diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 6dce08849..7a68d0b5e 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -132,20 +132,9 @@ else
   have_systemd = false
 endif
 
-if get_option('extensions_tool')
-  autoar_dep = dependency('gnome-autoar-0')
-  json_dep = dependency('json-glib-1.0')
-endif
-
-bash_completion = dependency('bash-completion', required: false)
-
 if get_option('man')
   xsltproc = find_program('xsltproc')
 
-  if get_option('extensions_tool')
-    a2x = find_program('a2x')
-  endif
-
   subdir('man')
 endif
 
@@ -254,6 +243,16 @@ libgvc = subproject('gvc',
 )
 libgvc_gir = libgvc.get_variable('libgvc_gir')
 
+if get_option('extensions_tool')
+  subproject('extensions-tool',
+    default_options: [
+      'man=@0@'.format(get_option('man')),
+      'package_name=@0@'.format(meson.project_name()),
+    ]
+  )
+endif
+
+
 po_dir = join_paths(meson.current_source_dir(), 'po')
 
 subdir('js')
diff --git a/po/POTFILES.in b/po/POTFILES.in
index 33be57b52..c8d6c03de 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.in
+++ b/po/POTFILES.in
@@ -72,17 +72,6 @@ js/ui/windowAttentionHandler.js
 js/ui/windowManager.js
 js/ui/windowMenu.js
 src/calendar-server/evolution-calendar.desktop.in
-src/extensions-tool/command-create.c
-src/extensions-tool/command-disable.c
-src/extensions-tool/command-enable.c
-src/extensions-tool/command-info.c
-src/extensions-tool/command-install.c
-src/extensions-tool/command-list.c
-src/extensions-tool/command-pack.c
-src/extensions-tool/command-prefs.c
-src/extensions-tool/command-reset.c
-src/extensions-tool/command-uninstall.c
-src/extensions-tool/main.c
 src/main.c
 src/shell-app.c
 src/shell-app-system.c
@@ -90,5 +79,16 @@ src/shell-global.c
 src/shell-keyring-prompt.c
 src/shell-polkit-authentication-agent.c
 src/shell-util.c
+subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-create.c
+subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-disable.c
+subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-enable.c
+subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-info.c
+subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-install.c
+subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-list.c
+subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-pack.c
+subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-prefs.c
+subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-reset.c
+subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-uninstall.c
+subprojects/extensions-tool/src/main.c
 # Please do not remove this file from POTFILES.in. Run "git submodule init && git submodule update" to get it.
 subprojects/gvc/gvc-mixer-control.c
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index caf8881e3..ed33d107e 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -6,10 +6,6 @@ subdir('hotplug-sniffer')
 subdir('st')
 subdir('tray')
 
