diff --git a/submodule-config.c b/submodule-config.c
index debab294d4..93dd36424c 100644
--- a/submodule-config.c
+++ b/submodule-config.c
@@ -362,9 +362,9 @@ static int parse_config(const char *var, const char *value, void *data)
 }
 
 static int gitmodule_sha1_from_commit(const unsigned char *commit_sha1,
-				      unsigned char *gitmodules_sha1)
+				      unsigned char *gitmodules_sha1,
+				      struct strbuf *rev)
 {
-	struct strbuf rev = STRBUF_INIT;
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	if (is_null_sha1(commit_sha1)) {
@@ -372,11 +372,10 @@ static int gitmodule_sha1_from_commit(const unsigned char *commit_sha1,
 		return 1;
 	}
 
-	strbuf_addf(&rev, "%s:.gitmodules", sha1_to_hex(commit_sha1));
-	if (get_sha1(rev.buf, gitmodules_sha1) >= 0)
+	strbuf_addf(rev, "%s:.gitmodules", sha1_to_hex(commit_sha1));
+	if (get_sha1(rev->buf, gitmodules_sha1) >= 0)
 		ret = 1;
 
-	strbuf_release(&rev);
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -390,7 +389,7 @@ static const struct submodule *config_from(struct submodule_cache *cache,
 {
 	struct strbuf rev = STRBUF_INIT;
 	unsigned long config_size;
-	char *config;
+	char *config = NULL;
 	unsigned char sha1[20];
 	enum object_type type;
 	const struct submodule *submodule = NULL;
@@ -411,8 +410,8 @@ static const struct submodule *config_from(struct submodule_cache *cache,
 		return entry->config;
 	}
 
-	if (!gitmodule_sha1_from_commit(commit_sha1, sha1))
-		return NULL;
+	if (!gitmodule_sha1_from_commit(commit_sha1, sha1, &rev))
+		goto out;
 
 	switch (lookup_type) {
 	case lookup_name:
@@ -423,16 +422,11 @@ static const struct submodule *config_from(struct submodule_cache *cache,
 		break;
 	}
 	if (submodule)
-		return submodule;
+		goto out;
 
 	config = read_sha1_file(sha1, &type, &config_size);
-	if (!config)
-		return NULL;
-
-	if (type != OBJ_BLOB) {
-		free(config);
-		return NULL;
-	}
+	if (!config || type != OBJ_BLOB)
+		goto out;
 
 	/* fill the submodule config into the cache */
 	parameter.cache = cache;
@@ -441,6 +435,7 @@ static const struct submodule *config_from(struct submodule_cache *cache,
 	parameter.overwrite = 0;
 	git_config_from_mem(parse_config, "submodule-blob", rev.buf,
 			config, config_size, &parameter);
+	strbuf_release(&rev);
 	free(config);
 
 	switch (lookup_type) {
@@ -451,6 +446,11 @@ static const struct submodule *config_from(struct submodule_cache *cache,
 	default:
 		return NULL;
 	}
+
+out:
+	strbuf_release(&rev);
+	free(config);
+	return submodule;
 }
 
 static const struct submodule *config_from_path(struct submodule_cache *cache,
diff --git a/t/helper/test-submodule-config.c b/t/helper/test-submodule-config.c
index dab8c27768..a4e4098a0f 100644
--- a/t/helper/test-submodule-config.c
+++ b/t/helper/test-submodule-config.c
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	arg++;
 	my_argc--;
-	while (starts_with(arg[0], "--")) {
+	while (arg[0] && starts_with(arg[0], "--")) {
 		if (!strcmp(arg[0], "--url"))
 			output_url = 1;
 		if (!strcmp(arg[0], "--name"))
diff --git a/t/t7411-submodule-config.sh b/t/t7411-submodule-config.sh
index fc97c3314e..400e2b1439 100755
--- a/t/t7411-submodule-config.sh
+++ b/t/t7411-submodule-config.sh
@@ -82,6 +82,17 @@ test_expect_success 'error in one submodule config lets continue' '
 	)
 '
 
+test_expect_success 'error message contains blob reference' '
+	(cd super &&
+		sha1=$(git rev-parse HEAD) &&
+		test-submodule-config \
+			HEAD b \
+			HEAD submodule \
+				2>actual_err &&
+		grep "submodule-blob $sha1:.gitmodules" actual_err >/dev/null
+	)
+'
+
 cat >super/expect_url <<EOF
 Submodule url: 'git@somewhere.else.net:a.git' for path 'b'
 Submodule url: 'git@somewhere.else.net:submodule.git' for path 'submodule'