diff --git a/mercurial/subrepo.py b/mercurial/subrepo.py
--- a/mercurial/subrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/subrepo.py
@@ -1050,7 +1050,7 @@ class svnsubrepo(abstractsubrepo):
         # update to a directory which has since been deleted and recreated.
         args.append('%s@%s' % (state[0], state[1]))
         status, err = self._svncommand(args, failok=True)
-        _sanitize(self._ui, self._path)
+        _sanitize(self._ui, self._ctx._repo.wjoin(self._path))
         if not re.search('Checked out revision [0-9]+.', status):
             if ('is already a working copy for a different URL' in err
                 and (self._wcchanged()[:2] == (False, False))):
@@ -1343,7 +1343,7 @@ class gitsubrepo(abstractsubrepo):
                 self._gitcommand(['reset', 'HEAD'])
                 cmd.append('-f')
             self._gitcommand(cmd + args)
-            _sanitize(self._ui, self._path)
+            _sanitize(self._ui, self._abspath)
 
         def rawcheckout():
             # no branch to checkout, check it out with no branch
@@ -1392,7 +1392,7 @@ class gitsubrepo(abstractsubrepo):
             if tracking[remote] != self._gitcurrentbranch():
                 checkout([tracking[remote]])
             self._gitcommand(['merge', '--ff', remote])
-            _sanitize(self._ui, self._path)
+            _sanitize(self._ui, self._abspath)
         else:
             # a real merge would be required, just checkout the revision
             rawcheckout()
@@ -1428,7 +1428,7 @@ class gitsubrepo(abstractsubrepo):
                 self.get(state) # fast forward merge
             elif base != self._state[1]:
                 self._gitcommand(['merge', '--no-commit', revision])
-            _sanitize(self._ui, self._path)
+            _sanitize(self._ui, self._abspath)
 
         if self.dirty():
             if self._gitstate() != revision:
diff --git a/tests/test-subrepo-git.t b/tests/test-subrepo-git.t
--- a/tests/test-subrepo-git.t
+++ b/tests/test-subrepo-git.t
@@ -592,11 +592,11 @@ Test sanitizing ".hg/hgrc" in subrepo
   c4069473b459cf27fd4d7c2f50c4346b4e936599 s
   $ cd ..
 
+  $ hg -R tc pull -q
+  $ hg -R tc update -q -C 3473d20bddcf 2>&1 | sort
+  warning: removing potentially hostile 'hgrc' in '$TESTTMP/tc/s/.hg' (glob)
+  warning: removing potentially hostile 'hgrc' in '$TESTTMP/tc/s/sub/.hg' (glob)
   $ cd tc
-  $ hg pull -q
-  $ hg update -q -C 3473d20bddcf 2>&1 | sort
-  warning: removing potentially hostile 'hgrc' in 's/.hg' (glob)
-  warning: removing potentially hostile 'hgrc' in 's/sub/.hg' (glob)
   $ hg parents -q
   8:3473d20bddcf
   $ grep ' s$' .hgsubstate
@@ -642,10 +642,12 @@ additional test for "git merge --ff" rou
   $ cat s/sub/.hg/hgrc
   cat: s/sub/.hg/hgrc: No such file or directory
   [1]
-  $ hg pull -q
-  $ hg update -q -C ed23f7fe024e 2>&1 | sort
-  warning: removing potentially hostile 'hgrc' in 's/.hg' (glob)
-  warning: removing potentially hostile 'hgrc' in 's/sub/.hg' (glob)
+  $ cd ..
+  $ hg -R tc pull -q
+  $ hg -R tc update -q -C ed23f7fe024e 2>&1 | sort
+  warning: removing potentially hostile 'hgrc' in '$TESTTMP/tc/s/.hg' (glob)
+  warning: removing potentially hostile 'hgrc' in '$TESTTMP/tc/s/sub/.hg' (glob)
+  $ cd tc
   $ hg parents -q
   9:ed23f7fe024e
   $ grep ' s$' .hgsubstate
diff --git a/tests/test-subrepo-svn.t b/tests/test-subrepo-svn.t
--- a/tests/test-subrepo-svn.t
+++ b/tests/test-subrepo-svn.t
@@ -663,10 +663,10 @@ Test sanitizing ".hg/hgrc" in subrepo
   16 s
   $ cd ..
 
+  $ hg -R tc pull -u -q 2>&1 | sort
+  warning: removing potentially hostile 'hgrc' in '$TESTTMP/sub/tc/s/.hg' (glob)
+  warning: removing potentially hostile 'hgrc' in '$TESTTMP/sub/tc/s/sub/.hg' (glob)
   $ cd tc
-  $ hg pull -u -q 2>&1 | sort
-  warning: removing potentially hostile 'hgrc' in 's/.hg' (glob)
-  warning: removing potentially hostile 'hgrc' in 's/sub/.hg' (glob)
   $ grep ' s$' .hgsubstate
   16 s
   $ cat s/.hg/hgrc