diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 3c31c2ae..e69de29b 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -1,7 +0,0 @@
-[submodule "tools/bids-specification"]
-	path = tools/bids-specification
-	url = https://github.com/bids-standard/bids-specification.git
-[submodule "tools/bids-website"]
-	path = tools/bids-website
-	url = https://github.com/bids-standard/bids-website.git
-	datalad-url = https://github.com/bids-standard/bids-website.git
diff --git a/tools/bids-specification b/tools/bids-specification
deleted file mode 160000
index 0f4f0b3d..00000000
--- a/tools/bids-specification
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 0f4f0b3dd5a9156db1b85a886563acd9d36f42df
diff --git a/tools/bids-website b/tools/bids-website
deleted file mode 160000
index 5c128c02..00000000
--- a/tools/bids-website
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 5c128c021b3327646e5b77284488cb5543f2ca22