diff --git a/.github/workflows/backport_branches.yml b/.github/workflows/backport_branches.yml
index def9989748c1..476918602d69 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/backport_branches.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/backport_branches.yml
@@ -402,6 +402,13 @@ jobs:
           clear-repository: true
           submodules: true
           fetch-depth: 0 # otherwise we will have no info about contributors
+      - name: Apply sparse checkout for contrib # in order to check that it doesn't break build
+        run: |
+          rm -rf "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" && echo 'removed'
+          git -C "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE" checkout .  && echo 'restored'
+          "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib/update-submodules.sh" && echo 'OK'
+          du -hs "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" ||:
+          find "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" -type f | wc -l ||:
       - name: Build
         run: |
           sudo rm -fr "$TEMP_PATH"
@@ -444,6 +451,13 @@ jobs:
           clear-repository: true
           submodules: true
           fetch-depth: 0 # otherwise we will have no info about contributors
+      - name: Apply sparse checkout for contrib # in order to check that it doesn't break build
+        run: |
+          rm -rf "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" && echo 'removed'
+          git -C "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE" checkout .  && echo 'restored'
+          "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib/update-submodules.sh" && echo 'OK'
+          du -hs "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" ||:
+          find "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" -type f | wc -l ||:
       - name: Build
         run: |
           sudo rm -fr "$TEMP_PATH"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/master.yml b/.github/workflows/master.yml
index 1619799f0b97..4283b14319a7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/master.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/master.yml
@@ -584,6 +584,13 @@ jobs:
           clear-repository: true
           submodules: true
           fetch-depth: 0 # otherwise we will have no info about contributors
+      - name: Apply sparse checkout for contrib # in order to check that it doesn't break build
+        run: |
+          rm -rf "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" && echo 'removed'
+          git -C "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE" checkout .  && echo 'restored'
+          "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib/update-submodules.sh" && echo 'OK'
+          du -hs "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" ||:
+          find "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" -type f | wc -l ||:
       - name: Build
         run: |
           sudo rm -fr "$TEMP_PATH"
@@ -710,6 +717,13 @@ jobs:
           clear-repository: true
           submodules: true
           fetch-depth: 0 # otherwise we will have no info about contributors
+      - name: Apply sparse checkout for contrib # in order to check that it doesn't break build
+        run: |
+          rm -rf "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" && echo 'removed'
+          git -C "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE" checkout .  && echo 'restored'
+          "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib/update-submodules.sh" && echo 'OK'
+          du -hs "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" ||:
+          find "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" -type f | wc -l ||:
       - name: Build
         run: |
           sudo rm -fr "$TEMP_PATH"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pull_request.yml b/.github/workflows/pull_request.yml
index a26e0ea3679d..51f5fc55fc97 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pull_request.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pull_request.yml
@@ -651,6 +651,13 @@ jobs:
         with:
           clear-repository: true
           submodules: true
+      - name: Apply sparse checkout for contrib # in order to check that it doesn't break build
+        run: |
+          rm -rf "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" && echo 'removed'
+          git -C "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE" checkout .  && echo 'restored'
+          "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib/update-submodules.sh" && echo 'OK'
+          du -hs "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" ||:
+          find "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" -type f | wc -l ||:
       - name: Build
         run: |
           sudo rm -fr "$TEMP_PATH"
@@ -774,6 +781,13 @@ jobs:
         with:
           clear-repository: true
           submodules: true
+      - name: Apply sparse checkout for contrib # in order to check that it doesn't break build
+        run: |
+          rm -rf "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" && echo 'removed'
+          git -C "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE" checkout .  && echo 'restored'
+          "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib/update-submodules.sh" && echo 'OK'
+          du -hs "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" ||:
+          find "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" -type f | wc -l ||:
       - name: Build
         run: |
           sudo rm -fr "$TEMP_PATH"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release_branches.yml b/.github/workflows/release_branches.yml
index c8a602ac2b70..5c9d05bbf127 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release_branches.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release_branches.yml
@@ -459,6 +459,13 @@ jobs:
           clear-repository: true
           submodules: true
           fetch-depth: 0 # otherwise we will have no info about contributors
+      - name: Apply sparse checkout for contrib # in order to check that it doesn't break build
+        run: |
+          rm -rf "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" && echo 'removed'
+          git -C "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE" checkout .  && echo 'restored'
+          "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib/update-submodules.sh" && echo 'OK'
+          du -hs "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" ||:
+          find "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" -type f | wc -l ||:
       - name: Build
         run: |
           sudo rm -fr "$TEMP_PATH"
@@ -501,6 +508,13 @@ jobs:
           clear-repository: true
           submodules: true
           fetch-depth: 0 # otherwise we will have no info about contributors
+      - name: Apply sparse checkout for contrib # in order to check that it doesn't break build
+        run: |
+          rm -rf "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" && echo 'removed'
+          git -C "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE" checkout .  && echo 'restored'
+          "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib/update-submodules.sh" && echo 'OK'
+          du -hs "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" ||:
+          find "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/contrib" -type f | wc -l ||:
       - name: Build
         run: |
           sudo rm -fr "$TEMP_PATH"
diff --git a/docker/packager/binary/build.sh b/docker/packager/binary/build.sh
index c0803c741475..d962f385f1bb 100755
--- a/docker/packager/binary/build.sh
+++ b/docker/packager/binary/build.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ if [ "$EXTRACT_TOOLCHAIN_DARWIN" = "1" ]; then
   mkdir -p /build/cmake/toolchain/darwin-x86_64
   tar xJf /MacOSX11.0.sdk.tar.xz -C /build/cmake/toolchain/darwin-x86_64 --strip-components=1
   ln -sf darwin-x86_64 /build/cmake/toolchain/darwin-aarch64
+
+  if [ "$EXPORT_SOURCES_WITH_SUBMODULES" = "1" ]; then
+    cd /build
+    tar --exclude-vcs-ignores --exclude-vcs --exclude build --exclude build_docker --exclude debian --exclude .git --exclude .github --exclude .cache --exclude docs --exclude tests/integration -c . | pigz -9 > /output/source_sub.tar.gz
+  fi
 fi
 
 # Uncomment to debug ccache. Don't put ccache log in /output right away, or it
diff --git a/docker/packager/packager b/docker/packager/packager
index 60df503658e1..59a92456a848 100755
--- a/docker/packager/packager
+++ b/docker/packager/packager
@@ -172,6 +172,7 @@ def parse_env_variables(
             "-DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=/build/cmake/darwin/toolchain-x86_64.cmake"
         )
         result.append("EXTRACT_TOOLCHAIN_DARWIN=1")
+        result.append("EXPORT_SOURCES_WITH_SUBMODULES=1")
     elif is_cross_darwin_arm:
         cc = compiler[: -len(DARWIN_ARM_SUFFIX)]
         cmake_flags.append("-DCMAKE_AR:FILEPATH=/cctools/bin/aarch64-apple-darwin-ar")