diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d4e556d0..3f437da7 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -29,27 +29,29 @@ set(BUILD_GUI_DEPS ON)
 set(ARCH "x86-64")
 set(BUILD_64 ON)
 
-find_package(Git)
-if(GIT_FOUND)
-  if(NOT DEV_MODE)
-    function (check_submodule relative_path)
-      execute_process(COMMAND git rev-parse "HEAD" WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${relative_path} OUTPUT_VARIABLE localHead)
-      execute_process(COMMAND git rev-parse "HEAD:${relative_path}" WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} OUTPUT_VARIABLE checkedHead)
-      string(COMPARE EQUAL "${localHead}" "${checkedHead}" upToDate)
-      if (upToDate)
-        message(STATUS "Submodule '${relative_path}' is up-to-date")
-      else()
-        message(FATAL_ERROR "Submodule '${relative_path}' is not using the checked head. Please update all submodules with\ngit submodule update --init --force --recursive\nor run cmake with -DMANUAL_SUBMODULES=1,\n or if you want to build from latest master run cmake with -DDEV_MODE=ON,\n or run make devmode")
+if(NOT MANUAL_SUBMODULES)
+  find_package(Git)
+  if(GIT_FOUND)
+    if(NOT DEV_MODE)
+      function (check_submodule relative_path)
+        execute_process(COMMAND git rev-parse "HEAD" WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${relative_path} OUTPUT_VARIABLE localHead)
+        execute_process(COMMAND git rev-parse "HEAD:${relative_path}" WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} OUTPUT_VARIABLE checkedHead)
+        string(COMPARE EQUAL "${localHead}" "${checkedHead}" upToDate)
+        if (upToDate)
+          message(STATUS "Submodule '${relative_path}' is up-to-date")
+        else()
+          message(FATAL_ERROR "Submodule '${relative_path}' is not using the checked head. Please update all submodules with\ngit submodule update --init --force --recursive\nor run cmake with -DMANUAL_SUBMODULES=1,\n or if you want to build from latest master run cmake with -DDEV_MODE=ON,\n or run make devmode")
+        endif()
+      endfunction ()
+      message(STATUS "Checking submodules")
+      check_submodule(monero)
+    else()
+      execute_process(COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} fetch WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/monero RESULT_VARIABLE GIT_FETCH_RESULT)
+      execute_process(COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} checkout -f origin/master WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/monero RESULT_VARIABLE GIT_CHECKOUT_MASTER_RESULT)
+      execute_process(COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} submodule update --init --force --recursive WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/monero RESULT_VARIABLE GIT_SUBMODULE_UPDATE_RESULT)
+      if(NOT GIT_FETCH_RESULT EQUAL "0" OR NOT GIT_CHECKOUT_MASTER_RESULT EQUAL "0" OR NOT GIT_SUBMODULE_UPDATE_RESULT EQUAL "0")
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "Updating git submodule to master (-DDEV_MODE=ON) failed")
       endif()
-    endfunction ()
-    message(STATUS "Checking submodules")
-    check_submodule(monero)
-  else()
-    execute_process(COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} fetch WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/monero RESULT_VARIABLE GIT_FETCH_RESULT)
-    execute_process(COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} checkout -f origin/master WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/monero RESULT_VARIABLE GIT_CHECKOUT_MASTER_RESULT)
-    execute_process(COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} submodule update --init --force --recursive WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/monero RESULT_VARIABLE GIT_SUBMODULE_UPDATE_RESULT)
-    if(NOT GIT_FETCH_RESULT EQUAL "0" OR NOT GIT_CHECKOUT_MASTER_RESULT EQUAL "0" OR NOT GIT_SUBMODULE_UPDATE_RESULT EQUAL "0")
-      message(FATAL_ERROR "Updating git submodule to master (-DDEV_MODE=ON) failed")
     endif()
   endif()
 endif()