diff --git a/git/repo/base.py b/git/repo/base.py
index 16807b9fa..96c78df56 100644
--- a/git/repo/base.py
+++ b/git/repo/base.py
@@ -1386,8 +1386,8 @@ def _clone(
             Git.check_unsafe_protocols(url)
         if not allow_unsafe_options:
             Git.check_unsafe_options(options=list(kwargs.keys()), unsafe_options=cls.unsafe_git_clone_options)
-        if not allow_unsafe_options and multi_options:
-            Git.check_unsafe_options(options=multi_options, unsafe_options=cls.unsafe_git_clone_options)
+        if not allow_unsafe_options and multi:
+            Git.check_unsafe_options(options=multi, unsafe_options=cls.unsafe_git_clone_options)
 
         proc = git.clone(
             multi,
diff --git a/test/test_clone.py b/test/test_clone.py
index 143a3b51f..768efbba6 100644
--- a/test/test_clone.py
+++ b/test/test_clone.py
@@ -137,6 +137,15 @@ def test_clone_unsafe_options(self, rw_repo):
                     rw_repo.clone(tmp_dir, **unsafe_option)
                 assert not tmp_file.exists()
 
+    @with_rw_repo("HEAD")
+    def test_clone_unsafe_options_are_checked_after_splitting_multi_options(self, rw_repo):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tdir:
+            tmp_dir = pathlib.Path(tdir)
+            payload = "--single-branch --config protocol.ext.allow=always"
+
+            with self.assertRaises(UnsafeOptionError):
+                rw_repo.clone(tmp_dir, multi_options=[payload])
+
     @pytest.mark.xfail(
         sys.platform == "win32",
         reason=(
@@ -216,6 +225,15 @@ def test_clone_from_unsafe_options(self, rw_repo):
                     Repo.clone_from(rw_repo.working_dir, tmp_dir, **unsafe_option)
                 assert not tmp_file.exists()
 
+    @with_rw_repo("HEAD")
+    def test_clone_from_unsafe_options_are_checked_after_splitting_multi_options(self, rw_repo):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tdir:
+            tmp_dir = pathlib.Path(tdir)
+            payload = "--single-branch --config protocol.ext.allow=always"
+
+            with self.assertRaises(UnsafeOptionError):
+                Repo.clone_from(rw_repo.working_dir, tmp_dir, multi_options=[payload])
+
     @pytest.mark.xfail(
         sys.platform == "win32",
         reason=(
diff --git a/test/test_submodule.py b/test/test_submodule.py
index 47647f2a1..63bb007de 100644
--- a/test/test_submodule.py
+++ b/test/test_submodule.py
@@ -1332,6 +1332,17 @@ def test_submodule_update_unsafe_options(self, rw_repo):
                     submodule.update(clone_multi_options=[unsafe_option])
                 assert not tmp_file.exists()
 
+    @with_rw_repo("HEAD")
+    def test_submodule_update_unsafe_options_are_checked_after_splitting_multi_options(self, rw_repo):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tdir:
+            tmp_dir = Path(tdir)
+            payload = "--single-branch --config protocol.ext.allow=always"
+            submodule = Submodule(rw_repo, b"\0" * 20, name="new", path="new", url=str(tmp_dir))
+
+            with self.assertRaises(UnsafeOptionError):
+                submodule.update(clone_multi_options=[payload])
+            assert not submodule.module_exists()
+
     @with_rw_repo("HEAD")
     def test_submodule_update_unsafe_options_allowed(self, rw_repo):
         with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tdir: