diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
deleted file mode 100644
index a23dfd76b..000000000
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-[submodule "daemon/jsmn"]
-	path = external/jsmn
-	url = https://github.com/zserge/jsmn
-[submodule "libsodium"]
-	path = external/libsodium
-	url = https://github.com/jedisct1/libsodium.git
-[submodule "external/libbacktrace"]
-	path = external/libbacktrace
-	url = https://github.com/ianlancetaylor/libbacktrace.git
-[submodule "external/libwally-core"]
-	path = external/libwally-core
-	url = https://github.com/ElementsProject/libwally-core.git
-	ignore = dirty
-[submodule "external/gheap"]
-	path = external/gheap
-	url = https://github.com/valyala/gheap
diff --git a/external/gheap b/external/gheap
deleted file mode 160000
index 67fc83bc9..000000000
--- a/external/gheap
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 67fc83bc953324f4759e52951921d730d7e65099
diff --git a/external/jsmn b/external/jsmn
deleted file mode 160000
index 18e9fe42c..000000000
--- a/external/jsmn
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 18e9fe42cbfe21d65076f5c77ae2be379ad1270f
diff --git a/external/libbacktrace b/external/libbacktrace
deleted file mode 160000
index 5a99ff7fe..000000000
--- a/external/libbacktrace
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 5a99ff7fed66b8ea8f09c9805c138524a7035ece
diff --git a/external/libsodium b/external/libsodium
deleted file mode 160000
index 675149b9b..000000000
--- a/external/libsodium
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 675149b9b8b66ff44152553fb3ebf9858128363d
diff --git a/external/libwally-core b/external/libwally-core
deleted file mode 160000
index b8d7ea910..000000000
--- a/external/libwally-core
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit b8d7ea91049c3d5522768c77c8bfe4936cbabbd7
diff --git a/materialize-submodules.py b/materialize-submodules.py
index c81db34c4..ff46ac050 100644
--- a/materialize-submodules.py
+++ b/materialize-submodules.py
@@ -42,9 +42,11 @@ commit("scripted: Remove submodules for materialization")
 mv(".gitignore", ".gitignore.bak")
 
 for module in submodules.values():
+    print(f"Cloning {module['url']} inot {module['path']}")
     gclone(module["url"], module["path"])
     d = os.getcwd()
     os.chdir(module["path"])
+    git("clean", "-xfd")
     git("checkout", module["hash"])
     os.chdir(d)
     rm(f"{module['path']}/.git")