diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index e0b4d4e4c073184f3d608b48e3e31bc2f7277d4b..0aa9e9b858a30a19f6a960ded691ac75f798b2d9 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 [submodule "xrootd-ssi-protobuf-interface"]
 	path = xrootd-ssi-protobuf-interface
-	url = https://:@gitlab.cern.ch:8443/eos/xrootd-ssi-protobuf-interface.git
+   url = https://:@gitlab.cern.ch:8443/eos/xrootd-ssi-protobuf-interface.git
+   branch = stable