diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 5e9d253c7a..b8a9b0e06f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -110,14 +110,22 @@ include(px4_parse_function_args)
 #=============================================================================
 # git
 #
+find_package(Git QUIET)
 include(px4_git)
 
+# sync submodules
 execute_process(
-	COMMAND git describe --exclude ext/* --always --tags
-	OUTPUT_VARIABLE PX4_GIT_TAG
-	OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
-	WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR}
-	)
+        COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} submodule sync --recursive --quiet
+        OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_SUBMODULE_SYNC
+        WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR}
+)
+
+execute_process(
+        COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} describe --exclude ext/* --always --tags
+        OUTPUT_VARIABLE PX4_GIT_TAG
+        OUTPUT_STRIP_TRAILING_WHITESPACE
+        WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR}
+)
 message(STATUS "PX4 version: ${PX4_GIT_TAG}")
 
 define_property(GLOBAL PROPERTY PX4_MODULE_LIBRARIES
diff --git a/Tools/check_submodules.sh b/Tools/check_submodules.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 4304070e58..0000000000
--- a/Tools/check_submodules.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,85 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-
-function check_git_submodule {
-
-# The .git exists in a submodule if init and update have been done.
-if [[ -f $1"/.git" || -d $1"/.git" ]]; then
-
-	# always update within CI environment or configuring withing VSCode CMake where you can't interact
-	if [ "$CI" == "true" ] || [ -n "${VSCODE_PID+set}" ]; then
-		git submodule --quiet sync --recursive -- $1
-		git submodule --quiet update --init --recursive --jobs=8 -- $1  || true
-		git submodule --quiet update --init --recursive --jobs=8 -- $1
-		exit 0
-	fi
-
-	SUBMODULE_STATUS=$(git submodule summary "$1")
-	STATUSRETVAL=$(echo $SUBMODULE_STATUS | grep -A20 -i "$1")
-	if ! [[ -z "$STATUSRETVAL" ]]; then
-		echo -e "\033[31mChecked $1 submodule, ACTION REQUIRED:\033[0m"
-		echo ""
-		echo -e "Different commits:"
-		echo -e "$SUBMODULE_STATUS"
-		echo ""
-		echo ""
-		echo -e " *******************************************************************************"
-		echo -e " *   \033[31mIF YOU DID NOT CHANGE THIS FILE (OR YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A SUBMODULE IS):\033[0m  *"
-		echo -e " *   \033[31mHit 'u' and <ENTER> to update ALL submodules and resolve this.\033[0m            *"
-		echo -e " *   (performs \033[94mgit submodule sync --recursive\033[0m                                  *"
-		echo -e " *    and \033[94mgit submodule update --init --recursive\033[0m )                            *"
-		echo -e " *******************************************************************************"
-		echo ""
-		echo ""
-		echo -e "   Only for EXPERTS:"
-		echo -e "   $1 submodule is not in the recommended version."
-		echo -e "   Hit 'y' and <ENTER> to continue the build with this version. Hit <ENTER> to resolve manually."
-		echo -e "   Use \033[94mgit add $1 && git commit -m 'Updated $1'\033[0m to choose this version (careful!)"
-		echo ""
-		read user_cmd
-		if [ "$user_cmd" == "y" ]; then
-			echo "Continuing build with manually overridden submodule.."
-		elif [ "$user_cmd" == "u" ]; then
-			git submodule sync --recursive -- $1
-			git submodule update --init --recursive -- $1 || true
-			git submodule update --init --recursive --force -- $1
-			echo "Submodule fixed, continuing build.."
-		else
-			echo "Build aborted."
-			exit 1
-		fi
-	fi
-else
-	git submodule --quiet sync --recursive --quiet -- $1
-	git submodule --quiet update --init --recursive -- $1  || true
-	git submodule --quiet update --init --recursive -- $1
-fi
-
-}
-
-# If called with a path then respect $GIT_SUBMODULES_ARE_EVIL but do normal processing
-if [ "$#" != "0" ]; then
-	# called with a path then process only that path but respect $GIT_SUBMODULES_ARE_EVIL
-	[ -n "$GIT_SUBMODULES_ARE_EVIL" ] && {
-		# GIT_SUBMODULES_ARE_EVIL is set, meaning user doesn't want submodules updated
-		exit 0
-	}
-
-	check_git_submodule $1
-
-else
-
-	[ -n "$GIT_SUBMODULES_ARE_EVIL" ] && {
-		# GIT_SUBMODULES_ARE_EVIL is set, meaning user doesn't want submodules updated
-		echo "GIT_SUBMODULES_ARE_EVIL is defined - Skipping All submodule checking!"
-		exit 0
-	}
-
-	submodules=$(git submodule status | awk '{ print $2 }')
-	for i in $submodules;
-	do
-		check_git_submodule $i
-	done
-
-fi
-
-exit 0
diff --git a/cmake/px4_git.cmake b/cmake/px4_git.cmake
index 22fb7d358b..e789ece767 100644
--- a/cmake/px4_git.cmake
+++ b/cmake/px4_git.cmake
@@ -62,30 +62,120 @@ function(px4_add_git_submodule)
 		REQUIRED TARGET PATH
 		ARGN ${ARGN})
 
