diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker.yml b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
index c306a55..3188800 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          submodules: recursive
 
       - name: Log in to the GitHub Container registry
         uses: docker/login-action@v3
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 81b6dfd..cfe20bd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -39,8 +39,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          submodules: recursive
 
       - name: Get conda
         uses: conda-incubator/setup-miniconda@v3
diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
deleted file mode 100644
index c4cb4cb..0000000
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-[submodule "external/pybind11"]
-	path = external/pybind11
-	url = https://github.com/pybind/pybind11.git
-[submodule "external/awkward"]
-	path = external/awkward
-	url = https://github.com/scikit-hep/awkward.git
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 7e65615..dd39668 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 20)
 set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
 set(CMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS OFF)
 
+set(AWKWARD_VERSION "v2.5.0")
+set(PYBIND11_VERSION "v2.11.1")
+
 find_package(
     Python
     COMPONENTS Interpreter Development.Module
@@ -25,8 +28,30 @@ find_package(Geant4 REQUIRED CONFIG COMPONENTS gdml)
 message(STATUS "Using Geant4 ${Geant4_VERSION} from ${Geant4_DIR}")
 message(STATUS "Using Python ${Python_VERSION} from ${Python_EXECUTABLE}")
 
-add_subdirectory(external/awkward/header-only)
-add_subdirectory(external/pybind11)
+include(FetchContent)
+
+FetchContent_Declare(
+    awkward-headers
+    URL https://github.com/scikit-hep/awkward/releases/download/${AWKWARD_VERSION}/header-only.zip
+)
+FetchContent_GetProperties(awkward-headers)
+if (NOT awkward-headers_POPULATED)
+    FetchContent_Populate(awkward-headers)
+    add_subdirectory(${awkward-headers_SOURCE_DIR}
+                     ${awkward-headers_BINARY_DIR} EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+endif ()
+
+FetchContent_Declare(
+    pybind11
+    GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/pybind/pybind11.git
+    GIT_TAG ${PYBIND11_VERSION}
+    DOWNLOAD_EXTRACT_TIMESTAMP 1)
+FetchContent_GetProperties(pybind11)
+if (NOT pybind11_POPULATED)
+    FetchContent_Populate(pybind11)
+    add_subdirectory(${pybind11_SOURCE_DIR} ${pybind11_BINARY_DIR}
+                     EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
+endif ()
 
 file(GLOB_RECURSE SOURCES CONFIGURE_DEPENDS
      "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/geant4_application/src/*.cpp")
@@ -37,13 +62,15 @@ file(GLOB_RECURSE PYTHON_SOURCES CONFIGURE_DEPENDS
 pybind11_add_module(${PYTHON_MODULE_NAME} MODULE ${SOURCES} ${PYTHON_SOURCES})
 
 target_compile_definitions(
-    ${PYTHON_MODULE_NAME} PRIVATE VERSION_INFO=${PROJECT_VERSION}
-                                  GEANT4_VERSION=${Geant4_VERSION}
-                                  )
+    ${PYTHON_MODULE_NAME}
+    PRIVATE VERSION_INFO=${PROJECT_VERSION} GEANT4_VERSION=${Geant4_VERSION}
+            AWKWARD_VERSION=${AWKWARD_VERSION}
+            PYBIND11_VERSION=${PYBIND11_VERSION})
 
 target_include_directories(
-    ${PYTHON_MODULE_NAME} PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/geant4_application/include
-                                  ${Geant4_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+    ${PYTHON_MODULE_NAME}
+    PRIVATE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/geant4_application/include
+            ${Geant4_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 
 target_link_libraries(
     ${PYTHON_MODULE_NAME} PRIVATE ${Geant4_LIBRARIES} awkward::layout-builder
diff --git a/external/awkward b/external/awkward
deleted file mode 160000
index ffc1533..0000000
--- a/external/awkward
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit ffc1533d1cef189ae9aa38903b0101570e8f7e64
diff --git a/external/pybind11 b/external/pybind11
deleted file mode 160000
index 8a099e4..0000000
--- a/external/pybind11
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 8a099e44b3d5f85b20f05828d919d2332a8de841
diff --git a/src/geant4_python_application/__init__.py b/src/geant4_python_application/__init__.py
index b10bb18..48ecde2 100644
--- a/src/geant4_python_application/__init__.py
+++ b/src/geant4_python_application/__init__.py
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import os
-import sys
 import ctypes
-import subprocess
+import os
 import shutil
+import subprocess
+import sys
 import warnings
 
 geant4_config = shutil.which("geant4-config")
@@ -55,9 +55,7 @@ def datasets() -> list[(str, str, str)]:
     datasets = subprocess.check_output(
         [geant4_config, "--datasets"], encoding="utf-8"
     ).strip()
-    return [
-        tuple(line.split()) for line in datasets.split("\n") if line.strip() != ""
-    ]
+    return [tuple(line.split()) for line in datasets.split("\n") if line.strip() != ""]
 
 
 def check_datasets() -> bool: