diff --git a/.github/workflows/debian.yml b/.github/workflows/debian.yml
index f27723b3..12cb450f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/debian.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/debian.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
-          recursive: true
+          submodules: true
           fetch-depth: 1
 
       - name: Set up Python
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker.yml b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
index 9e3aa52a..da4581ca 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
-          recursive: true
+          submodules: true
           fetch-depth: 1
 
       # TODO: as of 2020-11 this helper layer broke, upgrade and re-enable this once it's usable again
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
-          recursive: true
+          submodules: true
           fetch-depth: 1
 
       - name: Set up QEMU
diff --git a/.github/workflows/homebrew.yml b/.github/workflows/homebrew.yml
index 4ddbdfdf..e1c8e069 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/homebrew.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/homebrew.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
-          recursive: true
+          submodules: true
           fetch-depth: 1
 
       - name: Build Homebrew Bottle
diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint.yml b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
index 38e5b3ce..06b4f6c3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
-          recursive: true
+          submodules: true
           fetch-depth: 1
 
       - name: Set up Python
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pip.yml b/.github/workflows/pip.yml
index f671d500..d4f987e9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pip.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pip.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
-          recursive: true
+          submodules: true
           fetch-depth: 1
 
       - name: Set up Python
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 5efddd73..b4ac6bb6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
-          recursive: true
+          submodules: true
           fetch-depth: 1
 
       ### Setup Python & JS Languages