diff --git a/.github/hooks/pre-commit b/.github/hooks/pre-commit
index 3226992868..d0a3a9e7fd 100755
--- a/.github/hooks/pre-commit
+++ b/.github/hooks/pre-commit
@@ -25,20 +25,23 @@ MOD_SUBMODULES=$(git diff --cached --name-only --ignore-submodules=none | grep -
 
 echo -e "Checking submodules ${grey}(pre-commit hook)${no_color} "
 
-# If no modified submodules, exit with status code 0, else prompt the
-# user and exit accordingly
+# If no modified submodules, exit with status code 0, else remove them and continue
 if [[ -n "$MOD_SUBMODULES" ]]; then
-    echo "Submodules to be committed:"
-    echo "  (use \"git reset HEAD <file>...\" to unstage)"
-    echo
-
+    echo -e "${grey}Removing submodules from commit...${no_color}"
     for SUB in $MOD_SUBMODULES
     do
-        echo -e "\t${green}modified:\t$SUB${no_color}"
+        git reset --quiet HEAD "$SUB"
+        echo -e "\t${grey}removed:\t$SUB${no_color}"
     done
     echo
-    echo -e "${red}Aborting commit due to submodule update. Please unstage the submodule(s) and commit again.${no_color}"
-    exit 1
+    echo -e "${grey}Submodules removed from commit, continuing...${no_color}"
+
+    # If there are no changes to commit after removing submodules, abort to avoid an empty commit
+    if output=$(git status --porcelain) && [ -z "$output" ]; then
+        echo -e "nothing to commit, working tree clean"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    exit 0
 else
     echo "No submodules in commit, continuing..."
     exit 0