diff --git a/test/black-box/git-scm-switch/run.sh b/test/black-box/git-scm-switch/run.sh
index 93357968..95561f18 100755
--- a/test/black-box/git-scm-switch/run.sh
+++ b/test/black-box/git-scm-switch/run.sh
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ git add test.txt
 git commit -m "initial commit"
 git tag -a -m "Tag0" tag0
 d1_c0=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
-git submodule add "$git_submod" submod
+git -c protocol.file.allow=always submodule add "$git_submod" submod
 git commit -m "first commit"
 git tag -a -m "First Tag" tag1
 git checkout -b foobar
diff --git a/test/unit/test_input_gitscm.py b/test/unit/test_input_gitscm.py
index 6fdc46a7..cbc9f474 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_input_gitscm.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_input_gitscm.py
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ def setUpClass(cls):
         with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
             cmds = "\n".join([
                 'git init .',
+                'git config --local protocol.file.allow always',
                 'git config user.email "bob@bob.bob"',
                 'git config user.name test',
                 'git checkout -b master',
@@ -537,7 +538,8 @@ def setUp(self):
             echo 1 > test.txt
             git add test.txt
             mkdir -p some/deep
-            git submodule add --name whatever ../subsub1 some/deep/path
+            git -c protocol.file.allow=always \
+                submodule add --name whatever ../subsub1 some/deep/path
             git commit -m "commit 1"
             echo 2 > test.txt
             git commit -a -m "commit 2"
@@ -551,7 +553,8 @@ def setUp(self):
             git config user.name test
             echo 1 > test.txt
             git add test.txt
-            git submodule add ../sub1
+            git -c protocol.file.allow=always \
+                submodule add ../sub1
             git commit -m "commit 1"
             git tag -a -m 'Tag 1' tag1
             cd ..
@@ -633,7 +636,7 @@ def addSub2(self):
             cd ..
 
             cd main
-            git submodule add ../sub2
+            git -c protocol.file.allow=always submodule add ../sub2
             git commit -m "commit 2"
             cd ..
         """
diff --git a/test/unit/test_input_gitscm_status.py b/test/unit/test_input_gitscm_status.py
index 2eaadfe0..b3ed65f3 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_input_gitscm_status.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_input_gitscm_status.py
@@ -188,7 +188,8 @@ def setUpClass(cls):
             echo sub > test.txt
             git add test.txt
             mkdir -p some/deep
-            git submodule add --name whatever ../subsub some/deep/path
+            git -c protocol.file.allow=always \
+                submodule add --name whatever ../subsub some/deep/path
             git commit -m import
             cd ..
 
@@ -211,8 +212,8 @@ def setUpClass(cls):
             git config user.name test
             echo main > test.txt
             git add test.txt
-            git submodule add ../sub
-            git submodule add ../sub2
+            git -c protocol.file.allow=always submodule add ../sub
+            git -c protocol.file.allow=always submodule add ../sub2
             git commit -m import
             cd ..
         """
@@ -393,7 +394,7 @@ def testUnexpectedSubmodule(self):
         self.invokeGit(scm)
 
         cmd = """\
-            git submodule update --init
+            git -c protocol.file.allow=always submodule update --init
         """
         subprocess.check_call([getBashPath(), "-c", cmd], cwd=self.workspace)
 
@@ -410,7 +411,7 @@ def testUnexpectedSubSubModule(self):
 
         cmd = """\
             cd sub
-            git submodule update --init
+            git -c protocol.file.allow=always submodule update --init
         """
         subprocess.check_call([getBashPath(), "-c", cmd], cwd=self.workspace)
 
@@ -468,7 +469,7 @@ def testSpecificUnexpectedSubmodule(self):
         self.invokeGit(scm)
 
         cmd = """\
-            git submodule update --init sub
+            git -c protocol.file.allow=always submodule update --init sub
         """
         subprocess.check_call([getBashPath(), "-c", cmd], cwd=self.workspace)