diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ecd2bf1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[submodule "ospf-mdr"]
+	path = ospf-mdr
+	url = https://github.com/USNavalResearchLaboratory/ospf-mdr.git
diff --git a/ospf-mdr b/ospf-mdr
new file mode 160000
index 00000000..26fe5a44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ospf-mdr
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 26fe5a4401a26760c553fcadfde5311199e89450
diff --git a/tasks.py b/tasks.py
index ab73ccc8..716d8f47 100644
--- a/tasks.py
+++ b/tasks.py
@@ -186,12 +186,9 @@ def install_ospf_mdr(c: Context, os_info: OsInfo, hide: bool) -> None:
         c.run("sudo apt install -y libtool gawk libreadline-dev git", hide=hide)
     elif os_info.like == OsLike.REDHAT:
         c.run("sudo yum install -y libtool gawk readline-devel git", hide=hide)
-    clone_dir = "/tmp/ospf-mdr"
-    c.run(
-        f"git clone https://github.com/USNavalResearchLaboratory/ospf-mdr {clone_dir}",
-        hide=hide
-    )
-    with c.cd(clone_dir):
+    ospf_mdr_dir = "ospf-mdr"
+    c.run(f"git submodule update --init -- {ospf_mdr_dir}", hide=hide)
+    with c.cd(ospf_mdr_dir):
         c.run("./bootstrap.sh", hide=hide)
         c.run(
             "./configure --disable-doc --enable-user=root --enable-group=root "