diff --git a/commit_all_submodules b/commit_all_submodules
index ce3a8c7..c754640 100755
--- a/commit_all_submodules
+++ b/commit_all_submodules
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ if [[ ! -e .git ]] ||
 	exit 1
 fi
 
-branch=`git symbolic-ref --short -q HEAD`
+branch=`git symbolic-ref -q HEAD | sed "s|^refs/heads/||"`
 if [[ -z "$branch" ]] ||
    [[ -z "`git rev-parse --symbolic-full-name --remotes=\"*/$branch\"`" ]]; then
 	echo "There is not active upstream branch.  Exiting..."
diff --git a/switch_all_submodules_to_head_and_clean b/switch_all_submodules_to_head_and_clean
index c35d9f8..0171537 100755
--- a/switch_all_submodules_to_head_and_clean
+++ b/switch_all_submodules_to_head_and_clean
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ if [[ ! -e .git ]] ||
 	exit 1
 fi
 
-branch=`git symbolic-ref --short -q HEAD`
+branch=`git symbolic-ref -q HEAD | sed "s|^refs/heads/||"`
 if [[ -z "$branch" ]] ||
    [[ -z "`git rev-parse --symbolic-full-name --remotes=\"*/$branch\"`" ]]; then
 	echo "There is not active upstream branch.  Exiting..."
diff --git a/update_all_submodules b/update_all_submodules
index 46fcc6d..8e6668f 100755
--- a/update_all_submodules
+++ b/update_all_submodules
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ if [[ ! -e .git ]] ||
 	exit 1
 fi
 
-branch=`git symbolic-ref --short -q HEAD`
+branch=`git symbolic-ref -q HEAD | sed "s|^refs/heads/||"`
 if [[ -z "$branch" ]] ||
    [[ -z "`git rev-parse --symbolic-full-name --remotes=\"*/$branch\"`" ]]; then
 	echo "There is not active upstream branch.  Exiting..."