diff --git a/test/distrib/cpp/run_distrib_test.sh b/test/distrib/cpp/run_distrib_test.sh
index bc84b84b8f37ab90e9130eb811de4bc9c394a091..cd4158eb5d94e3f44f8782abf264267c6f862b40 100755
--- a/test/distrib/cpp/run_distrib_test.sh
+++ b/test/distrib/cpp/run_distrib_test.sh
@@ -30,9 +30,13 @@
 
 set -ex
 
-git clone --recursive $EXTERNAL_GIT_ROOT
+git clone $EXTERNAL_GIT_ROOT
 cd grpc
 
+# clone submodules
+git submodule | awk -v EXTERNAL_GIT_ROOT=$EXTERNAL_GIT_ROOT '{ system("git \
+submodule update --init --reference " EXTERNAL_GIT_ROOT$2 " " $2) }'
+
 cd third_party/protobuf && ./autogen.sh && \
 ./configure && make -j4 && make check && make install && ldconfig
 
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/grpc_check_generated_pb_files/check_pb_files.sh b/tools/dockerfile/grpc_check_generated_pb_files/check_pb_files.sh
index 62e41755ec1362c55a19b89514c83588bd97a580..fa9fd8fc72ef6af3c75b51a26975bb03dff862ae 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/grpc_check_generated_pb_files/check_pb_files.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/grpc_check_generated_pb_files/check_pb_files.sh
@@ -31,10 +31,14 @@
 set -e
 
 mkdir -p /var/local/git
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
 
 cd /var/local/git/grpc
 
+# clone gRPC submodules
+git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule update --init --reference \
+./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }'
+
 # build grpc cpp plugin for generating grpc pb files
 make grpc_cpp_plugin
 
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_csharp/build_interop.sh b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_csharp/build_interop.sh
index fd5436c44ff3fb96bfa9691d9b30e8c5b5ed270d..4ec41b9c30a948a8426738880dd98863b47d3a6c 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_csharp/build_interop.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_csharp/build_interop.sh
@@ -32,12 +32,16 @@
 set -e
 
 mkdir -p /var/local/git
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
 
 # copy service account keys if available
 cp -r /var/local/jenkins/service_account $HOME || true
 
 cd /var/local/git/grpc
 
+# clone gRPC submodules
+git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule update --init --reference \
+./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }'
+
 # build C# interop client & server
 tools/run_tests/run_tests.py -l csharp -c dbg --build_only
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_csharpcoreclr/build_interop.sh b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_csharpcoreclr/build_interop.sh
index 77cd65cce370ee565a9c9f3dbbcc877de33bbbaf..073c4625bc3d925e8dc4ea55d24003a96088cd2e 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_csharpcoreclr/build_interop.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_csharpcoreclr/build_interop.sh
@@ -32,12 +32,16 @@
 set -e
 
 mkdir -p /var/local/git
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
 
 # copy service account keys if available
 cp -r /var/local/jenkins/service_account $HOME || true
 
 cd /var/local/git/grpc
 
+# clone gRPC submodules
+git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule update --init --reference \
+./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }'
+
 # build C# interop client & server
 tools/run_tests/run_tests.py -l csharp -c dbg --compiler coreclr --build_only
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_cxx/build_interop.sh b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_cxx/build_interop.sh
index 1c0828d23a6ea6ced82f87b80fc91ce7c306bcde..5de62a41c0b9f4408341b034c15bbc6a6e1bdfd2 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_cxx/build_interop.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_cxx/build_interop.sh
@@ -32,13 +32,17 @@
 set -e
 
 mkdir -p /var/local/git
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
 
 # copy service account keys if available
 cp -r /var/local/jenkins/service_account $HOME || true
 
 cd /var/local/git/grpc
 
+# clone gRPC submodules
+git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule update --init --reference \
+./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }'
+
 make install-certs
 
 # build C++ interop client & server
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_http2/build_interop.sh b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_http2/build_interop.sh
index 46ddaf929a8f39731dce016cc814240556e4d206..64418bc63de2c2c5335d518a9ef1d913557d6c1b 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_http2/build_interop.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_http2/build_interop.sh
@@ -32,7 +32,11 @@
 set -e
 
 mkdir -p /var/local/git
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+
+# clone gRPC submodules
+(cd /var/local/git/grpc/ && exec git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule \
+update --init --reference ./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }')
 
 # copy service account keys if available
 cp -r /var/local/jenkins/service_account $HOME || true
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_node/build_interop.sh b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_node/build_interop.sh
index 976f55d9ab5f514ff1e97b6c3cd49d3cf645fcdd..85750ed91c2566d952e972f70c4832b43e64ef68 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_node/build_interop.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_node/build_interop.sh
@@ -32,13 +32,17 @@
 set -e
 
 mkdir -p /var/local/git
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
 
 # copy service account keys if available
 cp -r /var/local/jenkins/service_account $HOME || true
 
 cd /var/local/git/grpc
 
+# clone gRPC submodules
+git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule update --init --reference \
+./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }'
+
 # build Node interop client & server
 npm install -g node-gyp
 npm install --unsafe-perm --build-from-source
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_php/build_interop.sh b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_php/build_interop.sh
index a84a450221e0bcdf0db65e8087912850943a6513..ea149049338273a97ef9e04e07280b6d81699c38 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_php/build_interop.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_php/build_interop.sh
@@ -32,12 +32,17 @@
 set -ex
 
 mkdir -p /var/local/git
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
 
 # copy service account keys if available
 cp -r /var/local/jenkins/service_account $HOME || true
 
 cd /var/local/git/grpc
+
+# clone gRPC submodules
+git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule update --init --reference \
+./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }'
+
 rvm --default use ruby-2.1
 
 # gRPC core and protobuf need to be installed
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_php7/build_interop.sh b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_php7/build_interop.sh
index 261dded28216c3b54213d8b36a3e81f6d10f04f6..0e045631c2f438bb82671d15e78ea4b60da34e93 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_php7/build_interop.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_php7/build_interop.sh
@@ -32,12 +32,17 @@
 set -ex
 
 mkdir -p /var/local/git
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
 
 # copy service account keys if available
 cp -r /var/local/jenkins/service_account $HOME || true
 
 cd /var/local/git/grpc
+
+# clone gRPC submodules
+git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule update --init --reference \
+./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }'
+
 rvm --default use ruby-2.1
 
 # gRPC core and protobuf need to be installed
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_python/build_interop.sh b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_python/build_interop.sh
index f29c59da8e8d6e7e6e80efb7dfe31cdd0451855e..55d1b6f915a758c896aa203bba28d1809fe4987d 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_python/build_interop.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_python/build_interop.sh
@@ -32,11 +32,15 @@
 set -e
 
 mkdir -p /var/local/git
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
 
 # copy service account keys if available
 cp -r /var/local/jenkins/service_account $HOME || true
 
 cd /var/local/git/grpc
 
+# clone gRPC submodules
+git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule update --init --reference \
+./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }'
+
 tools/run_tests/run_tests.py -l python -c opt --build_only
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_ruby/build_interop.sh b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_ruby/build_interop.sh
index 97b3860f9813a5158aeb658e802a9a292cd6243e..0290de92099fa18dcfa1702ac3fd7db5cbe971f2 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_ruby/build_interop.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/interoptest/grpc_interop_ruby/build_interop.sh
@@ -32,12 +32,17 @@
 set -e
 
 mkdir -p /var/local/git
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
 
 # copy service account keys if available
 cp -r /var/local/jenkins/service_account $HOME || true
 
 cd /var/local/git/grpc
+
+# clone gRPC submodules
+git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule update --init --reference \
+./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }'
+
 rvm --default use ruby-2.1
 
