branch,
-                                                                            git_project_origin, project_destination)
+                command = "cd {0}; ".format(project_path)
+                if git_project_submodules.__len__() <= 0:
+                    command += " git clone --recursive -b {0} {1} {2}".format(git_project_branch, git_project_origin,
+                                                                              project_destination)
+                else:
+                    command += " git clone -b {0} {1} {2};".format(git_project_branch, git_project_origin,
+                                                                   project_destination)
+                    command += " cd {0}; git submodule init;".format(project_destination)
+                    for submodule in git_project_submodules:
+                        command += " git submodule update {0};".format(submodule)
+
                 output = subprocess.check_output(command, shell=True)
                 Log.debug('{0}:{1}', command, output)
             except subprocess.CalledProcessError: