branch=
 reference=
 cached=
+recursive=
+init=
 files=
 nofetch=
 update=
                shift
        done
 
+       toplevel=$(pwd)
+
        module_list |
        while read mode sha1 stage path
        do
                test $# = 0 || shift
        elif test -z "$1" -o "$1" = "HEAD"
        then
-               return
+               # before the first commit: compare with an empty tree
+               head=$(git hash-object -w -t tree --stdin </dev/null)
+               test -z "$1" || shift
        else
                head="HEAD"
        fi
 
        cd_to_toplevel
        # Get modified modules cared by user
-       modules=$(git $diff_cmd $cached --raw $head -- "$@" |
+       modules=$(git $diff_cmd $cached --ignore-submodules=dirty --raw $head -- "$@" |
                sane_egrep '^:([0-7]* )?160000' |
                while read mod_src mod_dst sha1_src sha1_dst status name
                do
 
        test -z "$modules" && return
 
-       git $diff_cmd $cached --raw $head -- $modules |
+       git $diff_cmd $cached --ignore-submodules=dirty --raw $head -- $modules |
        sane_egrep '^:([0-7]* )?160000' |
        cut -c2- |
        while read mod_src mod_dst sha1_src sha1_dst status name
                                range=$sha1_dst
                        fi
                        GIT_DIR="$name/.git" \
-                       git log --pretty=oneline --first-parent $range | wc -l
+                       git rev-list --first-parent $range -- | wc -l
                        )
                        total_commits=" ($(($total_commits + 0)))"
                        ;;
                        continue;
                fi
                set_name_rev "$path" "$sha1"
-               if git diff-files --quiet -- "$path"
+               if git diff-files --ignore-submodules=dirty --quiet -- "$path"
                then
                        say " $sha1 $displaypath$revname"
                else