diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ad4d15d0..275290e5 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -51,11 +51,14 @@ $(ARDUINO_DIRECTORIES_USER)/hardware/keyboardio/avr/boards.txt:
 	git clone -c core.symlinks=true \
 		--recurse-submodules \
 		--shallow-submodules \
+		--recurse-submodules=':(exclude)avr/bootloaders' \
+		--recurse-submodules=':(exclude)avr/libraries/Kaleidoscope' \
 		https://github.com/keyboardio/Kaleidoscope-Bundle-Keyboardio \
 		$(ARDUINO_DIRECTORIES_USER)/hardware/keyboardio
 	git clone -c core.symlinks=true \
 		--recurse-submodules \
 		--shallow-submodules \
+		--recurse-submodules=':(exclude)libraries/Kaleidoscope' \
 		https://github.com/keyboardio/ArduinoCore-GD32-Keyboardio $(ARDUINO_DIRECTORIES_USER)/hardware/keyboardio/gd32
 
 update: