diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 1254c8792..982a3a592 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -69,8 +69,6 @@ endif # PODMAN_BUILD
 
 pull:
 	git pull
-	git submodule sync --recursive
-	git submodule update --recursive --init
 
 repo: $(BUILD)/repo.tag
 
diff --git a/mk/prefix.mk b/mk/prefix.mk
index 48ebc223f..4fa0e8716 100644
--- a/mk/prefix.mk
+++ b/mk/prefix.mk
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ endif
 else
 
 $(ROOT)/rust/configure:
+	git submodule sync --recursive
 	git submodule update --progress --init --recursive --checkout rust
 
 PREFIX_FREESTANDING_INSTALL=$(PREFIX)/gcc-freestanding-install
diff --git a/native_bootstrap.sh b/native_bootstrap.sh
index ac40762a0..3c89dc87b 100755
--- a/native_bootstrap.sh
+++ b/native_bootstrap.sh
@@ -1014,7 +1014,7 @@ statusCheck()
 boot()
 {
     echo "Cloning gitlab repo..."
-    git clone https://gitlab.redox-os.org/redox-os/redox.git --origin upstream --recursive
+    git clone https://gitlab.redox-os.org/redox-os/redox.git --origin upstream
     echo "Creating .config with PODMAN_BUILD=0"
     echo 'PODMAN_BUILD?=0' > redox/.config
     echo "Cleaning up..."
@@ -1047,7 +1047,6 @@ if [ "$1" == "-h" ] || [ "$1" == "--help" ]; then
     usage
 elif [ "$1" == "-u" ]; then
     git pull upstream master
-    git submodule update --recursive --init
     exit
 elif [ "$1" == "-s" ]; then
     statusCheck
@@ -1088,7 +1087,6 @@ fi
 
 if [ "$update" == "true" ]; then
     git pull upstream master
-    git submodule update --recursive --init
     exit
 fi
 
diff --git a/podman_bootstrap.sh b/podman_bootstrap.sh
index 55f34997f..a13f96961 100755
--- a/podman_bootstrap.sh
+++ b/podman_bootstrap.sh
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ rustInstall()
 boot()
 {
     echo "Cloning gitlab repo..."
-    git clone https://gitlab.redox-os.org/redox-os/redox.git --origin upstream --recursive
+    git clone https://gitlab.redox-os.org/redox-os/redox.git --origin upstream
     echo "Creating .config with PODMAN_BUILD=1"
     echo 'PODMAN_BUILD?=1' > redox/.config
     if [[ "$(uname -m)" == "arm64" ]]; then
@@ -596,7 +596,6 @@ if [ "$1" == "-h" ] || [ "$1" == "--help" ]; then
     usage
 elif [ "$1" == "-u" ]; then
     git pull upstream master
-    git submodule update --recursive --init
     exit
 fi
 
@@ -622,7 +621,6 @@ rustInstall "$noninteractive"
 
 if [ "$update" == "true" ]; then
     git pull upstream master
-    git submodule update --recursive --init
     exit
 fi