diff --git a/jupyterlab_git/git.py b/jupyterlab_git/git.py
index 24a8c44ea..e91f9d00c 100644
--- a/jupyterlab_git/git.py
+++ b/jupyterlab_git/git.py
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ async def changed_files(self, path, base=None, remote=None, single_commit=None):
 
         return response
 
-    async def clone(self, path, repo_url, auth=None, versioning=True):
+    async def clone(self, path, repo_url, auth=None, versioning=True, submodules=False):
         """
         Execute `git clone`.
         When no auth is provided, disables prompts for the password to avoid the terminal hanging.
@@ -281,6 +281,7 @@ async def clone(self, path, repo_url, auth=None, versioning=True):
         :param repo_url: the URL of the repository to be cloned.
         :param auth: OPTIONAL dictionary with 'username' and 'password' fields
         :param versioning: OPTIONAL whether to clone or download a snapshot of the remote repository; default clone
+        :param submodules: OPTIONAL whether to clone submodules content; default False
         :return: response with status code and error message.
         """
         env = os.environ.copy()
@@ -288,6 +289,8 @@ async def clone(self, path, repo_url, auth=None, versioning=True):
         if not versioning:
             cmd.append("--depth=1")
             current_content = set(os.listdir(path))
+        if submodules:
+            cmd.append("--recurse-submodules")
         cmd.append(unquote(repo_url))
 
         if auth:
diff --git a/jupyterlab_git/handlers.py b/jupyterlab_git/handlers.py
index b1e7be2cc..6cd647d42 100644
--- a/jupyterlab_git/handlers.py
+++ b/jupyterlab_git/handlers.py
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ async def post(self, path: str = ""):
             data["clone_url"],
             data.get("auth", None),
             data["versioning"],
+            data["submodules"],
         )
 
         if response["code"] != 0:
diff --git a/jupyterlab_git/tests/test_clone.py b/jupyterlab_git/tests/test_clone.py
index 6aea501d7..562d5a3a5 100644
--- a/jupyterlab_git/tests/test_clone.py
+++ b/jupyterlab_git/tests/test_clone.py
@@ -64,6 +64,30 @@ def create_fake_git_repo(*args, **kwargs):
             assert not git_folder.exists()
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_git_submodules_success(tmp_path):
+    with patch("os.environ", {"TEST": "test"}):
+        with patch("jupyterlab_git.git.execute") as mock_execute:
+            # Given
+            output = "output"
+            mock_execute.return_value = maybe_future((0, output, "error"))
+
+            # When
+            actual_response = await Git().clone(
+                path=str(Path("/bin/test_curr_path")),
+                repo_url="ghjkhjkl",
+                submodules=True,
+            )
+
+            # Then
+            mock_execute.assert_called_once_with(
+                ["git", "clone", "--recurse-submodules", "ghjkhjkl"],
+                cwd=str(Path("/bin") / "test_curr_path"),
+                env={"TEST": "test", "GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT": "0"},
+            )
+            assert {"code": 0, "message": output} == actual_response
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_git_clone_failure_from_git():
     """
diff --git a/src/widgets/GitCloneForm.ts b/src/widgets/GitCloneForm.ts
index 040184aee..c42c47990 100644
--- a/src/widgets/GitCloneForm.ts
+++ b/src/widgets/GitCloneForm.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export class GitCloneForm extends Widget {
   /**
    * Returns the input value.
    */
-  getValue(): { url: string; versioning: boolean } {
+  getValue(): { url: string; versioning: boolean; submodules: boolean } {
     return {
       url: encodeURIComponent(
         (
@@ -25,7 +25,12 @@ export class GitCloneForm extends Widget {
       ),
       versioning: Boolean(
         encodeURIComponent(
-          (this.node.querySelector('#checkbox') as HTMLInputElement).checked
+          (this.node.querySelector('#download') as HTMLInputElement).checked
+        )
+      ),
+      submodules: Boolean(
+        encodeURIComponent(
+          (this.node.querySelector('#submodules') as HTMLInputElement).checked
         )
       )
     };
@@ -38,33 +43,48 @@ export class GitCloneForm extends Widget {
     const inputLink = document.createElement('input');
     const linkText = document.createElement('span');
     const checkboxWrapper = document.createElement('div');
-    const checkboxLabel = document.createElement('label');
-    const checkbox = document.createElement('input');
+    const subModulesLabel = document.createElement('label');
+    const subModules = document.createElement('input');
+    const downloadLabel = document.createElement('label');
+    const download = document.createElement('input');
 
     node.className = 'jp-CredentialsBox';
     inputWrapper.className = 'jp-RedirectForm';
     checkboxWrapper.className = 'jp-CredentialsBox-wrapper';
-    checkboxLabel.className = 'jp-CredentialsBox-label-checkbox';
-    checkbox.id = 'checkbox';
+    subModulesLabel.className = 'jp-CredentialsBox-label-checkbox';
+    downloadLabel.className = 'jp-CredentialsBox-label-checkbox';
+    subModules.id = 'submodules';
+    download.id = 'download';
     inputLink.id = 'input-link';
 
     linkText.textContent = trans.__(
       'Enter the URI of the remote Git repository'
     );
     inputLink.placeholder = 'https://host.com/org/repo.git';
-    checkboxLabel.textContent = trans.__('Download the repository');
-    checkboxLabel.title = trans.__(
+
+    subModulesLabel.textContent = trans.__('Include submodules');
+    subModulesLabel.title = trans.__(
+      'If checked, the remote submodules in the repository will be cloned recursively'
+    );
+    subModules.setAttribute('type', 'checkbox');
+    subModules.setAttribute('checked', 'checked');
+
+    downloadLabel.textContent = trans.__('Download the repository');
+    downloadLabel.title = trans.__(
       'If checked, the remote repository default branch will be downloaded instead of cloned'
     );
-    checkbox.setAttribute('type', 'checkbox');
+    download.setAttribute('type', 'checkbox');
 
     inputLinkLabel.appendChild(linkText);
     inputLinkLabel.appendChild(inputLink);
 
     inputWrapper.append(inputLinkLabel);
 
-    checkboxLabel.prepend(checkbox);
-    checkboxWrapper.appendChild(checkboxLabel);
+    subModulesLabel.prepend(subModules);
+    checkboxWrapper.appendChild(subModulesLabel);
+
+    downloadLabel.prepend(download);
+    checkboxWrapper.appendChild(downloadLabel);
 
     node.appendChild(inputWrapper);
     node.appendChild(checkboxWrapper);