 # build Ruby interop client and server
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_csharp/build_interop_stress.sh b/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_csharp/build_interop_stress.sh
index 1f4bf893cce2f297a8f00f0e5812b572c85513c1..a4d7feef95f460e40d6dcf4fb7eee76c3a5afbfc 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_csharp/build_interop_stress.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_csharp/build_interop_stress.sh
@@ -32,13 +32,17 @@
 set -e
 
 mkdir -p /var/local/git
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
 
 # Copy service account keys if available
 cp -r /var/local/jenkins/service_account $HOME || true
 
 cd /var/local/git/grpc
 
+# clone gRPC submodules
+git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule update --init --reference \
+./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }'
+
 # Build C++ metrics client (to query the metrics from csharp stress client)
 make metrics_client -j
 
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_cxx/build_interop_stress.sh b/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_cxx/build_interop_stress.sh
index b67b1a1664ab1561f601fe7b5b259ad97b1b6b84..d704f86496b98ba628e139a3f21e8b7e2d7e922e 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_cxx/build_interop_stress.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_cxx/build_interop_stress.sh
@@ -32,13 +32,17 @@
 set -e
 
 mkdir -p /var/local/git
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
 
 # copy service account keys if available
 cp -r /var/local/jenkins/service_account $HOME || true
 
 cd /var/local/git/grpc
 
+# clone gRPC submodules
+git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule update --init --reference \
+./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }'
+
 make install-certs
 
 BUILD_TYPE=${BUILD_TYPE:=opt}
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_go/build_interop_stress.sh b/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_go/build_interop_stress.sh
index 919d885c178d42cf86aae623ac4d568f1d35f803..2b3b69be6eec678c0b31d8899fe4bf503d750f6f 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_go/build_interop_stress.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_go/build_interop_stress.sh
@@ -38,7 +38,11 @@ git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc-go src/google.golang.org/grpc
 
 # Clone the 'grpc' repo. We just need this for the wrapper scripts under
 # grpc/tools/gcp/stress_tests
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+
+# clone gRPC submodules
+(cd /var/local/git/grpc/ && exec git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule \
+update --init --reference ./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }')
 
 # copy service account keys if available
 cp -r /var/local/jenkins/service_account $HOME || true
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_java/build_interop_stress.sh b/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_java/build_interop_stress.sh
index d4fdfbbac962e288f5391349d840fcd5394c3054..99d287b21bf7e17c505abf9eb3a93229871f5588 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_java/build_interop_stress.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_java/build_interop_stress.sh
@@ -36,7 +36,11 @@ mkdir -p /var/local/git
 git clone --recursive --depth 1 /var/local/jenkins/grpc-java /var/local/git/grpc-java
 
 # grpc repo (for metrics client and for the stress test wrapper scripts)
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+
+# clone gRPC submodules
+(cd /var/local/git/grpc/ && exec git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule \
+update --init --reference ./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }')
 
 # Copy service account keys if available
 cp -r /var/local/jenkins/service_account $HOME || true
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_node/build_interop_stress.sh b/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_node/build_interop_stress.sh
index 976f55d9ab5f514ff1e97b6c3cd49d3cf645fcdd..85750ed91c2566d952e972f70c4832b43e64ef68 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_node/build_interop_stress.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_node/build_interop_stress.sh
@@ -32,13 +32,17 @@
 set -e
 
 mkdir -p /var/local/git
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
 
 # copy service account keys if available
 cp -r /var/local/jenkins/service_account $HOME || true
 
 cd /var/local/git/grpc
 
+# clone gRPC submodules
+git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule update --init --reference \
+./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }'
+
 # build Node interop client & server
 npm install -g node-gyp
 npm install --unsafe-perm --build-from-source
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_php/build_interop_stress.sh b/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_php/build_interop_stress.sh
index 87262f1d62983d601f5c159cb504560175d6af69..997cda6a35a1c2fd9211523be695597778b20f62 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_php/build_interop_stress.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_php/build_interop_stress.sh
@@ -32,12 +32,17 @@
 set -ex
 
