diff --git a/.lib/git-fleximod/git_fleximod/cli.py b/.lib/git-fleximod/git_fleximod/cli.py
index ac9493cfc..131466b9b 100644
--- a/.lib/git-fleximod/git_fleximod/cli.py
+++ b/.lib/git-fleximod/git_fleximod/cli.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import argparse
 from git_fleximod import utils
 
-__version__ = "0.9.3"
+__version__ = "0.9.4"
 
 def find_root_dir(filename=".gitmodules"):
     """ finds the highest directory in tree
diff --git a/.lib/git-fleximod/git_fleximod/git_fleximod.py b/.lib/git-fleximod/git_fleximod/git_fleximod.py
index 13f35df95..2c2601fa1 100755
--- a/.lib/git-fleximod/git_fleximod/git_fleximod.py
+++ b/.lib/git-fleximod/git_fleximod/git_fleximod.py
@@ -181,6 +181,8 @@ def init_submodule_from_gitmodules(gitmodules, name, root_dir, logger):
     url = gitmodules.get(name, "url")
     assert path and url, f"Malformed .gitmodules file {path} {url}"
     tag = gitmodules.get(name, "fxtag")
+    if not tag:
+        tag = gitmodules.get(name, "hash")
     fxurl = gitmodules.get(name, "fxDONOTUSEurl")
     fxsparse = gitmodules.get(name, "fxsparse")
     fxrequired = gitmodules.get(name, "fxrequired")
@@ -250,7 +252,6 @@ def submodules_update(gitmodules, root_dir, requiredlist, force):
                 newrequiredlist = ["AlwaysRequired"]
                 if optional:
                     newrequiredlist.append("AlwaysOptional")
-
                 submodules_update(gitsubmodules, repodir, newrequiredlist, force=force)
 
 def local_mods_output():
diff --git a/.lib/git-fleximod/pyproject.toml b/.lib/git-fleximod/pyproject.toml
index 1d0419ad2..65924ff9a 100644
--- a/.lib/git-fleximod/pyproject.toml
+++ b/.lib/git-fleximod/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [tool.poetry]
 name = "git-fleximod"
-version = "0.9.3"
+version = "0.9.4"
 description = "Extended support for git-submodule and git-sparse-checkout"
 authors = ["Jim Edwards <jedwards@ucar.edu>"]
 maintainers = ["Jim Edwards <jedwards@ucar.edu>"]
diff --git a/.lib/git-fleximod/tbump.toml b/.lib/git-fleximod/tbump.toml
index b432206a5..be0b799d3 100644
--- a/.lib/git-fleximod/tbump.toml
+++ b/.lib/git-fleximod/tbump.toml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 github_url = "https://github.com/jedwards4b/git-fleximod/"
 
 [version]
-current = "0.9.3"
+current = "0.9.4"
 
 # Example of a semver regexp.
 # Make sure this matches current_version before