diff --git a/mercurial/cmdutil.py b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
--- a/mercurial/cmdutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/cmdutil.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from i18n import _
 import os, sys, errno, re, tempfile
 import util, scmutil, templater, patch, error, templatekw, revlog, copies
 import match as matchmod
-import subrepo, context, repair, graphmod, revset, phases, obsolete, pathutil
+import context, repair, graphmod, revset, phases, obsolete, pathutil
 import changelog
 import bookmarks
 import lock as lockmod
@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@ def diffordiffstat(ui, repo, diffopts, n
     if listsubrepos:
         ctx1 = repo[node1]
         ctx2 = repo[node2]
-        for subpath, sub in subrepo.itersubrepos(ctx1, ctx2):
+        for subpath, sub in scmutil.itersubrepos(ctx1, ctx2):
             tempnode2 = node2
             try:
                 if node2 is not None:
diff --git a/mercurial/localrepo.py b/mercurial/localrepo.py
--- a/mercurial/localrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/localrepo.py
@@ -1579,7 +1579,7 @@ class localrepository(object):
         r = modified, added, removed, deleted, unknown, ignored, clean
 
         if listsubrepos:
-            for subpath, sub in subrepo.itersubrepos(ctx1, ctx2):
+            for subpath, sub in scmutil.itersubrepos(ctx1, ctx2):
                 if working:
                     rev2 = None
                 else:
diff --git a/mercurial/scmutil.py b/mercurial/scmutil.py
--- a/mercurial/scmutil.py
+++ b/mercurial/scmutil.py
@@ -20,6 +20,16 @@ else:
 systemrcpath = scmplatform.systemrcpath
 userrcpath = scmplatform.userrcpath
 
+def itersubrepos(ctx1, ctx2):
+    """find subrepos in ctx1 or ctx2"""
+    # Create a (subpath, ctx) mapping where we prefer subpaths from
+    # ctx1. The subpaths from ctx2 are important when the .hgsub file
+    # has been modified (in ctx2) but not yet committed (in ctx1).
+    subpaths = dict.fromkeys(ctx2.substate, ctx2)
+    subpaths.update(dict.fromkeys(ctx1.substate, ctx1))
+    for subpath, ctx in sorted(subpaths.iteritems()):
+        yield subpath, ctx.sub(subpath)
+
 def nochangesfound(ui, repo, excluded=None):
     '''Report no changes for push/pull, excluded is None or a list of
     nodes excluded from the push/pull.
diff --git a/mercurial/subrepo.py b/mercurial/subrepo.py
--- a/mercurial/subrepo.py
+++ b/mercurial/subrepo.py
@@ -326,16 +326,6 @@ def _sanitize(ui, path):
                 os.unlink(os.path.join(dirname, f))
     os.walk(path, v, None)
 
-def itersubrepos(ctx1, ctx2):
-    """find subrepos in ctx1 or ctx2"""
-    # Create a (subpath, ctx) mapping where we prefer subpaths from
-    # ctx1. The subpaths from ctx2 are important when the .hgsub file
-    # has been modified (in ctx2) but not yet committed (in ctx1).
-    subpaths = dict.fromkeys(ctx2.substate, ctx2)
-    subpaths.update(dict.fromkeys(ctx1.substate, ctx1))
-    for subpath, ctx in sorted(subpaths.iteritems()):
-        yield subpath, ctx.sub(subpath)
-
 def subrepo(ctx, path):
     """return instance of the right subrepo class for subrepo in path"""
     # subrepo inherently violates our import layering rules
diff --git a/tests/test-module-imports.t b/tests/test-module-imports.t
--- a/tests/test-module-imports.t
+++ b/tests/test-module-imports.t
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ these may expose other cycles.
   mercurial/ui.py mixed imports
      stdlib:    formatter
      relative:  config, error, scmutil, util
-  Import cycle: mercurial.cmdutil -> mercurial.subrepo -> mercurial.cmdutil
   Import cycle: mercurial.repoview -> mercurial.revset -> mercurial.repoview
   Import cycle: mercurial.fileset -> mercurial.merge -> mercurial.subrepo -> mercurial.match -> mercurial.fileset
+  Import cycle: mercurial.cmdutil -> mercurial.context -> mercurial.subrepo -> mercurial.cmdutil -> mercurial.cmdutil
   Import cycle: mercurial.filemerge -> mercurial.match -> mercurial.fileset -> mercurial.merge -> mercurial.filemerge