diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 609cdba06..dfe115c70 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -185,6 +185,8 @@ potfile_js_check:
 build:
   stage: build
   needs: ["check_commit_log"]
+  variables:
+    GIT_SUBMODULE_STRATEGY: normal
   before_script:
     - .gitlab-ci/checkout-mutter.sh
     - meson mutter mutter/build --prefix=/usr
@@ -203,6 +205,7 @@ test:
   stage: test
   needs: ["build"]
   variables:
+    GIT_SUBMODULE_STRATEGY: normal
     XDG_RUNTIME_DIR: "$CI_PROJECT_DIR/runtime-dir"
     NO_AT_BRIDGE: "1"
   before_script:
@@ -225,6 +228,8 @@ test-coverity:
   needs: ["build"]
   stage: analyze
   allow_failure: true
+  variables:
+    GIT_SUBMODULE_STRATEGY: normal
   before_script:
     - meson install -C mutter/build
   script:
@@ -260,6 +265,7 @@ dist:
   variables:
     XDG_RUNTIME_DIR: "$CI_PROJECT_DIR/runtime-dir"
     NO_AT_BRIDGE: "1"
+    GIT_SUBMODULE_STRATEGY: normal
   stage: deploy
   needs: ["build"]
   before_script: