diff --git a/Controller/PBSubmoduleController.m b/Controller/PBSubmoduleController.m
index c789778..cd45014 100644
--- a/Controller/PBSubmoduleController.m
+++ b/Controller/PBSubmoduleController.m
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@
 		if ([submoduleLine length] == 0)
 			continue;
 		PBGitSubmodule *submodule = [[PBGitSubmodule alloc] initWithRawSubmoduleStatusString:submoduleLine];
-		[loadedSubmodules addObject:submodule];
+		if (submodule)
+			[loadedSubmodules addObject:submodule];
 	}
 	
 	NSMutableArray *groupedSubmodules = [[NSMutableArray alloc] init];
diff --git a/Model/PBGitSubmodule.h b/Model/PBGitSubmodule.h
index 5d1db18..88d6789 100644
--- a/Model/PBGitSubmodule.h
+++ b/Model/PBGitSubmodule.h
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ typedef enum {
 	PBGitSubmoduleStateNotInitialized,
 	PBGitSubmoduleStateMatchingIndex,
 	PBGitSubmoduleStateDoesNotMatchIndex,
+	PBGitSubmoduleStateFailed,
 } PBGitSubmoduleState;
 
 @interface PBGitSubmodule : NSObject<PBPresentable> {
diff --git a/Model/PBGitSubmodule.m b/Model/PBGitSubmodule.m
index 3bb6a1b..56b1140 100644
--- a/Model/PBGitSubmodule.m
+++ b/Model/PBGitSubmodule.m
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@
 	if ((self = [super init])) {
 		unichar status = [submoduleStatusString characterAtIndex:0];
 		submoduleState = [PBGitSubmodule submoduleStateFromCharacter:status];
+		if (submoduleState == PBGitSubmoduleStateFailed) {
+			NSLog(@"Submodule status failed:\n %@", submoduleStatusString);
+			return nil;
+		}
 		NSScanner *scanner = [NSScanner scannerWithString:[submoduleStatusString substringFromIndex:1]];
 		NSString *sha1 = nil;
 		NSString *fullPath = nil;
@@ -114,7 +118,7 @@
 	} else if (character == '+') {
 		state = PBGitSubmoduleStateDoesNotMatchIndex;
 	} else if (character != ' ') {
-		NSAssert1(NO, @"Ooops unsupported submodule status character: %c", character);
+		return PBGitSubmoduleStateFailed;
 	}
 
 	return state;