diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-package.yml b/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
index ebbf4f5..39a3634 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-package.yml
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ jobs:
           # Whether to checkout submodules: `true` to checkout submodules or `recursive` to
           # recursively checkout submodules.
           submodules: 'true'
-          lfs: 'true'
 
       - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
         uses: actions/setup-python@v2
@@ -42,6 +41,9 @@ jobs:
           python -m pip install --upgrade pip
           python -m pip install flake8 ninja setuptools-scm Pillow click nose parameterized
 
+      - name: Install test images
+        run: git clone https://git.pileof.rocks/drewcassidy/quicktex-test-images.git tests/images
+
       - name: Lint with flake8
         run: |
           # stop the build if there are Python syntax errors or undefined names
@@ -58,7 +60,7 @@ jobs:
   build:
     needs: test
     if: github.event_name == 'push' && startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags')
-    
+
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     env:
       MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET: 10.15
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index a3cc259..67b758e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ docs/_build/
 #mypy
 out
 
+# Test images
+tests/images/
+
 # IDEs
 **/.idea
 
diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index ee2b235..aecfec5 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -2,7 +2,3 @@
 	path = extern/pybind11
 	url = https://github.com/pybind/pybind11.git
 	branch = stable
-[submodule "tests/images"]
-	path = tests/images
-	url = https://git.pileof.rocks/drewcassidy/python-rgbcx-images.git
-	commit = 0ade526dd1070e6f5b43e0bd58b26828abff86b7
diff --git a/tests/__init__.py b/tests/__init__.py
index e69de29..2030df7 100644
--- a/tests/__init__.py
+++ b/tests/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+import os.path
+
+# Some checks to run before tests can begin
+images_path = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)), 'images')
+
+assert os.path.isdir(images_path), 'test images repo not present'
+assert os.path.isfile(os.path.join(images_path, '__init__.py')), 'images __init__.py not present, is the test image repo present?'
+bp_size = os.path.getsize(os.path.join(images_path, 'Boilerplate.png'))
+assert bp_size == 955989, 'Boilerplate.png is the wrong size, is the test image repo checked out with LFS enabled?'
diff --git a/tests/images b/tests/images
deleted file mode 160000
index bd0689e..0000000
--- a/tests/images
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit bd0689ec4b841440713c3d8ff94fde71ddd4417f
diff --git a/tests/test_install.py b/tests/test_install.py
index 0050b7a..2eb704c 100644
--- a/tests/test_install.py
+++ b/tests/test_install.py
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ def test_images():
 
     images_path = os.path.join(tests_path, 'images')
 
-    assert os.path.isdir(images_path), 'images directory/submodule not present'
-    assert os.path.isfile(os.path.join(images_path, '__init__.py')), 'images __init__.py not present, is the submodule checked out?'
+    assert os.path.isdir(images_path), 'test images repo not present. run "git clone https://git.pileof.rocks/drewcassidy/quicktex-test-images.git tests/images" to download them'
+    assert os.path.isfile(os.path.join(images_path, '__init__.py')), 'images __init__.py not present, is the test image repo present?'
     bp_size = os.path.getsize(os.path.join(images_path, 'Boilerplate.png'))
-    assert bp_size == 955989, 'Boilerplate.png is the wrong size, is the submodule checked out with LFS enabled?'
+    assert bp_size == 955989, 'Boilerplate.png is the wrong size, is the test image repo checked out with LFS enabled?'
 
 
 def test_version():