diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 960b754..0bc2768 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ checksum = "969488b55f8ac402214f3f5fd243ebb7206cf82de60d3172994707a4bcc2b829"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "magoo"
-version = "0.1.3"
+version = "0.1.4"
 dependencies = [
  "clap",
  "fs4",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index b39c6d8..19d7a3b 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "magoo"
-version = "0.1.3"
+version = "0.1.4"
 edition = "2021"
 description = "A wrapper for git submodule that simplifies the workflows"
 repository = "https://github.com/Pistonite/magoo"
diff --git a/src/submodule.rs b/src/submodule.rs
index 4f177bd..65b4ffa 100644
--- a/src/submodule.rs
+++ b/src/submodule.rs
@@ -460,7 +460,8 @@ impl Submodule {
                 top_level_dir.join(".gitmodules"),
                 &format!("submodule.{name}"),
             );
-            context.add(".gitmodules")?;
+            // add may fail if .gitmodules doesn't exist
+            let _ = context.add(".gitmodules");
         }
         self.in_gitmodules = None;
         Ok(())
@@ -471,7 +472,8 @@ impl Submodule {
         if let Some(in_index) = &self.in_index {
             println_info!("Deleting `{}` in index", in_index.path);
             context.remove_from_index(&in_index.path)?;
-            context.add(".gitmodules")?;
+            // add may fail if .gitmodules doesn't exist
+            let _ = context.add(".gitmodules");
         }
         self.in_index = None;
         Ok(())