diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2b27793..b338895 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -139,7 +139,10 @@ ADD_SUBDIRECTORY(include)
 ADD_SUBDIRECTORY(src)
 ADD_SUBDIRECTORY(examples)
 
-ADD_SUBDIRECTORY(googletest)
+# Only include googletest if the git submodule has been fetched
+IF(EXISTS "googletest/CMakeLists.txt")
+    ADD_SUBDIRECTORY(googletest)
+ENDIF()
 ADD_SUBDIRECTORY(tests)
 
 # Add all targets to the build-tree export set
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 930e530..ec19944 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 IF(gtest_BINARY_DIR)
-    MESSAGE(STATUS "Using googletest submodule")
+    MESSAGE(STATUS "Using googletest git submodule.")
     SET(GTEST_FOUND true)
 ELSE()
     FIND_PACKAGE(GTest)