diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index f096bd7f7..7dfb45360 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-[submodule "panels/sound/gvc"]
-	path = panels/sound/gvc
+[submodule "subprojects/gvc"]
+	path = subprojects/gvc
 	url = git://git.gnome.org/libgnome-volume-control
 
-[submodule "libgd"]
-	path = libgd
+[submodule "subprojects/libgd"]
+	path = subprojects/libgd
 	url = git://git.gnome.org/libgd
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 931625d7d..0e9898072 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4 -I libgd ${ACLOCAL_FLAGS}
+ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4 -I subprojects/gvc -I subprojects/libgd ${ACLOCAL_FLAGS}
 
-SUBDIRS = data libgd po panels shell search-provider
+SUBDIRS = data subprojects/gvc subprojects/libgd po panels shell search-provider
 if BUILD_DOCUMENTATION
 SUBDIRS += man
 endif
-DIST_SUBDIRS = data libgd po panels shell man search-provider
+DIST_SUBDIRS = data subprojects/gvc subprojects/libgd po panels shell man search-provider
 
 MAINTAINERCLEANFILES = \
 	$(srcdir)/INSTALL \
diff --git a/autogen.sh b/autogen.sh
index 268b3eb51..1428add69 100755
--- a/autogen.sh
+++ b/autogen.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 srcdir=`dirname $0`
 test -z "$srcdir" && srcdir=.
 
-ACLOCAL_FLAGS="-I libgd $ACLOCAL_FLAGS"
+ACLOCAL_FLAGS="-I subprojects/gvc -I subprojects/libgd $ACLOCAL_FLAGS"
 
 (test -f $srcdir/configure.ac \
   && test -f $srcdir/autogen.sh \
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index e725b3cb5..a591b5a30 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ COMMON_MODULES="gtk+-3.0 >= $GTK_REQUIRED_VERSION
  gio-unix-2.0
  gsettings-desktop-schemas >= $SCHEMAS_REQUIRED_VERSION"
 
-LIBGD_INIT([_view-common static])
+LIBGD_INIT([_view-common static],[subprojects/libgd])
 
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(LIBLANGUAGE, $COMMON_MODULES gnome-desktop-3.0 fontconfig)
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES(LIBSHORTCUTS, $COMMON_MODULES x11)
@@ -486,7 +486,6 @@ panels/search/gnome-search-panel.desktop.in
 panels/sharing/Makefile
 panels/sharing/gnome-sharing-panel.desktop.in
 panels/sound/Makefile
-panels/sound/gvc/Makefile
 panels/sound/data/Makefile
 panels/sound/data/gnome-sound-panel.desktop.in
 panels/sound/data/symbolic-icons/Makefile
@@ -560,11 +559,12 @@ panels/wacom/Makefile
 panels/wacom/calibrator/Makefile
 panels/wacom/gnome-wacom-panel.desktop.in
 po/Makefile.in
-libgd/Makefile
 search-provider/Makefile
 shell/appdata/Makefile
 shell/Makefile
 shell/gnome-control-center.desktop.in
+subprojects/gvc/Makefile
+subprojects/libgd/Makefile
 man/Makefile
 ])
 
diff --git a/panels/online-accounts/Makefile.am b/panels/online-accounts/Makefile.am
index 45732f6f4..ed553f5e3 100644
--- a/panels/online-accounts/Makefile.am
+++ b/panels/online-accounts/Makefile.am
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ SUBDIRS = icons
 AM_CPPFLAGS = 						\
 	$(PANEL_CFLAGS)					\
 	$(ONLINE_ACCOUNTS_PANEL_CFLAGS)			\
-	-I$(top_srcdir)/libgd				\
+	-I$(top_srcdir)/subprojects/libgd		\
 	-DGNOMELOCALEDIR="\"$(datadir)/locale\""	\
 	$(NULL)
 