 mkdir -p /var/local/git
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
 
 # copy service account keys if available
 cp -r /var/local/jenkins/service_account $HOME || true
 
 cd /var/local/git/grpc
+
+# clone gRPC submodules
+git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule update --init --reference \
+./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }'
+
 rvm --default use ruby-2.1
 
 make install-certs
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_python/build_interop_stress.sh b/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_python/build_interop_stress.sh
index e65332f2f30f50c4898e15b268783eeebae2deef..e3ccd8e00d35769c51763290af65b98893e45bc0 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_python/build_interop_stress.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_python/build_interop_stress.sh
@@ -32,13 +32,17 @@
 set -e
 
 mkdir -p /var/local/git
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
 
 # copy service account keys if available
 cp -r /var/local/jenkins/service_account $HOME || true
 
 cd /var/local/git/grpc
 
+# clone gRPC submodules
+git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule update --init --reference \
+./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }'
+
 tools/run_tests/run_tests.py -l python -c opt --build_only
 
 # Build c++ interop client
diff --git a/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_ruby/build_interop_stress.sh b/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_ruby/build_interop_stress.sh
index 1b7567d87a61558125ef0199cc2738f78eda7426..be39fb484b25f438fa980d5fbdfc84e93e448c30 100755
--- a/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_ruby/build_interop_stress.sh
+++ b/tools/dockerfile/stress_test/grpc_interop_stress_ruby/build_interop_stress.sh
@@ -32,12 +32,17 @@
 set -e
 
 mkdir -p /var/local/git
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
 
 # Copy service account keys if available
 cp -r /var/local/jenkins/service_account $HOME || true
 
 cd /var/local/git/grpc
+
+# clone gRPC submodules
+git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule update --init --reference \
+./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }'
+
 rvm --default use ruby-2.1
 
 # Build Ruby interop client and server
diff --git a/tools/run_tests/dockerize/docker_run.sh b/tools/run_tests/dockerize/docker_run.sh
index f04b1cfb55be69e017ec4b200fa9d6daf9b03207..bb875e275e79ed43acbdac46ebe3f9312960a593 100755
--- a/tools/run_tests/dockerize/docker_run.sh
+++ b/tools/run_tests/dockerize/docker_run.sh
@@ -36,7 +36,11 @@ set -ex
 if [ "$RELATIVE_COPY_PATH" == "" ]
 then
   mkdir -p /var/local/git
-  git clone --recursive "$EXTERNAL_GIT_ROOT" /var/local/git/grpc
+  git clone "$EXTERNAL_GIT_ROOT" /var/local/git/grpc
+  # clone gRPC submodules
+  (cd var/local/git/grpc && exec git submodule | awk -v \
+  EXTERNAL_GIT_ROOT=$EXTERNAL_GIT_ROOT '{ system("git submodule update --init \
+  --reference " EXTERNAL_GIT_ROOT$2 " " $2) }')
 else
   mkdir -p "/var/local/git/grpc/$RELATIVE_COPY_PATH"
   cp -r "$EXTERNAL_GIT_ROOT/$RELATIVE_COPY_PATH"/* "/var/local/git/grpc/$RELATIVE_COPY_PATH"
diff --git a/tools/run_tests/dockerize/docker_run_tests.sh b/tools/run_tests/dockerize/docker_run_tests.sh
index 8c6143d24f97802dc2cf5b7596596b5497a5a922..5537158960577fb23116b57d9602ce4d37d027ea 100755
--- a/tools/run_tests/dockerize/docker_run_tests.sh
+++ b/tools/run_tests/dockerize/docker_run_tests.sh
@@ -42,7 +42,11 @@ export PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin/llvm-symbolizer
 chown $(whoami) $XDG_CACHE_HOME
 
 mkdir -p /var/local/git
-git clone --recursive /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+git clone /var/local/jenkins/grpc /var/local/git/grpc
+
+# clone gRPC submodules
+(cd /var/local/git/grpc/ && exec git submodule | awk '{ system("git submodule \
+update --init --reference ./../../jenkins/grpc" $2 " " $2) }')
 
 mkdir -p reports