diff --git a/common/.gitmodules b/common/.gitmodules
deleted file mode 100644
index c3a60a9cd..000000000
--- a/common/.gitmodules
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-[submodule "thirdparty/spdlog"]
-	path = thirdparty/spdlog
-	url = https://github.com/gabime/spdlog.git
-[submodule "thirdparty/fmtlib"]
-	path = thirdparty/fmtlib
-	url = https://github.com/fmtlib/fmt.git
diff --git a/common/CMakeLists.txt b/common/CMakeLists.txt
index 5ace434a3..02fa90a73 100644
--- a/common/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/common/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -56,8 +56,7 @@ endif()
 find_package(OpenSSL 1.0.0 REQUIRED)
 find_package(CURL 7.29 REQUIRED)
 find_package(Criterion)
-
-add_subdirectory(thirdparty)
+find_package(spdlog REQUIRED)
 
 pkg_check_modules(JANSSON IMPORTED_TARGET REQUIRED jansson>=2.7)
 pkg_check_modules(LIBCONFIG IMPORTED_TARGET libconfig>=1.4.9)
diff --git a/common/include/villas/log.hpp b/common/include/villas/log.hpp
index 6baa70ff6..6073ae0f0 100644
--- a/common/include/villas/log.hpp
+++ b/common/include/villas/log.hpp
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@
 
 #include <string>
 
-#define SPDLOG_FMT_EXTERNAL
-
 #include <spdlog/spdlog.h>
 #include <spdlog/sinks/dist_sink.h>
 #include <spdlog/sinks/stdout_color_sinks.h>
diff --git a/common/lib/CMakeLists.txt b/common/lib/CMakeLists.txt
index f2fe45695..32988767d 100644
--- a/common/lib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/common/lib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -73,8 +73,7 @@ target_link_libraries(villas-common PUBLIC
 	${OPENSSL_LIBRARIES}
 	${CURL_LIBRARIES}
 	${CMAKE_DL_LIBS}
-	spdlog
-	fmt
+	spdlog::spdlog
 	stdc++
 )
 
diff --git a/common/thirdparty/CMakeLists.txt b/common/thirdparty/CMakeLists.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index d5ac9d5ee..000000000
--- a/common/thirdparty/CMakeLists.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-# We dont want to install the spdlog headers
-#set_directory_properties(PROPERTIES EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL ON)
-
-set(SPDLOG_BUILD_EXAMPLES OFF CACHE BOOL "Build examples" FORCE)
-set(SPDLOG_BUILD_TESTING OFF CACHE BOOL "Build spdlog tests" FORCE)
-set(SPDLOG_BUILD_BENCH OFF CACHE BOOL "Build spdlog benchmarks" FORCE)
-add_subdirectory(spdlog)
-
-set(FMT_DOC OFF CACHE BOOL "Generate the doc target." FORCE)
-set(FMT_INSTALL OFF CACHE BOOL "Generate the install target." FORCE)
-set(FMT_TEST OFF CACHE BOOL "Generate the test target." FORCE)
-add_subdirectory(fmtlib)
-
-target_compile_options(fmt PUBLIC -fPIC)
diff --git a/common/thirdparty/fmtlib b/common/thirdparty/fmtlib
deleted file mode 160000
index c2ce7e4f0..000000000
--- a/common/thirdparty/fmtlib
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit c2ce7e4f07f7b34b2c7bbd0a4d0798b1d7007f4f
diff --git a/common/thirdparty/spdlog b/common/thirdparty/spdlog
deleted file mode 160000
index b6b9d835c..000000000
--- a/common/thirdparty/spdlog
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit b6b9d835c588c35227410a9830e7a4586f90777a