diff --git a/make-rhat-patches.sh b/make-rhat-patches.sh
index eaf82da..7131ed3 100755
--- a/make-rhat-patches.sh
+++ b/make-rhat-patches.sh
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ git clone git@github.com:projectatomic/container-selinux.git -q
 
 pushd selinux-policy > /dev/null
 # prepare policy patches against upstream commits matching the last upstream merge
-git rev-parse --verify origin/${FEDORA_VERSION}; git diff eb4512f6eb13792c76ff8d3e6f2df3a7155db577 origin/${FEDORA_VERSION} > policy-${FEDORA_VERSION}-base.patch
+git rev-parse --verify origin/${FEDORA_VERSION}; git diff --ignore-submodules eb4512f6eb13792c76ff8d3e6f2df3a7155db577 origin/${FEDORA_VERSION} > policy-${FEDORA_VERSION}-base.patch
 popd > /dev/null
 
 pushd selinux-policy-contrib > /dev/null