diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2e21988..4c8cba1 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -32,16 +32,8 @@ if (IMAGINEMODELS_COMPILE_TESTS)
     if (Catch2_FOUND)         
         message("-- global installation of catch2 library found. Tests will be compiled.")
     else()
-    message("-- no global installation of catch2 library found. Trying to include it as a submodule.")
-        set(INTERNAL_findCatch2_DIR ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/extern/Catch2)
-        if(NOT EXISTS ${INTERNAL_findCatch2_DIR})
-            message("The catch2 submodule was not found! Please run 'git submodule update --init'. Alternatively you can install catch2 globally on your system. Will proceed without compiling the tests." )
-            set(IMAGINEMODELS_COMPILE_TESTS OFF) 
-        else()
-            add_subdirectory(${INTERNAL_findCatch2_DIR})
-            message("-- catch2 library found as a submodule. Tests will be compiled.")
-            set(Catch2_FOUND ON) 
-        endif()
+    message("-- The catch2 submodule was not found! Will proceed without compiling the tests." )
+        set(IMAGINEMODELS_COMPILE_TESTS OFF) 
     endif()
 else()
     set(Catch2_FOUND OFF) 
@@ -53,23 +45,15 @@ endif()
 if (IMAGINEMODELS_USE_AUTODIFF)
     find_package(Eigen3 NO_MODULE)
     if(NOT Eigen3_FOUND)
-        message("-- Could not find Eigen3 library globally! Trying to include it as a submodule.")
-        set(EIGEN_PATH ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/extern/Eigen3/cmake)
-        if(NOT EXISTS ${EIGEN_PATH})
-            message("The Eigen3 submodule was not found! Please run 'git submodule update --init' OR set the EIGEN_PATH variable to the eigen header files manually. Will proceed with autodifferentiation disabled." )
-            set(IMAGINEMODELS_USE_AUTODIFF OFF) 
-            set(autodiff_FOUND OFF) 
-        else()
-            message("-- Eigen3 library found as a submodule  at ${EIGEN_PATH}. Trying to find autodiff now.")
-            set(Eigen3_FOUND ON) 
-        endif()
+        message("-- Could not find Eigen3 library! Will proceed with autodifferentiation disabled.")
+        set(IMAGINEMODELS_USE_AUTODIFF OFF) 
+        set(autodiff_FOUND OFF) 
     else()
         message("-- Eigen3 library at ${EIGEN_PATH} found. Trying to find autodiff now.")
     endif()
 
     list(APPEND CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH ${EIGEN_PATH})
     set(Eigen3_DIR ${EIGEN_PATH})
-    message("-- CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH ${CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH} ")
 
     if (Eigen3_FOUND)
 
@@ -78,19 +62,10 @@ if (IMAGINEMODELS_USE_AUTODIFF)
         message("-- Trying to find autodiff. Turn off via setting 'IMAGINEMODELS_USE_AUTODIFF=OFF' in your environment before installation. ")
         find_package(autodiff)
         if (autodiff_FOUND)         
-            message("-- global installation of the autodiff library found: attempting to find Eigen3.")
+            message("-- installation of the autodiff library found. Autodifferentiation will be enabled")
         else() 
-        message("-- no global installation of autodiff library found. Trying to include it as a submodule.")
-            set(INTERNAL_findautodiff_DIR ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/extern/autodiff)
-            if(NOT EXISTS ${INTERNAL_findautodiff_DIR})
-                message("The autodiff submodule was not found! Please run 'git submodule update --init'. Alternatively you can install autodiff globally on your system." )
-                set(IMAGINEMODELS_USE_AUTODIFF OFF) 
-                set(autodiff_FOUND OFF) 
-            else()
-                add_subdirectory(${INTERNAL_findautodiff_DIR})
-                message("-- autodiff library found as a submodule. Tests will be compiled.")
-                set(autodiff_FOUND ON) 
-            endif()
+            message("-- The autodiff library was not found! Will proceed with autodifferentiation disabled." )
+            set(IMAGINEMODELS_USE_AUTODIFF OFF) 
         endif()
     endif()
 else()