-	set(REL_PATH)
+	option(GIT_SUBMODULE "Check submodules during build" ON)
 
-	if(IS_ABSOLUTE ${PATH})
-		file(RELATIVE_PATH REL_PATH ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR} ${PATH})
-	else()
-		file(RELATIVE_PATH REL_PATH ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${PATH})
+	# ENV GIT_SUBMODULES_ARE_EVIL
+
+	# ENV TERM_PROGRAM="vscode"
+	# ENV VSCODE_GIT_ASKPASS_MAIN
+	# ENV VSCODE_GIT_ASKPASS_NODE
+	# ENV VSCODE_GIT_IPC_HANDLE
+	# ENV VSCODE_IPC_HOOK_CLI
+
+	# if CI or vscode then force submodule update?
+
+	if(DEFINED ENV{VSCODE_IPC_HOOK_CLI})
+		#message(STATUS "VSCODE_IPC_HOOK_CLI: $ENV{VSCODE_IPC_HOOK_CLI}")
+
+		#message(STATUS "TERM_PROGRAM: $ENV{TERM_PROGRAM}")
+
+		#message(STATUS "VSCODE_GIT_ASKPASS_MAIN: $ENV{VSCODE_GIT_ASKPASS_MAIN}")
+		#message(STATUS "VSCODE_GIT_ASKPASS_NODE: $ENV{VSCODE_GIT_ASKPASS_NODE}")
+		#message(STATUS "VSCODE_GIT_IPC_HANDLE: $ENV{VSCODE_GIT_IPC_HANDLE}")
 	endif()
 
-	execute_process(
-		COMMAND Tools/check_submodules.sh ${REL_PATH}
-		WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR}
-		)
+	if(GIT_FOUND AND GIT_SUBMODULE AND NOT DEFINED ENV{GIT_SUBMODULES_ARE_EVIL})
 
-	string(REPLACE "/" "_" NAME ${PATH})
-	string(REPLACE "." "_" NAME ${NAME})
+		set(REL_PATH)
 
-	add_custom_command(OUTPUT ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/git_init_${NAME}.stamp
-		COMMAND Tools/check_submodules.sh ${REL_PATH}
-		COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E touch ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/git_init_${NAME}.stamp
-		DEPENDS ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR}/.gitmodules ${PATH}/.git
-		COMMENT "git submodule ${REL_PATH}"
-		WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR}
-		USES_TERMINAL
-		)
+		if(IS_ABSOLUTE ${PATH})
+			file(RELATIVE_PATH REL_PATH ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR} ${PATH})
+		else()
+			file(RELATIVE_PATH REL_PATH ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${PATH})
+		endif()
 
