diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-linux.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-linux.yml
index 45c9308c7..016d8de15 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-linux.yml
@@ -39,10 +39,23 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           /gitmirror/scripts/trigger_update_mirrors.sh
           /gitmirror/scripts/git_config.sh
+
       - name: "Checking out repository"
-        uses: actions/checkout@8f4b7f84864484a7bf31766abe9204da3cbe65b3 # v3.5.0
-        with:
-          submodules: recursive
+        env:
+          BRANCH_NAME: ${{ github.head_ref || github.ref_name }}
+          REPO_ADDRESS: ${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}
+        run: |
+          git \
+            -c submodule."third_party/torch-mlir".update=none \
+            -c submodule."third_party/stablehlo".update=none \
+            -c submodule."src/runtime_src/core/common/aiebu".update=none \
+            clone \
+            --recursive \
+            --shallow-submodules \
+            --depth 1 \
+            -b $BRANCH_NAME $REPO_ADDRESS
+          
+          cd iree-amd-aie
 
       - name: Install deps
         run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-macos.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-macos.yml
index 0b9a0c9f2..7f46b2cb5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-macos.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-macos.yml
@@ -45,9 +45,21 @@ jobs:
           timezoneWindows: "Singapore Standard Time"
 
       - name: "Checking out repository"
-        uses: actions/checkout@8f4b7f84864484a7bf31766abe9204da3cbe65b3 # v3.5.0
-        with:
-          submodules: recursive
+        env:
+          BRANCH_NAME: ${{ github.head_ref || github.ref_name }}
+          REPO_ADDRESS: ${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}
+        run: |
+          git \
+            -c submodule."third_party/torch-mlir".update=none \
+            -c submodule."third_party/stablehlo".update=none \
+            -c submodule."src/runtime_src/core/common/aiebu".update=none \
+            clone \
+            --recursive \
+            --shallow-submodules \
+            --depth 1 \
+            -b $BRANCH_NAME $REPO_ADDRESS
+          
+          cd iree-amd-aie
 
       - uses: actions/setup-python@v4
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-windows.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-windows.yml
index a6228bf46..0c67c492c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-windows.yml
@@ -48,9 +48,21 @@ jobs:
           timezoneWindows: "Singapore Standard Time"
           
       - name: "Checking out repository"
-        uses: actions/checkout@8f4b7f84864484a7bf31766abe9204da3cbe65b3 # v3.5.0
-        with:
-          submodules: recursive
+        env:
+          BRANCH_NAME: ${{ github.head_ref || github.ref_name }}
+          REPO_ADDRESS: ${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}
+        run: |
+          git \
+            -c submodule."third_party/torch-mlir".update=none \
+            -c submodule."third_party/stablehlo".update=none \
+            -c submodule."src/runtime_src/core/common/aiebu".update=none \
+            clone \
+            --recursive \
+            --shallow-submodules \
+            --depth 1 \
+            -b $BRANCH_NAME $REPO_ADDRESS
+          
+          cd iree-amd-aie
 
       - name: Setup Cpp
         uses: aminya/setup-cpp@v1
diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index b378f3e02..67a096370 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -23,11 +23,3 @@
 	path = third_party/iree
 	url = https://github.com/iree-org/iree.git
 	shallow = true
-[submodule "third_party/stablehlo"]
-	path = third_party/iree/third_party/stablehlo
-	url = https://github.com/iree-org/stablehlo.git
-        update = none
-[submodule "third_party/torch-mlir"]
-	path = third_party/iree/third_party/torch-mlir
-	url = https://github.com/iree-org/torch-mlir.git
-        update = none
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0cfe8042c..4fea5287e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -14,17 +14,37 @@ interfacing the AMD AIE accelerator to IREE.
 
 ## Developer Setup
 
-These instructions assume that you have an appropriate IREE checkout side by side
-with this repository have an IREE build setup in an `iree-build` directory that
-is also a sibling. This is not a requirement, but instructions will need to be
-changed for different paths.
+**Strong recommendation**: check the CI scripts @ [.github/workflows](.github/workflows) - they do a fresh/clean 
+checkout and build and are exercised on every commit *and* are written such that they're simple enough to be read 
+by even a non-CI expert.
 
-Preparing repository:
+### Getting the repository:
+
+Either 
+
+```
+# ssh
+git clone --recursive git@github.com:nod-ai/iree-amd-aie.git
+# https
+git clone --recursive https://github.com/nod-ai/iree-amd-aie.git
+```
+
+or if you want a faster checkout
 
 ```
-git submodule update --init --recursive
+git \
+  -c submodule."third_party/torch-mlir".update=none \
+  -c submodule."third_party/stablehlo".update=none \
+  -c submodule."src/runtime_src/core/common/aiebu".update=none \
+  clone \
+  --recursive \
+  --depth 1 \
+  --shallow-submodules \
+  https://github.com/nod-ai/iree-amd-aie.git
 ```
 
+which has the effect of not cloning entire repo histories *and* skipping nested submodules that we currently do not need.
+
 ## Building (along with IREE)
 
 ### Just show me the CMake