diff --git a/.github/workflows/ports_windows.yml b/.github/workflows/ports_windows.yml
index be2a2a8dac..6d94c9c808 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ports_windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ports_windows.yml
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Build mpy-cross.exe
       run: msbuild mpy-cross\mpy-cross.vcxproj -maxcpucount -property:Configuration=${{ matrix.configuration }} -property:Platform=${{ matrix.platform }}
     - name: Update submodules
-      run: git submodule update --init lib/micropython-lib
+      run: msbuild ports\windows\micropython.vcxproj -target:UpdateSubmodules -property:Configuration=${{ matrix.configuration }} -property:Platform=${{ matrix.platform }} -property:PyVariant=${{ matrix.variant }}
     - name: Build micropython.exe
       run: msbuild ports\windows\micropython.vcxproj -maxcpucount -property:Configuration=${{ matrix.configuration }} -property:Platform=${{ matrix.platform }} -property:PyVariant=${{ matrix.variant }}
     - name: Get micropython.exe path
diff --git a/ports/windows/README.md b/ports/windows/README.md
index 2b3ed44599..268d5f9962 100644
--- a/ports/windows/README.md
+++ b/ports/windows/README.md
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ In the IDE, open `micropython-cross.vcxproj` and `micropython.vcxproj` and build
 To build from the command line:
 
     msbuild ../../mpy-cross/mpy-cross.vcxproj
+    msbuild micropython.vcxproj /t:UpdateSubmodules
     msbuild micropython.vcxproj
 
 __Variants__
diff --git a/ports/windows/micropython.vcxproj b/ports/windows/micropython.vcxproj
index bd647f6736..462821a6a0 100644
--- a/ports/windows/micropython.vcxproj
+++ b/ports/windows/micropython.vcxproj
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
   </ItemGroup>
   <Import Project="msvc/genhdr.targets" />
   <Import Project="$(CustomPropsFile)" Condition="exists('$(CustomPropsFile)')" />
-  <Target Name="GenerateMicroPythonSources" BeforeTargets="BuildGenerateSources" DependsOnTargets="GenerateHeaders;FreezeModules">
+  <Target Name="GenerateMicroPythonSources" BeforeTargets="BuildGenerateSources" DependsOnTargets="UpdateSubmodulesIfInIDE;GenerateHeaders;FreezeModules">
   </Target>
   <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.targets" />
   <ImportGroup Label="ExtensionTargets">
diff --git a/ports/windows/msvc/common.props b/ports/windows/msvc/common.props
index 55c9c934f2..ecb6641371 100644
--- a/ports/windows/msvc/common.props
+++ b/ports/windows/msvc/common.props
@@ -62,4 +62,16 @@
     <Copy SourceFiles="%(PyOutputFiles.Identity)" DestinationFiles="%(PyOutputFiles.Destination)"/>
     <WriteLinesToFile File="$(TLogLocation)$(ProjectName).write.u.tlog" Lines="$(PyFileCopyCookie);@(PyOutputFiles->'%(Destination)')" Overwrite="True"/>
   </Target>
+
+  <Target Name="UpdateSubmodules" Condition="@(PySubmodules) != ''">
+    <Message Text="Updating submodules: @(PySubmodules)"/>
+    <Exec Command="git submodule sync $(PyBaseDir)%(PySubmodules.Identity)"/>
+    <Exec Command="git submodule update --init $(PyBaseDir)%(PySubmodules.Identity)"/>
+  </Target>
+
+  <!-- Within an IDE it's usually not simple to manually select Targets to build so allow doing
+       this automatically to be able to build from scratch. Still make this optional though because it isn't exactly fast. -->
+  <Target Name="UpdateSubmodulesIfInIDE" DependsOnTargets="UpdateSubmodules"
+          Condition="'$(BuildingInsideVisualStudio)' == 'True' And '$(PySkipModuleUpdate)' != 'True'">
+  </Target>
 </Project>
diff --git a/ports/windows/variants/dev/mpconfigvariant.props b/ports/windows/variants/dev/mpconfigvariant.props
index be1f1ae51e..be1ee1eb29 100644
--- a/ports/windows/variants/dev/mpconfigvariant.props
+++ b/ports/windows/variants/dev/mpconfigvariant.props
@@ -8,4 +8,7 @@
       <PreprocessorDefinitions>%(PreprocessorDefinitions);MICROPY_ROM_TEXT_COMPRESSION=1</PreprocessorDefinitions>
     </ClCompile>
   </ItemDefinitionGroup>
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <PySubmodules Include="lib/micropython-lib" />
+  </ItemGroup>
 </Project>
diff --git a/ports/windows/variants/standard/mpconfigvariant.props b/ports/windows/variants/standard/mpconfigvariant.props
index ea8bf0bc82..d927994087 100644
--- a/ports/windows/variants/standard/mpconfigvariant.props
+++ b/ports/windows/variants/standard/mpconfigvariant.props
@@ -3,4 +3,7 @@
   <PropertyGroup>
     <FrozenManifest>$(PyWinDir)\variants\manifest.py</FrozenManifest>
   </PropertyGroup>
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <PySubmodules Include="lib/micropython-lib" />
+  </ItemGroup>
 </Project>