diff --git a/project/bundles/3rdparty/ext_gmicqt/CMakeLists.txt b/project/bundles/3rdparty/ext_gmicqt/CMakeLists.txt
index a7844968d0..fb1c9ac5a7 100644
--- a/project/bundles/3rdparty/ext_gmicqt/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/project/bundles/3rdparty/ext_gmicqt/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,82 +1,59 @@
 # Script to build GMic-Qt for digiKam bundle.
 #
 # Copyright (c) 2015-2020 by Gilles Caulier  <caulier dot gilles at gmail dot com>
 #
 # Redistribution and use is allowed according to the terms of the BSD license.
 # For details see the accompanying COPYING-CMAKE-SCRIPTS file.
 #
 
 SET(PREFIX_ext_gmicqt "${EXTPREFIX}")
 
-SET(GMIC_VERSION v.2.7.1)
-
 set(GmicQt_Conf -DGMIC_QT_HOST=digikam
                 -DENABLE_ASAN=OFF
                 ${GLOBAL_PROFILE}
 )
 
 JoinListAsString("${GmicQt_Conf}" " " BASH_OPTIONS)
 
-# Download the gmic sources
-ExternalProject_Add(ext_gmic_base
-    DOWNLOAD_DIR ${EXTERNALS_DOWNLOAD_DIR}
-
-    GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/dtschump/gmic.git
-    GIT_TAG ${GMIC_VERSION}
-
-    SOURCE_DIR gmic
-
-    BUILD_IN_SOURCE 1
-
-    CONFIGURE_COMMAND ""
-
-    BUILD_COMMAND $(MAKE) -C <SOURCE_DIR>/src gmic_stdlib.h &&
-                  wget -O <SOURCE_DIR>/src/CImg.h -N https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dtschump/CImg/${GMIC_VERSION}/CImg.h
-
-    INSTALL_COMMAND ""
-)
-
 # Download and build gmic-qt
 if (MINGW)
 
     ExternalProject_Add(ext_gmic_qt
 
-        DEPENDS ext_gmic_base
-
         DOWNLOAD_DIR ${EXTERNALS_DOWNLOAD_DIR}
         GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/cgilles/gmic-qt.git
+        GIT_SUBMODULES gmic
         #GIT_TAG ${GMIC_VERSION}
 
         SOURCE_DIR gmic-qt
 
         CONFIGURE_COMMAND cp ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/../../../../bootstrap.mxe <SOURCE_DIR>/. &&
                           <SOURCE_DIR>/bootstrap.mxe ${MXE_BUILDROOT} RelWithDebInfo ${BASH_OPTIONS}
 
         BUILD_COMMAND cd <SOURCE_DIR>/build.mxe && $(MAKE)
 
         INSTALL_COMMAND cd <SOURCE_DIR>/build.mxe && make install/fast
 
         BUILD_IN_SOURCE 1
 
         UPDATE_COMMAND ""
     )
 
 else() # MacOS and Linux
 
     ExternalProject_Add(ext_gmic_qt
 
-        DEPENDS ext_gmic_base
-
         DOWNLOAD_DIR ${EXTERNALS_DOWNLOAD_DIR}
         GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/cgilles/gmic-qt.git
+        GIT_SUBMODULES gmic
         #GIT_TAG ${GMIC_VERSION}
 
         SOURCE_DIR gmic-qt
         INSTALL_DIR ${PREFIX_ext_gmicqt}
 
         CMAKE_ARGS -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${PREFIX_ext_gmic} -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo ${GmicQt_Conf}
 
         UPDATE_COMMAND ""
     )
 
 endif()