diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 0be7d139b..157350346 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ build/.cmake/
 /bin/
 /games/*
 !/games/devtest/
+!/games/minetest
 /cache
 /textures/*
 !/textures/base/
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 25ed09ce7..773b5a2bf 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@
 # packages moved to https://build.opensuse.org/project/show/home:venenux:minenux
 # in future we only build here, or made apk packs for alpine
 
+variables:
+  GIT_SUBMODULE_STRATEGY: recursive
+  GIT_SUBMODULE_DEPTH: 1
+  GIT_STRATEGY: clone
+
 stages:
   - build
 
diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..55a8d59f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+[submodule "games/minetest"]
+	path = games/minetest
+	url = https://codeberg.org/minenux/minetest-game-minetest
+	branch = stable-5.2
diff --git a/games/minetest b/games/minetest
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..6dac4d264
--- /dev/null
+++ b/games/minetest
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 6dac4d264b5ad50b83499a0927196c935d844885