diff --git a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
index 0e6311a41..64ea5a65c 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/backend/ninjabackend.py
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ from ..mesonlib import get_compiler_for_source, has_path_sep
 from .backends import CleanTrees
 from ..build import InvalidArguments
 
+FORTRAN_SUBMOD_PAT = r"\s*submodule\s*\((\w+:?\w+)\)\s*(\w+)\s*$"
+
 if mesonlib.is_windows():
     quote_func = lambda s: '"{}"'.format(s)
     execute_wrapper = 'cmd /c'
@@ -1812,6 +1814,9 @@ rule FORTRAN_DEP_HACK%s
             elem.write(outfile)
 
     def scan_fortran_module_outputs(self, target):
+        """
+        Find all module and submodule made available in a Fortran code file.
+        """
         compiler = None
         for lang, c in self.build.compilers.items():
             if lang == 'fortran':
@@ -1822,8 +1827,9 @@ rule FORTRAN_DEP_HACK%s
             return
 
         modre = re.compile(r"\s*\bmodule\b\s+(\w+)\s*$", re.IGNORECASE)
-        submodre = re.compile(r"\s*\bsubmodule\b\s+\((\w+:?\w+)\)\s+(\w+)\s*$", re.IGNORECASE)
+        submodre = re.compile(FORTRAN_SUBMOD_PAT, re.IGNORECASE)
         module_files = {}
+        submodule_files = {}
         for s in target.get_sources():
             # FIXME, does not work for Fortran sources generated by
             # custom_target() and generator() as those are run after
@@ -1847,19 +1853,22 @@ rule FORTRAN_DEP_HACK%s
                     else:
                         submodmatch = submodre.match(line)
                         if submodmatch is not None:
-                            submodname = submodmatch.group(2).lower()
-                            if submodname in module_files:
+                            # '_' is arbitrarily used to distinguish submod from mod.
+                            parents = submodmatch.group(1).lower().split(':')
+                            submodname = parents[0] + '_' + submodmatch.group(2).lower()
+
+                            if submodname in submodule_files:
                                 raise InvalidArguments(
                                     'Namespace collision: submodule %s defined in '
                                     'two files %s and %s.' %
-                                    (submodname, module_files[submodname], s))
-                            module_files[submodname] = s
+                                    (submodname, submodule_files[submodname], s))
+                            submodule_files[submodname] = s
 
-        self.fortran_deps[target.get_basename()] = module_files
+        self.fortran_deps[target.get_basename()] = {**module_files, **submodule_files}
 
     def get_fortran_deps(self, compiler: FortranCompiler, src: str, target) -> List[str]:
         """
-        Find all modules and submodules needed by a target
+        Find all module and submodule needed by a Fortran target
         """
 
         dirname = Path(self.get_target_private_dir(target))
@@ -2774,7 +2783,7 @@ def _scan_fortran_file_deps(src: str, srcdir: Path, dirname: Path, tdeps, compil
 
     incre = re.compile(r"#?include\s*['\"](\w+\.\w+)['\"]\s*$", re.IGNORECASE)
     usere = re.compile(r"\s*use,?\s*(?:non_intrinsic)?\s*(?:::)?\s*(\w+)", re.IGNORECASE)
-    submodre = re.compile(r"\s*\bsubmodule\b\s+\((\w+:?\w+)\)\s+(\w+)\s*$", re.IGNORECASE)
+    submodre = re.compile(FORTRAN_SUBMOD_PAT, re.IGNORECASE)
 
     mod_files = []
     src = Path(src)
@@ -2822,17 +2831,18 @@ def _scan_fortran_file_deps(src: str, srcdir: Path, dirname: Path, tdeps, compil
                     assert len(parents) in (1, 2), (
                         'submodule ancestry must be specified as'
                         ' ancestor:parent but Meson found {}'.parents)
-                    for parent in parents:
-                        if parent not in tdeps:
-                            raise MesonException("submodule {} relies on parent module {} that was not found.".format(submodmatch.group(2).lower(), parent))
-                        submodsrcfile = srcdir / tdeps[parent].fname
-                        if not submodsrcfile.is_file():
-                            if submodsrcfile.name != src.name:  # generated source file
-                                pass
-                            else:  # subproject
-                                continue
-                        elif submodsrcfile.samefile(src):  # self-reference
+
+                    ancestor_child = '_'.join(parents)
+                    if ancestor_child not in tdeps:
+                        raise MesonException("submodule {} relies on ancestor module {} that was not found.".format(submodmatch.group(2).lower(), ancestor_child.split('_')[0]))
+                    submodsrcfile = srcdir / tdeps[ancestor_child].fname
+                    if not submodsrcfile.is_file():
+                        if submodsrcfile.name != src.name:  # generated source file
+                            pass
+                        else:  # subproject
                             continue
-                        mod_name = compiler.module_name_to_filename(parent)
-                        mod_files.append(str(dirname / mod_name))
+                    elif submodsrcfile.samefile(src):  # self-reference
+                        continue
+                    mod_name = compiler.module_name_to_filename(ancestor_child)
+                    mod_files.append(str(dirname / mod_name))
     return mod_files
diff --git a/mesonbuild/compilers/fortran.py b/mesonbuild/compilers/fortran.py
index 15234eed9..a16f2b554 100644
--- a/mesonbuild/compilers/fortran.py
+++ b/mesonbuild/compilers/fortran.py
@@ -180,7 +180,18 @@ class FortranCompiler(Compiler):
         return parameter_list
 
     def module_name_to_filename(self, module_name: str) -> str:
-        return module_name.lower() + '.mod'
+        if '_' in module_name:  # submodule
+            s = module_name.lower()
+            if self.id in ('gcc', 'intel'):
+                filename = s.replace('_', '@') + '.smod'
+            elif self.id in ('pgi', 'flang'):
+                filename = s.replace('_', '-') + '.mod'
+            else:
+                filename = s + '.mod'
+        else:  # module
+            filename = module_name.lower() + '.mod'
+
+        return filename
 
     def get_std_shared_lib_link_args(self):
         return CCompiler.get_std_shared_lib_link_args(self)
diff --git a/test cases/fortran/12 submodule/child.f90 b/test cases/fortran/12 submodule/child.f90
index aa5bb5e4a..45b5b41c5 100644
--- a/test cases/fortran/12 submodule/child.f90	
+++ b/test cases/fortran/12 submodule/child.f90	
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-submodule (mother) daughter
+submodule (parent) parent
 
 contains
 
@@ -6,5 +6,5 @@ module procedure pi2tau
   pi2tau = 2*pi
 end procedure pi2tau
 
-end submodule daughter
+end submodule parent
 
diff --git a/test cases/fortran/12 submodule/meson.build b/test cases/fortran/12 submodule/meson.build
index cd62a30a4..b3ed9debd 100644
--- a/test cases/fortran/12 submodule/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/fortran/12 submodule/meson.build	
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 project('submodule single level', 'fortran')
 
-hier2 = executable('single', 'parent.f90','child.f90')
+hier2 = executable('single', 'parent.f90', 'child.f90')
 test('single-level hierarchy', hier2)
 
 hierN = executable('multi', 'a1.f90', 'a2.f90', 'a3.f90')
diff --git a/test cases/fortran/12 submodule/parent.f90 b/test cases/fortran/12 submodule/parent.f90
index 05fe431db..9d087d0d1 100644
--- a/test cases/fortran/12 submodule/parent.f90	
+++ b/test cases/fortran/12 submodule/parent.f90	
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-module mother
+module parent
 real, parameter :: pi = 4.*atan(1.)
 real :: tau
 
@@ -8,13 +8,10 @@ module elemental real function pi2tau(pi)
 end function pi2tau
 end interface
 
-contains 
-
-end module mother
+end module parent
 
 
-program hier1
-use mother
+use parent
 
 tau = pi2tau(pi)