diff --git a/firmware/Makefile b/firmware/Makefile
index 92bfbc9..a17dc25 100644
--- a/firmware/Makefile
+++ b/firmware/Makefile
@@ -196,6 +196,15 @@ endif
 #
 
 RULESPATH = $(CHIBIOS)/os/common/startup/ARMCMx/compilers/GCC/mk
+
+ifeq ("$(wildcard $(RULESPATH)/rules.mk)","")
+$(info Invoking "git submodule update --init")
+$(shell git submodule update --init)
+$(info Invoked "git submodule update --init")
+# make is not happy about newly checked out module for some reason but next invocation would work
+$(error Please run 'make' again. Please make sure you have 'git' command in PATH)
+endif
+
 include $(RULESPATH)/arm-none-eabi.mk
 include $(RULESPATH)/rules.mk