diff --git a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/SubmoduleSubscriptionsWholeTopicMergeIT.java b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/SubmoduleSubscriptionsWholeTopicMergeIT.java
index 6941765..2ec3810 100644
--- a/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/SubmoduleSubscriptionsWholeTopicMergeIT.java
+++ b/gerrit-acceptance-tests/src/test/java/com/google/gerrit/acceptance/git/SubmoduleSubscriptionsWholeTopicMergeIT.java
@@ -308,6 +308,52 @@
     expectToHaveSubmoduleState(superRepo, "master", "sub2", sub2, "master");
     expectToHaveSubmoduleState(superRepo, "master", "sub3", sub3, "master");
 
+    String sub1HEAD =
+        sub1.git()
+            .fetch()
+            .setRemote("origin")
+            .call()
+            .getAdvertisedRef("refs/heads/master")
+            .getObjectId()
+            .name();
+
+    String sub2HEAD =
+        sub2.git()
+            .fetch()
+            .setRemote("origin")
+            .call()
+            .getAdvertisedRef("refs/heads/master")
+            .getObjectId()
+            .name();
+
+    String sub3HEAD =
+        sub3.git()
+            .fetch()
+            .setRemote("origin")
+            .call()
+            .getAdvertisedRef("refs/heads/master")
+            .getObjectId()
+            .name();
+
+    if (getSubmitType() == SubmitType.MERGE_IF_NECESSARY) {
+      expectToHaveCommitMessage(
+          superRepo,
+          "master",
+          "Update git submodules\n\n"
+              + "* Update "
+              + name("sub3")
+              + " from branch 'master'\n  to "
+              + sub3HEAD
+              + "\n\n* Update "
+              + name("sub2")
+              + " from branch 'master'\n  to "
+              + sub2HEAD
+              + "\n\n* Update "
+              + name("sub1")
+              + " from branch 'master'\n  to "
+              + sub1HEAD);
+    }
+
     superRepo
         .git()
         .fetch()
diff --git a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/SubmoduleOp.java b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/SubmoduleOp.java
index 8242daf..5fe19fc 100644
--- a/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/SubmoduleOp.java
+++ b/gerrit-server/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/server/git/SubmoduleOp.java
@@ -375,8 +375,13 @@
     PersonIdent author = null;
     DirCache dc = readTree(or.rw, currentCommit);
     DirCacheEditor ed = dc.editor();
+    int count = 0;
     for (SubmoduleSubscription s : targets.get(subscriber)) {
+      if (count > 0) {
+        msgbuf.append("\n\n");
+      }
       RevCommit newCommit = updateSubmodule(dc, ed, msgbuf, s);
+      count++;
       if (newCommit != null) {
         if (author == null) {
           author = newCommit.getAuthorIdent();