diff --git a/.ci/install-dependencies.bat b/.ci/install-dependencies.bat
deleted file mode 100644
index 23358d2..0000000
--- a/.ci/install-dependencies.bat
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-git submodule update --init --recursive &&
-
-cd dependencies\dyncall &&
-mkdir build && cd build &&
-
-cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=%LOCAL_INSTALL% %* .. &&
-make &&
-make install &&
-cd ..\..\.. &&
-
-cd dependencies\libcsptr &&
-mkdir build && cd build &&
-
-cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=%LOCAL_INSTALL% %* .. &&
-make &&
-make install
diff --git a/.ci/install-dependencies.sh b/.ci/install-dependencies.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 4fefe0c..0000000
--- a/.ci/install-dependencies.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/sh
-
-git submodule update --init --recursive &&
-
-(
-    cd dependencies/dyncall &&
-    mkdir build &&
-    cd build &&
-    cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$LOCAL_INSTALL "$@" .. &&
-    make &&
-    make install
-) &&
-
-(
-    cd dependencies/libcsptr/ &&
-    mkdir build &&
-    cd build &&
-    cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=$LOCAL_INSTALL "$@" .. &&
-    make &&
-    make install
-)
diff --git a/.cmake/Modules/Submodules.cmake b/.cmake/Modules/Submodules.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b524e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.cmake/Modules/Submodules.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+if(EXISTS "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/.gitmodules")
+message(STATUS "Updating submodules to their latest/fixed versions")
+message(STATUS "(this can take a while, please be patient)")
+
+### set the direcory where the submodules live
+set(GIT_SUBMODULES_DIRECTORY dependencies)
+
+### set the directory names of the submodules
+set(GIT_SUBMODULES libcsptr dyncall)
+
+### set each submodules's commit or tag that is to be checked out
+### (leave empty if you want master)
+set(GIT_SUBMODULE_VERSION_libcsptr a0c2444)
+set(GIT_SUBMODULE_VERSION_dyncall  68c57f6)
+
+### First, get all submodules in
+if(${GIT_SUBMODULES_CHECKOUT_QUIET})
+    execute_process(
+        COMMAND             git submodule update --init --recursive
+        WORKING_DIRECTORY   ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}
+        OUTPUT_QUIET
+        ERROR_QUIET
+    )
+else()
+    execute_process(
+        COMMAND             git submodule update --init --recursive
+        WORKING_DIRECTORY   ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}
+    )
+endif()
+
+### Then, checkout each submodule to the specified commit
+# Note: Execute separate processes here, to make sure each one is run,
+# should one crash (because of branch not existing, this, that ... whatever)
+foreach(GIT_SUBMODULE ${GIT_SUBMODULES})
+
+    if( "${GIT_SUBMODULE_VERSION_${GIT_SUBMODULE}}" STREQUAL "" )
+        message(STATUS "no specific version given for submodule ${GIT_SUBMODULE}, checking out master")
+        set(GIT_SUBMODULE_VERSION_${GIT_SUBMODULE} "master")
+    endif()
+
+    if(${GIT_SUBMODULES_CHECKOUT_QUIET})
+        execute_process(
+            COMMAND             git checkout ${GIT_SUBMODULE_VERSION_${GIT_SUBMODULE}}
+            WORKING_DIRECTORY   ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/${GIT_SUBMODULES_DIRECTORY}/${GIT_SUBMODULE}
+            OUTPUT_QUIET
+            ERROR_QUIET
+        )
+    else()
+        message(STATUS "checking out ${GIT_SUBMODULE}'s commit/tag ${GIT_SUBMODULE_VERSION_${GIT_SUBMODULE}}")
+        execute_process(
+            COMMAND             git checkout -q ${GIT_SUBMODULE_VERSION_${GIT_SUBMODULE}}
+            WORKING_DIRECTORY   ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/${GIT_SUBMODULES_DIRECTORY}/${GIT_SUBMODULE}
+        )
+    endif()
+
+endforeach(${GIT_SUBMODULE})
+
+endif()
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 6b8e2e4..3422465 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ compiler:
 sudo: false
 before_install:
 - export LOCAL_INSTALL="$HOME"
-- ".ci/install-dependencies.sh"
 - export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:$HOME/lib
 - export CFLAGS="-g -O0"
 script:
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 6eeca7e..ede228e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,8 +2,12 @@ cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8)
 
 project(Criterion C)
 
+set(MODULE_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/.cmake/Modules")
+set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH} ${MODULE_DIR})
 set(LIBCSPTR_DISABLE_TESTS ON)
 
+include(Submodules)
+
 add_subdirectory(dependencies/libcsptr/ EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
 add_subdirectory(dependencies/dyncall/ EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
 
@@ -18,8 +22,6 @@ set(PROJECT_VERSION "1.3.1")
 set(LOCALEDIR ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/share/locale)
 set(GettextTranslate_ALL 1)
 set(GettextTranslate_GMO_BINARY 1)
-set(MODULE_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/.cmake/Modules")
-set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH} ${MODULE_DIR})
 
 set_property(GLOBAL PROPERTY ALLOW_DUPLICATE_CUSTOM_TARGETS ON)
 
diff --git a/appveyor.yml b/appveyor.yml
index 987d728..439aa1d 100644
--- a/appveyor.yml
+++ b/appveyor.yml
@@ -27,8 +27,6 @@ configuration: Release
 install:
   # Hack to make git think it is on the tip of the repo branch
   - 'git checkout -B %APPVEYOR_REPO_BRANCH%'
-  # Install dependencies
-  - '.ci\install-dependencies.bat'
   # Configure project
   - 'mkdir build && cd build'
   - 'cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=criterion-%APPVEYOR_REPO_TAG_NAME% -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="%LOCAL_INSTALL%" -DCOVERALLS=ON -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug -G "MSYS Makefiles" ..'