diff --git a/lib/submodule.js b/lib/submodule.js
index 534fb2c9c..92b0e6ec0 100644
--- a/lib/submodule.js
+++ b/lib/submodule.js
@@ -23,17 +23,28 @@ Submodule.foreach = function(repo, callback) {
  * @return {Number} 0 on success, any non-zero return value from a callback
  */
 Submodule.prototype.update = function(init, options) {
-  var fetchOpts = normalizeFetchOptions(options && options.fetchOpts);
+  var fetchOpts;
+  var checkoutOpts;
 
   if (options) {
     options = shallowClone(options);
+    fetchOpts = options.fetchOpts;
+    checkoutOpts = options.checkoutOpts;
     delete options.fetchOpts;
+    delete options.checkoutOpts;
   }
-
+  
   options = normalizeOptions(options, NodeGit.SubmoduleUpdateOptions);
 
-  if (options) {
-    options.fetchOpts = fetchOpts;
+  if (fetchOpts) {
+    options.fetchOpts = normalizeFetchOptions(fetchOpts);
+  }
+
+  if (checkoutOpts) {
+    options.checkoutOpts = normalizeOptions(
+      checkoutOpts,
+      NodeGit.CheckoutOptions
+    );
   }
 
   return _update.call(this, init, options);