diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index b0cfabbf71..f312bc0931 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -16,14 +16,11 @@ jobs:
       env:
         GITHUB_CONTEXT: ${{ toJson(github) }}
       run: echo "$GITHUB_CONTEXT"
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v2.2.0
       with:
         submodules: true
         fetch-depth: 0
     - run: git fetch --recurse-submodules=no https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*
-    - run: git submodule sync
-    - run: git submodule foreach git remote -v
-    - run: git submodule foreach git fetch --recurse-submodules=no origin +refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*
     - name: CircuitPython version
       run: git describe --dirty --tags
     - name: Set up Python 3.8
@@ -118,14 +115,11 @@ jobs:
         gcc --version
         python3 --version
         msgfmt --version
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v2.2.0
       with:
         submodules: true
         fetch-depth: 0
     - run: git fetch --recurse-submodules=no https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*
-    - run: git submodule sync
-    - run: git submodule foreach git remote -v
-    - run: git submodule foreach git fetch --recurse-submodules=no origin +refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*
     - name: CircuitPython version
       run: git describe --dirty --tags
     - name: Build mpy-cross
@@ -294,14 +288,11 @@ jobs:
         gcc --version
         arm-none-eabi-gcc --version
         python3 --version
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v2.2.0
       with:
         submodules: true
         fetch-depth: 0
     - run: git fetch --recurse-submodules=no https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*
-    - run: git submodule sync
-    - run: git submodule foreach git remote -v
-    - run: git submodule foreach git fetch --recurse-submodules=no origin +refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*
     - name: mpy-cross
       run: make -C mpy-cross -j2
     - name: build
@@ -345,14 +336,11 @@ jobs:
         gcc --version
         riscv64-unknown-elf-gcc --version
         python3 --version
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v2.2.0
       with:
         submodules: true
         fetch-depth: 0
     - run: git fetch --recurse-submodules=no https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*
-    - run: git submodule sync
-    - run: git submodule foreach git remote -v
-    - run: git submodule foreach git fetch --recurse-submodules=no origin +refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*
     - name: mpy-cross
       run: make -C mpy-cross -j2
     - name: build
@@ -385,14 +373,11 @@ jobs:
       uses: actions/setup-python@v1
       with:
         python-version: 3.8
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v2.2.0
       with:
         submodules: true
         fetch-depth: 0
     - run: git fetch --recurse-submodules=no https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*
-    - run: git submodule sync
-    - run: git submodule foreach git remote -v
-    - run: git submodule foreach git fetch --recurse-submodules=no origin +refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*
     - name: CircuitPython version
       run: git describe --dirty --tags
     - uses: actions/cache@v1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/create_website_pr.yml b/.github/workflows/create_website_pr.yml
index 79a6c68a75..9907c08ae6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/create_website_pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/create_website_pr.yml
@@ -23,12 +23,11 @@ jobs:
       run: |
         gcc --version
         python3 --version
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v2.2.0
       with:
         submodules: true
         fetch-depth: 0
     - run: git fetch --recurse-submodules=no https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*
-    - run: git submodule foreach git fetch --recurse-submodules=no origin +refs/tags/*:refs/tags/*
     - name: CircuitPython version
       run: git describe --dirty --tags
     - name: Website