-if get_option('extensions_tool')
-  subdir('extensions-tool')
-endif
-
 script_data = configuration_data()
 script_data.set('bindir', bindir)
 script_data.set('datadir', datadir)
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/COPYING b/subprojects/extensions-tool/COPYING
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/COPYING
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/COPYING
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/completion/bash/gnome-extensions b/subprojects/extensions-tool/completion/bash/gnome-extensions
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/completion/bash/gnome-extensions
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/completion/bash/gnome-extensions
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/man/gnome-extensions.txt b/subprojects/extensions-tool/man/gnome-extensions.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/man/gnome-extensions.txt
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/man/gnome-extensions.txt
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/man/meson.build b/subprojects/extensions-tool/man/meson.build
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/man/meson.build
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/man/meson.build
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/man/stylesheet.xsl b/subprojects/extensions-tool/man/stylesheet.xsl
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/man/stylesheet.xsl
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/man/stylesheet.xsl
diff --git a/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson.build b/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..426c90188
--- /dev/null
+++ b/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+project('gnome-extensions-tool', 'c',
+  version: '3.35.1',
+  meson_version: '>= 0.47.0',
+  license: 'GPLv2+'
+)
+
+gio_req = '>= 2.56.0'
+
+gnome = import('gnome')
+i18n  = import('i18n')
+
+package_name = get_option('package_name')
+prefix = get_option('prefix')
+
+bindir = join_paths(prefix, get_option('bindir'))
+datadir = join_paths(prefix, get_option('datadir'))
+mandir = join_paths(prefix, get_option('mandir'))
+
+localedir = join_paths(datadir, 'locale')
+
+gio_dep = dependency('gio-2.0', version: gio_req)
+gio_unix_dep = dependency('gio-unix-2.0', version: gio_req)
+autoar_dep = dependency('gnome-autoar-0')
+json_dep = dependency('json-glib-1.0')
+
+cc = meson.get_compiler('c')
+
+bash_completion = dependency('bash-completion', required: false)
+
+subdir('src')
+
+if bash_completion.found()
+  install_data('completion/bash/gnome-extensions',
+    install_dir: bash_completion.get_pkgconfig_variable('completionsdir')
+  )
+endif
+
+if get_option('man')
+  a2x = find_program('a2x')
+
+  subdir('man')
+endif
diff --git a/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson_options.txt b/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson_options.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2b7aef6b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/subprojects/extensions-tool/meson_options.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+option('man',
+  type: 'boolean',
+  value: true,
+  description: 'Generate man pages'
+)
+
+option('package_name',
+  type: 'string',
+  value: 'gnome-extensions-tool',
+  description: 'The gettext domain name'
+)
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/command-create.c b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-create.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/command-create.c
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-create.c
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/command-disable.c b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-disable.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/command-disable.c
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-disable.c
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/command-enable.c b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-enable.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/command-enable.c
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-enable.c
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/command-info.c b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-info.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/command-info.c
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-info.c
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/command-install.c b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-install.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/command-install.c
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-install.c
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/command-list.c b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-list.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/command-list.c
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-list.c
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/command-pack.c b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-pack.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/command-pack.c
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-pack.c
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/command-prefs.c b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-prefs.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/command-prefs.c
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-prefs.c
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/command-reset.c b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-reset.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/command-reset.c
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-reset.c
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/command-uninstall.c b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-uninstall.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/command-uninstall.c
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/src/command-uninstall.c
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/commands.h b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/commands.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/commands.h
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/src/commands.h
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/common.h b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/common.h
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/common.h
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/src/common.h
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/gnome-extensions-tool.gresource.xml b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/gnome-extensions-tool.gresource.xml
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/gnome-extensions-tool.gresource.xml
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/src/gnome-extensions-tool.gresource.xml
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/main.c b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/main.c
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/main.c
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/src/main.c
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/meson.build b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/meson.build
similarity index 74%
rename from src/extensions-tool/meson.build
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/src/meson.build
index 25d5118ef..77d62b5e9 100644
--- a/src/extensions-tool/meson.build
+++ b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/meson.build
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 config_h = configuration_data()
-config_h.set_quoted('GETTEXT_PACKAGE', meson.project_name())
+config_h.set_quoted('GETTEXT_PACKAGE', package_name)
 config_h.set_quoted('VERSION', meson.project_version())
 config_h.set_quoted('LOCALEDIR', localedir)
 config_h.set('HAVE_BIND_TEXTDOMAIN_CODESET', cc.has_function('bind_textdomain_codeset'))
@@ -32,13 +32,3 @@ executable('gnome-extensions',
   dependencies: [gio_dep, gio_unix_dep, autoar_dep, json_dep],
   install: true
 )
-
-if bash_completion.found()
-  install_data('completion/bash/gnome-extensions',
-    install_dir: bash_completion.get_pkgconfig_variable('completionsdir')
-  )
-endif
-
-if get_option('man')
-  subdir('man')
-endif
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/template/extension.js b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/template/extension.js
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/template/extension.js
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/src/template/extension.js
diff --git a/src/extensions-tool/template/stylesheet.css b/subprojects/extensions-tool/src/template/stylesheet.css
similarity index 100%
rename from src/extensions-tool/template/stylesheet.css
rename to subprojects/extensions-tool/src/template/stylesheet.css