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ libonline_accounts_la_SOURCES =		\
 libonline_accounts_la_LIBADD =				\
 	$(PANEL_LIBS)					\
 	$(ONLINE_ACCOUNTS_PANEL_LIBS)			\
-	$(top_builddir)/libgd/libgd.la			\
+	$(top_builddir)/subprojects/libgd/libgd.la	\
 	$(NULL)
 
 libonline_accounts_la_LDFLAGS = $(PANEL_LDFLAGS)
diff --git a/panels/region/Makefile.am b/panels/region/Makefile.am
index b463594f0..bdef7694a 100644
--- a/panels/region/Makefile.am
+++ b/panels/region/Makefile.am
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS =						\
 	$(PANEL_CFLAGS)					\
 	$(REGION_PANEL_CFLAGS)				\
 	-I$(srcdir)/../common/				\
-	-I$(top_srcdir)/libgd/				\
+	-I$(top_srcdir)/subprojects/libgd/		\
 	$(NULL)
 
 noinst_LTLIBRARIES = libregion.la
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ libregion_la_SOURCES =	\
 libregion_la_LIBADD = \
 	$(PANEL_LIBS) \
 	$(REGION_PANEL_LIBS) \
-	$(top_builddir)/libgd/libgd.la \
+	$(top_builddir)/subprojects/libgd/libgd.la \
 	$(builddir)/../common/liblanguage.la
 
 resource_files = $(shell glib-compile-resources --sourcedir=$(srcdir) --generate-dependencies $(srcdir)/region.gresource.xml)
diff --git a/panels/sound/Makefile.am b/panels/sound/Makefile.am
index 709007f8b..fb66d373b 100644
--- a/panels/sound/Makefile.am
+++ b/panels/sound/Makefile.am
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-SUBDIRS = data gvc
+SUBDIRS = data
 
 # This is used in PANEL_CFLAGS
 cappletname = sound
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ NULL =
 noinst_LTLIBRARIES = libsound.la libgvcgtk.la
 
 AM_CPPFLAGS =					\
-	-I$(srcdir)/gvc/			\
+	-I$(top_srcdir)/subprojects/gvc/	\
 	$(PANEL_CFLAGS) 			\
 	$(SOUND_PANEL_CFLAGS)			\
 	-DLOCALE_DIR=\""$(datadir)/locale"\"	\
@@ -26,12 +26,12 @@ libgvcgtk_la_SOURCES = 				\
 	gvc-channel-bar.c			\
 	$(NULL)
 
-libsound_la_LIBADD =				\
-	gvc/libgvc.la				\
-	libgvcgtk.la				\
-	$(PANEL_LIBS)				\
-	$(SOUND_PANEL_LIBS)			\
-	$(LIBM)					\
+libsound_la_LIBADD =					\
+	$(top_builddir)/subprojects/gvc/libgvc.la	\
+	libgvcgtk.la					\
+	$(PANEL_LIBS)					\
+	$(SOUND_PANEL_LIBS)				\
+	$(LIBM)						\
 	$(NULL)
 
 libsound_la_LDFLAGS =				\
diff --git a/panels/user-accounts/Makefile.am b/panels/user-accounts/Makefile.am
index 4ef359af6..bfa782175 100644
--- a/panels/user-accounts/Makefile.am
+++ b/panels/user-accounts/Makefile.am
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS =						\
 	-DHAVE_LIBPWQUALITY				\
 	-I$(srcdir)/../common/				\
 	-I$(srcdir)/../../shell/			\
-	-I$(top_srcdir)/libgd/				\
+	-I$(top_srcdir)/subprojects/libgd/		\
 	$(PANEL_CFLAGS)					\
 	$(USER_ACCOUNTS_PANEL_CFLAGS)
 
@@ -60,14 +60,14 @@ libuser_accounts_la_SOURCES =		\
 	um-cell-renderer-user-image.c	\
 	$(BUILT_SOURCES)
 
