diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 8e83a3e7..0c8301f3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -115,8 +115,6 @@ jobs:
           extended: true
       - name: "📥 Source checkout"
         uses: actions/checkout@v2
-        with:
-          submodules: 'recursive'
       - name: "⚙️ npm"
         run: |
           npm i
@@ -161,8 +159,6 @@ jobs:
           extended: true
       - name: "📥 Source checkout"
         uses: actions/checkout@v2
-        with:
-          submodules: 'recursive'
       - name: "⚙️ npm"
         run: |
           npm i
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 29028e01..b5b1436e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -65,15 +65,14 @@ place after an MSC has been accepted, not as part of a proposal itself.
    Alternatively, use the Docker image at
    https://hub.docker.com/r/klakegg/hugo/. (The "extended edition" is required
    to process the SCSS.)
-2. Run `git submodule update --init --recursive` for good measure.
-3. Run `npm i` to install the dependencies. Note that this will require NodeJS to be installed.
-4. Run `npm run get-proposals` to seed proposal data. This is merely for populating the content of the "Spec Change Proposals"
+2. Run `npm i` to install the dependencies. Note that this will require NodeJS to be installed.
+3. Run `npm run get-proposals` to seed proposal data. This is merely for populating the content of the "Spec Change Proposals"
    page and is not required.
-5. Run `hugo serve` (or `docker run --rm -it -v $(pwd):/src -p 1313:1313
+4. Run `hugo serve` (or `docker run --rm -it -v $(pwd):/src -p 1313:1313
    klakegg/hugo:ext serve`) to run a local webserver which builds whenever a file
    change is detected. If watching doesn't appear to be working for you, try
    adding `--disableFastRender` to the commandline.
-6. Edit the specification 🙂
+5. Edit the specification 🙂
 
 We use a highly customized [Docsy](https://www.docsy.dev/) theme for our generated site, which uses Bootstrap and Font
 Awesome. If you're looking at making design-related changes to the spec site, please coordinate with us in
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4e277d28..f023a750 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@
   "main": "none.js",
   "scripts": {
     "get-proposals": "node ./scripts/proposals.js",
+    "get:submodule": "git submodule update --init --depth 1",
+    "_prepare:docsy": "cd themes/docsy && npm install",
+    "prepare": "npm run get:submodule && npm run _prepare:docsy",
     "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1"
   },
   "repository": {