-	add_custom_target(${TARGET} DEPENDS git_init_${NAME}.stamp)
+		if(NOT EXISTS ${PATH}/.git)
+			execute_process(
+				COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} submodule update --init --recursive --jobs=4 -- ${REL_PATH}
+				OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_SUBMODULE_UPDATE
+				RESULT_VARIABLE GIT_SUBMODULE_UPDATE_RESULT
+				WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR}
+			)
+			if(NOT GIT_SUBMODULE_UPDATE_RESULT EQUAL "0")
+				message(FATAL_ERROR "git submodule update --init --recursive -- ${REL_PATH} failed: ${GIT_SUBMODULE_UPDATE}")
+			endif()
+
+		else()
+			execute_process(
+				COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} submodule status -- ${REL_PATH}
+				OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_SUBMODULE_STATUS
+				RESULT_VARIABLE GIT_SUBMODULE_STATUS_RESULT
+				WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR}
+			)
+			#message(STATUS "git submodule status ${REL_PATH} result ${GIT_SUBMODULE_STATUS_RESULT} : ${GIT_SUBMODULE_STATUS}")
+
+			if(NOT GIT_SUBMODULE_STATUS_RESULT EQUAL "0")
+				message(FATAL_ERROR "git submodule status -- ${REL_PATH} failed: ${GIT_SUBMODULE_STATUS}")
+			else()
+				# submodule status characters
+				string(FIND "${GIT_SUBMODULE_STATUS}" "+" submodule_plus)
+				string(FIND "${GIT_SUBMODULE_STATUS}" "-" submodule_minus)
+				string(FIND "${GIT_SUBMODULE_STATUS}" "U" submodule_merge_conflicts)
+
+				# + commit does not match the SHA-1 found in the index
+				if("${submodule_plus}" EQUAL 0)
+					# GIT_SHA_HEAD: submodule git SHA on current HEAD
+					execute_process(
+						COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} ls-tree -d HEAD ${REL_PATH} | awk '{print $3;}
+						OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_SHA_HEAD
+						WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR}
+					)
+
+					# GIT_SHA_PREV_HEAD: submodule git SHA on previous HEAD
+					execute_process(
+						COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} ls-tree -d HEAD@{1} ${REL_PATH} | awk '{print $3;}
+						OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_SHA_PREV_HEAD
+						WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR}
+					)
+
+					#message(STATUS "GIT_SHA_HEAD: ${GIT_SHA_HEAD}")
+					#message(STATUS "GIT_SHA_PREV_HEAD: ${GIT_SHA_PREV_HEAD}")
+
+					# TODO: check if submodule is dirty?
+
+					if(${GIT_SHA_HEAD} MATCHES ${GIT_SHA_PREV_HEAD})
+						#message(STATUS "${rel_path} GIT SHA matched previous")
+						# submodule hasn't changed, assume it's safe to update
+						execute_process(
+							COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} submodule update --init --recursive --jobs=4 -- ${REL_PATH}
+							OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_SUBMODULE_UPDATE
+							WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR}
+						)
+					else()
+						message(NOTICE "submodule ${REL_PATH} commit does not match the SHA-1 found in the index")
+					endif()
+				endif()
+
+				# - uninitialized
+				if("${submodule_minus}" EQUAL 0)
+					execute_process(
+						COMMAND ${GIT_EXECUTABLE} submodule update --init --recursive --jobs=4 -- ${REL_PATH}
+						OUTPUT_VARIABLE GIT_SUBMODULE_UPDATE
+						WORKING_DIRECTORY ${PX4_SOURCE_DIR}
+					)
+				endif()
+
+				# U merge conflicts
+				if("${submodule_merge_conflicts}" EQUAL 0)
+					message(NOTICE "submodule ${REL_PATH} has merge conflicts")
+				endif()
+			endif()
+		endif()
+
+
+		add_custom_target(${TARGET})
+
+		set_property(DIRECTORY APPEND PROPERTY CMAKE_CONFIGURE_DEPENDS ${PATH}/.git)
+
+	endif()
 endfunction()