-libuser_accounts_la_LIBADD = 		\
-	$(PANEL_LIBS)			\
-	$(USER_ACCOUNTS_PANEL_LIBS)	\
-	$(builddir)/../common/liblanguage.la	\
-	-lpwquality			\
-	-lcrypt				\
-	$(LIBM)				\
-	$(top_builddir)/libgd/libgd.la
+libuser_accounts_la_LIBADD = 				\
+	$(PANEL_LIBS)					\
+	$(USER_ACCOUNTS_PANEL_LIBS)			\
+	$(builddir)/../common/liblanguage.la		\
+	-lpwquality					\
+	-lcrypt						\
+	$(LIBM)						\
+	$(top_builddir)/subprojects/libgd/libgd.la
 
 if BUILD_CHEESE
 libuser_accounts_la_LIBADD += $(CHEESE_LIBS)
diff --git a/po/POTFILES.in b/po/POTFILES.in
index aa8e9115c..396577d8c 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.in
+++ b/po/POTFILES.in
@@ -180,8 +180,6 @@ panels/sound/data/sounds/gnome-sounds-default.xml.in.in
 panels/sound/gvc-balance-bar.c
 panels/sound/gvc-channel-bar.c
 panels/sound/gvc-combo-box.c
-# Please do not remove this file from POTFILES.in. Run "git submodule init && git submodule update" to get it.
-panels/sound/gvc/gvc-mixer-control.c
 panels/sound/gvc-mixer-dialog.c
 panels/sound/gvc-sound-theme-chooser.c
 panels/sound/gvc-speaker-test.c
@@ -231,3 +229,5 @@ shell/gnome-control-center.desktop.in.in
 shell/hostname-helper.c
 [type: gettext/glade]shell/panel-list.ui
 [type: gettext/glade]shell/window.ui
+# Please do not remove this file from POTFILES.in. Run "git submodule init && git submodule update" to get it.
+subprojects/gvc/gvc-mixer-control.c
diff --git a/po/POTFILES.skip b/po/POTFILES.skip
index 8a6c51dd9..b8c40bde7 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.skip
+++ b/po/POTFILES.skip
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 # List of source files that should *not* be translated.
 # Please keep this file sorted alphabetically.
 egg-list-box/egg-flow-box.c
-libgd/libgd/gd-header-bar.c
 panels/background/gnome-background-panel.desktop.in
 panels/bluetooth/gnome-bluetooth-panel.desktop.in
 panels/color/gnome-color-panel.desktop.in
@@ -61,3 +60,5 @@ sub/panels/universal-access/gnome-universal-access-panel.desktop.in
 sub/panels/user-accounts/data/gnome-user-accounts-panel.desktop.in
 sub/panels/wacom/gnome-wacom-panel.desktop.in
 sub/shell/gnome-control-center.desktop.in
+
+subprojects/libgd/libgd/gd-header-bar.c
diff --git a/search-provider/Makefile.am b/search-provider/Makefile.am
index 5b7dd1f08..9330ff95c 100644
--- a/search-provider/Makefile.am
+++ b/search-provider/Makefile.am
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS =					\
 	-I$(top_srcdir)				\
 	$(SHELL_CFLAGS)				\
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/panels/common/		\
-	-I$(top_srcdir)/libgd
+	-I$(top_srcdir)/subprojects/libgd
 
 libexec_PROGRAMS = gnome-control-center-search-provider
 
diff --git a/shell/Makefile.am b/shell/Makefile.am
index 371d78af6..7f274a1e7 100644
--- a/shell/Makefile.am
+++ b/shell/Makefile.am
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS =					\
 	$(CHEESE_CFLAGS)			\
 	$(WACOM_PANEL_CFLAGS)			\
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/panels/common/		\
-	-I$(top_srcdir)/libgd
+	-I$(top_srcdir)/subprojects/libgd
 
 all-local: check-local
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ gnome_control_center_LDADD =						\
 	libshell.la							\
 	$(SHELL_LIBS)							\
 	$(CHEESE_LIBS)							\
-	$(top_builddir)/libgd/libgd.la					\
+	$(top_builddir)/subprojects/libgd/libgd.la			\
 	$(top_builddir)/panels/common/liblanguage.la			\
 	$(top_builddir)/panels/common/libdevice.la			\
 	$(top_builddir)/panels/background/libbackground.la		\
diff --git a/panels/sound/gvc b/subprojects/gvc
similarity index 100%
rename from panels/sound/gvc
rename to subprojects/gvc
diff --git a/libgd b/subprojects/libgd
similarity index 100%
rename from libgd
rename to subprojects/libgd