diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
deleted file mode 100644
index c38303d0c..000000000
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-[submodule "assets"]
-	path = assets
-	url = https://github.com/gsantner/memetastic-assets
diff --git a/app/build.gradle b/app/build.gradle
index 35e4d70f8..942345436 100644
--- a/app/build.gradle
+++ b/app/build.gradle
@@ -96,15 +96,6 @@ dependencies {
     annotationProcessor "com.jakewharton:butterknife-compiler:${version_lib.butterknife}"
 }
 
-preBuild.doFirst {
-    // gradle -Pmyargs=requirepopulatedassets
-    if (project.hasProperty('requirepopulatedassets')) {
-        if (!file("../assets/fonts").exists() || !file("../assets/memes").exists()) {
-            throw new GradleException('Error: assets directory not populated. Did you forget to init/update git submodules?')
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 final String RAW_DIR = "app/src/main/res/raw"
 final String[] ROOT_TO_RAW_COPYFILES = ["README.md", "LICENSE.txt", "CHANGELOG.md", "CONTRIBUTORS.md"]
 
diff --git a/assets b/assets
deleted file mode 160000
index 3f2412f32..000000000
--- a/assets
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 3f2412f32d64d84ba83f353cd8892abd0cb96f95