diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 7472b2971..5bd4a8d59 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -127,8 +127,16 @@ ENDIF()
 #macro_log_feature(LIBLASTFM_FOUND "LastFm" "Qt library for the Last.fm webservices" "https://github.com/mxcl/liblastfm" FALSE "" "liblastfm is needed for scrobbling tracks to Last.fm and fetching cover artwork")
 set(LIBLASTFM_FOUND true)
 
+#### submodules start
 
 # this installs headers and such and should really be handled in a separate package by packagers
+IF( INTERNAL_JREEN OR INTERNAL_QTWEETLIB )
+    IF(EXISTS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/.gitmodules)
+        EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND git submodule init WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} )
+        EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND git submodule update WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} )
+    ENDIF(EXISTS ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/.gitmodules)
+ENDIF()
+
 IF( INTERNAL_JREEN )
     ADD_SUBDIRECTORY( ${THIRDPARTY_DIR}/jreen )
     SET( LIBJREEN_INCLUDE_DIR  ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/thirdparty/jreen/include )
@@ -141,7 +149,6 @@ ELSE( INTERNAL_JREEN )
 ENDIF( INTERNAL_JREEN )
 macro_log_feature(LIBJREEN_FOUND "Jreen" "Qt XMPP Library" "https://github.com/euroelessar/jreen" FALSE "" "Jreen is needed for the Jabber SIP plugin. \n\n     Use -DINTERNAL_JREEN=ON to build the git submodule inside Tomahawk \n     Be aware this installs a full jreen with headers and everything!\n")
 
-# this installs headers and such and should really be handled in a separate package by packagers
 IF( INTERNAL_QTWEETLIB )
     ADD_SUBDIRECTORY( ${THIRDPARTY_DIR}/qtweetlib )
     # copy headers to build/QTweetLib so we can use proper includes inside the code
@@ -155,6 +162,7 @@ ELSE( INTERNAL_QTWEETLIB )
     macro_optional_find_package(QTweetLib)
 ENDIF( INTERNAL_QTWEETLIB )
 macro_log_feature(QTWEETLIB_FOUND "QTweetLib" "Qt Twitter Library" "https://github.com/minimoog/QTweetLib" FALSE "" "QTweetLib is needed for the Twitter SIP plugin. \n\n     Use -DINTERNAL_QTWEETLIB=ON to build the git submodule inside Tomahawk \n")
+#### submodules end
 
 ### libportfwd
 SET( LIBPORTFWD_INCLUDE_DIR ${THIRDPARTY_DIR}/libportfwd/include )