diff --git a/python/setup.py b/python/setup.py
index 685956d15a..43b168dc10 100644
--- a/python/setup.py
+++ b/python/setup.py
@@ -50,21 +50,29 @@ class BackendInstaller:
 
     @staticmethod
     def prepare(backend_name: str, backend_src_dir: str = None, is_external: bool = False):
+        dir_mapping = {"mlu": "cambricon"}
+        actual_dir_name = dir_mapping.get(backend_name, backend_name)
         # Initialize submodule if there is one for in-tree backends.
         if not is_external:
             root_dir = os.path.join(os.pardir, "third_party")
-            assert backend_name in os.listdir(
-                root_dir), f"{backend_name} is requested for install but not present in {root_dir}"
+            assert actual_dir_name in os.listdir(
+                root_dir), f"{actual_dir_name} is requested for install but not present in {root_dir}"
 
             try:
-                subprocess.run(["git", "submodule", "update", "--init", f"{backend_name}"], check=True,
-                               stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL, cwd=root_dir)
+                # flagtree: check if the submodule is defined in .gitmodules
+                check_result = subprocess.run(
+                    ["git", "config", "-f", ".gitmodules", "--get-regexp", f"submodule.*{actual_dir_name}.path"],
+                    check=False, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL, cwd=os.pardir)
+                # flagtree: only execute git submodule update for actual git submodules
+                if check_result.returncode == 0:
+                    subprocess.run(["git", "submodule", "update", "--init", f"{actual_dir_name}"], check=True,
+                                   stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL, cwd=root_dir)
             except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
                 pass
             except FileNotFoundError:
                 pass
 
-            backend_src_dir = os.path.join(root_dir, backend_name)
+            backend_src_dir = os.path.join(root_dir, actual_dir_name)
 
         backend_path = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(backend_src_dir, "backend"))
         assert os.path.exists(backend_path), f"{backend_path} does not exist!"
@@ -80,7 +88,7 @@ def prepare(backend_name: str, backend_src_dir: str = None, is_external: bool =
         for file in ["compiler.py", "driver.py"]:
             assert os.path.exists(os.path.join(backend_path, file)), f"${file} does not exist in ${backend_path}"
 
-        install_dir = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "triton", "backends", backend_name)
+        install_dir = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "triton", "backends", actual_dir_name)
         package_data = [f"{os.path.relpath(p, backend_path)}/*" for p, _, _, in os.walk(backend_path)]
 
         language_package_data = []