diff --git a/src/node/worktree/WorktreeManager.test.ts b/src/node/worktree/WorktreeManager.test.ts
index 9cec5dda1f..597e3925c0 100644
--- a/src/node/worktree/WorktreeManager.test.ts
+++ b/src/node/worktree/WorktreeManager.test.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,15 @@ function initGitRepo(projectPath: string): void {
   execSync('git commit -m "init"', { cwd: projectPath, stdio: "ignore" });
 }
 
+function initGitRepoWithSubmodule(projectPath: string, submoduleSourcePath: string): void {
+  initGitRepo(projectPath);
+  execSync(`git -c protocol.file.allow=always submodule add "${submoduleSourcePath}" deps/sub`, {
+    cwd: projectPath,
+    stdio: "ignore",
+  });
+  execSync('git commit -m "add submodule"', { cwd: projectPath, stdio: "ignore" });
+}
+
 function createNullInitLogger(): InitLogger {
   return {
     logStep: (_message: string) => undefined,
@@ -53,6 +62,62 @@ describe("WorktreeManager constructor", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("WorktreeManager.createWorkspace", () => {
+  it("initializes submodules in the created worktree", async () => {
+    const rootDir = await fsPromises.realpath(
+      await fsPromises.mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "worktree-manager-create-"))
+    );
+
+    try {
+      const submoduleSourcePath = path.join(rootDir, "submodule-source");
+      await fsPromises.mkdir(submoduleSourcePath, { recursive: true });
+      initGitRepo(submoduleSourcePath);
+
+      const projectPath = path.join(rootDir, "repo");
+      await fsPromises.mkdir(projectPath, { recursive: true });
+      initGitRepoWithSubmodule(projectPath, submoduleSourcePath);
+
+      const srcBaseDir = path.join(rootDir, "src");
+      await fsPromises.mkdir(srcBaseDir, { recursive: true });
+
+      const manager = new WorktreeManager(srcBaseDir);
+      const initLogger = createNullInitLogger();
+
+      // Test-only: allow local-path submodule transport for temp fixture repos.
+      const previousAllowProtocol = process.env.GIT_ALLOW_PROTOCOL;
+      process.env.GIT_ALLOW_PROTOCOL = "file";
+
+      try {
+        const createResult = await manager.createWorkspace({
+          projectPath,
+          branchName: "feature_with_submodule",
+          trunkBranch: "main",
+          initLogger,
+        });
+        expect(createResult.success).toBe(true);
+        if (!createResult.success || !createResult.workspacePath) return;
+
+        const submoduleStatus = execSync("git submodule status", {
+          cwd: createResult.workspacePath,
+          stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "ignore"],
+        })
+          .toString()
+          .trim();
+
+        expect(submoduleStatus.startsWith("-")).toBe(false);
+      } finally {
+        if (previousAllowProtocol === undefined) {
+          delete process.env.GIT_ALLOW_PROTOCOL;
+        } else {
+          process.env.GIT_ALLOW_PROTOCOL = previousAllowProtocol;
+        }
+      }
+    } finally {
+      await fsPromises.rm(rootDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  }, 20_000);
+});
+
 describe("WorktreeManager.deleteWorkspace", () => {
   it("deletes non-agent branches when removing worktrees (force)", async () => {
     const rootDir = await fsPromises.realpath(
diff --git a/src/node/worktree/WorktreeManager.ts b/src/node/worktree/WorktreeManager.ts
index bf0f8c8536..9f61582ee0 100644
--- a/src/node/worktree/WorktreeManager.ts
+++ b/src/node/worktree/WorktreeManager.ts
@@ -121,6 +121,10 @@ export class WorktreeManager {
         await this.fastForwardToOrigin(workspacePath, trunkBranch, initLogger, noHooksEnv);
       }
 
+      // Initialize/update submodules after any fast-forward because FF can
+      // update submodule gitlinks without checking out the new submodule commits.
+      await this.initializeSubmodules(workspacePath, initLogger, noHooksEnv);
+
       return { success: true, workspacePath };
     } catch (error) {
       return {
@@ -225,6 +229,32 @@ export class WorktreeManager {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Initialize submodules for newly created workspaces.
+   * Best-effort: workspace creation should still succeed when submodule auth or
+   * network setup is unavailable.
+   */
+  private async initializeSubmodules(
+    workspacePath: string,
+    initLogger: InitLogger,
+    noHooksEnv?: { env: Record<string, string> }
+  ): Promise<void> {
+    try {
+      initLogger.logStep("Initializing git submodules...");
+      using submoduleProc = execFileAsync(
+        "git",
+        ["-C", workspacePath, "submodule", "update", "--init", "--recursive"],
+        noHooksEnv
+      );
+      await submoduleProc.result;
+      initLogger.logStep("Git submodules initialized");
+    } catch (error) {
+      initLogger.logStderr(
+        `Note: Failed to initialize git submodules (${getErrorMessage(error)}), continuing`
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
   async renameWorkspace(
     projectPath: string,
     oldName: string,