diff --git a/.github/workflows/buildLoadup.yml b/.github/workflows/buildLoadup.yml
index 53785188..eca862e6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/buildLoadup.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/buildLoadup.yml
@@ -124,6 +124,8 @@ jobs:
       # Checkout latest commit
       - name: Checkout Medley
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          submodules: true
 
       # Setup release tag
       - name: Setup Release Tag
@@ -191,18 +193,6 @@ jobs:
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.MAIKO_TOKEN }}
 
-      # Checkout Notecards and tar it in the tarballsdir
-      - name: Checkout Notecards
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          repository: ${{ github.repository_owner }}/notecards
-          path: ./notecards
-      - name: Tar notecards into tarball dir
-        run: |
-          mv ./notecards ../notecards
-          cd ../notecards
-          git archive --format=tgz --output="${TARBALL_DIR}/notecards.tgz" --prefix=notecards/ main
-
       # Install vnc
       - name: Install vnc
         run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y tightvncserver
diff --git a/.github/workflows/doHCFILES.yml b/.github/workflows/doHCFILES.yml
index 2d37f7c0..ecfb8fd9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/doHCFILES.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/doHCFILES.yml
@@ -51,33 +51,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Checkout Medley repo
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
-      - name: Checkout maiko
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          repository: ${{ github.repository_owner }}/maiko
-          path: ./maiko
-
-      - name: Checkout notecards
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          repository: ${{ github.repository_owner }}/notecards
-          path: ./notecards
-
-      - name: Checkout loops
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          repository: ${{ github.repository_owner }}/loops
-          path: ./loops
-
-      - name: Checkout test
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          repository: ${{ github.repository_owner }}/test
-          path: ./test
-
-      - name: Cleanup .git for notecards, loops, test
-        run: rm -rf ./notecards/.git ./loops/.git ./test/.git
+          submodules: true
 
       - name: Download Maiko
         run: |
diff --git a/scripts/make-gh-pages.md b/scripts/make-gh-pages.md
index a3808085..96f7d58e 100644
--- a/scripts/make-gh-pages.md
+++ b/scripts/make-gh-pages.md
@@ -5,18 +5,20 @@ HCFILES writes in {MEDLEYDIR} but it should write in something like (SRCDIR)
 
 ## Remove extraneous files
 
-There are lots of ways to get there but basically set up the execution environment with everything clean but notecards loops, test are copied in. If you don't make fresh, at least 'git clean'.
+There are lots of ways to get there but basically set up the execution environment with everything clean. If you don't make fresh, at least 'git clean'.
 
 ```
-gh repo clone interlisp/medley
-gh repo clone interlisp/notecards
-gh repo clone interlisp/loops
-gh repo clone interlisp/test
-
-cp -r notecards loops test medley
-rm -rf notecards/.git loops/.git test/.git
+git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/Interlisp/medley
 ```
 
+Or, if you already have a clone:
+
+```
+git submodule update --init --recursive
+```
+
+This will populate notecards, loops, test (and maiko) inside the medley directory.
+
 # making the .pdfs and index.html files
 
 ## best start with a fresh loadup
@@ -62,6 +64,5 @@ after you've done this, you can clean up (from the medley folder):
 ```
 find . -iname "*.pdf" -exec rm {} \;
 git remote set-url --push https://github.com/Interlisp/medley
-rm -rf loops notecards test
 ```