diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e11bd632..a89a4326 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ set_target_properties(phoenix
 # when building tests, create a test executable and load it into CTest
 if (CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR STREQUAL CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR)
     enable_testing()
-    include(vendor/doctest/scripts/cmake/doctest.cmake)
+    include(${doctest_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts/cmake/doctest.cmake)
 
     add_executable(phoenix-tests ${PHOENIX_TESTS})
     target_link_libraries(phoenix-tests PRIVATE phoenix doctest_with_main)
diff --git a/vendor/CMakeLists.txt b/vendor/CMakeLists.txt
index 4eb73ec5..3acd9240 100644
--- a/vendor/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/vendor/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,12 +2,77 @@ include(FetchContent)
 
 option(BUILD_STATIC_LIBS ON)
 option(BUILD_SHARED_LIBS OFF)
+ 
+
+# add doctest
+FetchContent_Declare(
+        doctest
+        URL https://github.com/doctest/doctest/archive/refs/tags/v2.4.9.zip
+        URL_HASH SHA1=d1563419fa370c34c90e028c2e903a70c8dc07b2
+)
+
+if (NOT doctest_POPULATED)
+    message(STATUS "Downloading doctest")
+    FetchContent_Populate(doctest)
+    add_subdirectory(${doctest_SOURCE_DIR} ${doctest_BINARY_DIR})
+endif ()
+ 
+  
+# add mio
+FetchContent_Declare(
+        mio
+        URL https://github.com/mandreyel/mio/archive/3f86a95c0784d73ce6815237ec33ed25f233b643.zip
+        URL_HASH SHA1=62a0e43b07a6b66e415ad01f4b225c72a3c9935b
+)
+
+if (NOT mio_POPULATED)
+    message(STATUS "Downloading mio")
+    FetchContent_Populate(mio)
+    add_subdirectory(${mio_SOURCE_DIR} ${mio_BINARY_DIR})
+endif ()
+
+
+# add lexy
+FetchContent_Declare(
+        lexy
+        URL https://github.com/foonathan/lexy/releases/download/v2022.05.1/lexy-src.zip
+        URL_HASH SHA1=252185ebbf004047725f9ed98b4e8b6e4aa06d98
+)
+
+if (NOT lexy_POPULATED)
+    message(STATUS "Downloading lexy")
+    FetchContent_Populate(lexy)
+    add_subdirectory(${lexy_SOURCE_DIR} ${lexy_BINARY_DIR})
+endif ()
+
+
+# add fmt
+FetchContent_Declare(
+        fmt
+        URL https://github.com/fmtlib/fmt/releases/download/9.1.0/fmt-9.1.0.zip
+        URL_HASH SHA1=8de922ba88fccaec1e7778bc069f342084573486
+)
+
+if (NOT fmt_POPULATED)
+    message(STATUS "Downloading fmt")
+    FetchContent_Populate(fmt)
+    add_subdirectory(${fmt_SOURCE_DIR} ${fmt_BINARY_DIR})
+endif ()
+
+
+# add glm
+FetchContent_Declare(
+        glm
+        URL https://github.com/g-truc/glm/releases/download/0.9.9.8/glm-0.9.9.8.zip
+        URL_HASH SHA1=45408897f419944fb28d8fd835791f237be2ec19
+)
+
+if (NOT glm_POPULATED)
+    message(STATUS "Downloading glm")
+    FetchContent_Populate(glm)
+    add_subdirectory(${glm_SOURCE_DIR} ${glm_BINARY_DIR})
+endif ()
 
-add_subdirectory(glm)
-add_subdirectory(fmt)
-add_subdirectory(doctest)
-add_subdirectory(mio)
-add_subdirectory(lexy)
 
 # msvc: disable -wno-* flags
 if (NOT MSVC)
@@ -22,6 +87,7 @@ FetchContent_Declare(
 )
 
 if (NOT libsquish_POPULATED)
+    message(STATUS "Downloading squish")
     FetchContent_Populate(libsquish)
 
     SET(BUILD_SQUISH_WITH_OPENMP OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
diff --git a/vendor/doctest b/vendor/doctest
deleted file mode 160000
index bc548749..00000000
--- a/vendor/doctest
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit bc5487492936487346fcd076062f987f61ba298d
diff --git a/vendor/fmt b/vendor/fmt
deleted file mode 160000
index 29c60001..00000000
--- a/vendor/fmt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 29c6000137dd94151b61e34fc9f658304878d71e
diff --git a/vendor/glm b/vendor/glm
deleted file mode 160000
index cc98465e..00000000
--- a/vendor/glm
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit cc98465e3508535ba8c7f6208df934c156a018dc
diff --git a/vendor/lexy b/vendor/lexy
deleted file mode 160000
index 5799f027..00000000
--- a/vendor/lexy
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 5799f0278fa89dcd781ed404b998c7381573871b
diff --git a/vendor/mio b/vendor/mio
deleted file mode 160000
index 3f86a95c..00000000
--- a/vendor/mio
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 3f86a95c0784d73ce6815237ec33ed25f233b643