diff --git a/cmake/git_utils.cmake b/cmake/git_utils.cmake
index 82d707194..ea091eb6e 100644
--- a/cmake/git_utils.cmake
+++ b/cmake/git_utils.cmake
@@ -36,10 +36,7 @@ function(add_git_dir_dependency GIT_DOT_FILE SUCCESS_VAR)
       if (NOT EXISTS "${GIT_COMMON_DIR_FILE}")
         get_filename_component(GIT_WORKTREE_PARENT "${GIT_WORKTREE_DIR}" DIRECTORY)
         get_filename_component(GIT_WORKTREE_PARENT "${GIT_WORKTREE_PARENT}" NAME)
-        if(NOT EXISTS ${SUBMODULE_DIR_NAME})
-          set(SUBMODULE_DIR_NAME modules)
-        endif()
-        if ("${GIT_WORKTREE_PARENT}" STREQUAL "${SUBMODULE_DIR_NAME}")
+        if (EXISTS "${Z3_SOURCE_DIR}/${GIT_HEAD_FILE}" AND EXISTS "${Z3_SOURCE_DIR}/${GIT_WORKTREE_DIR}")
           # Z3 is a git submodule
           set(GIT_HEAD_FILE "${Z3_SOURCE_DIR}/${GIT_HEAD_FILE}")
           set(GIT_DIR "${Z3_SOURCE_DIR}/${GIT_WORKTREE_DIR}")