diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index ca71e449..bbf13da8 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 [submodule "third-party/pugixml"]
 	path = third-party/pugixml
 	url = https://github.com/zeux/pugixml.git
+	branch = master
 [submodule "third-party/zlib"]
 	path = third-party/zlib
 	url = https://github.com/madler/zlib.git
+	branch = master