diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
deleted file mode 100644
index ebcf3a27..00000000
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-[submodule "repo/indentlog"]
-    path = repo/indentlog
-    url = git@github.com:Rconybea/indentlog.git
-[submodule "repo/refcnt"]
-	path = repo/refcnt
-	url = git@github.com:Rconybea/refcnt.git
-[submodule "repo/subsys"]
-	path = repo/subsys
-	url = git@github.com:Rconybea/subsys.git
diff --git a/repo/README.md b/repo/README.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 3acdcde4..00000000
--- a/repo/README.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-
-```
-cd reflect/repo
-git submodule add git@github.com/someusername/someproject.git
-```
diff --git a/repo/refcnt b/repo/refcnt
deleted file mode 160000
index 4b3c854f..00000000
--- a/repo/refcnt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 4b3c854fc7872ba404ce4e0af25ecfdc47822ae1
diff --git a/repo/subsys b/repo/subsys
deleted file mode 160000
index 1c384e1f..00000000
--- a/repo/subsys
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 1c384e1ff0a01885bdf0713be858085814b6ece6
diff --git a/src/reflect/CMakeLists.txt b/src/reflect/CMakeLists.txt
index e1c1f65f..799cd10f 100644
--- a/src/reflect/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/reflect/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ xo_install_library(${SELF_LIBRARY_NAME})
 #xo_refcnt_dependency(${SELF_LIBRARY_NAME})
 #xo_indentlog_dependency(${SELF_LIBRARY_NAME})
 
-add_dependencies(${SELF_LIBRARY_NAME} refcnt)
+find_package(refcnt REQUIRED)
+#add_dependencies(${SELF_LIBRARY_NAME} refcnt)
 target_include_directories(
     ${SELF_LIBRARY_NAME} PUBLIC
     $<BUILD_INTERFACE:${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/local/include>
@@ -33,7 +34,8 @@ target_include_directories(
 )
 target_link_libraries(${SELF_LIBRARY_NAME} PUBLIC refcnt)
 
-add_dependencies(${SELF_LIBRARY_NAME} indentlog)
+find_package(indentlog REQUIRED)
+#add_dependencies(${SELF_LIBRARY_NAME} indentlog)
 # note:  can't use find_package() here,
 #        because find_package() needs to run successfully before
 #        dependency gets installed.