diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5448d1eec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+[submodule "vendor/packages/text.tmbundle"]
+	path = vendor/packages/text.tmbundle
+	url = https://github.com/textmate/text.tmbundle.git
+[submodule "vendor/packages/css.tmbundle"]
+	path = vendor/packages/css.tmbundle
+	url = https://github.com/textmate/css.tmbundle.git
+[submodule "vendor/packages/html.tmbundle"]
+	path = vendor/packages/html.tmbundle
+	url = https://github.com/textmate/html.tmbundle.git
+[submodule "vendor/packages/javascript.tmbundle"]
+	path = vendor/packages/javascript.tmbundle
+	url = https://github.com/textmate/javascript.tmbundle.git
+[submodule "vendor/packages/ruby-on-rails-tmbundle"]
+	path = vendor/packages/ruby-on-rails-tmbundle
+	url = https://github.com/drnic/ruby-on-rails-tmbundle.git
+[submodule "vendor/packages/ruby.tmbundle"]
+	path = vendor/packages/ruby.tmbundle
+	url = https://github.com/textmate/ruby.tmbundle.git
+[submodule "vendor/packages/coffee-script-tmbundle"]
+	path = vendor/packages/coffee-script-tmbundle
+	url = https://github.com/kevinsawicki/coffee-script-tmbundle.git
+[submodule "vendor/packages/puppet-textmate.tmbundle"]
+	path = vendor/packages/puppet-textmate.tmbundle
+	url = https://github.com/cburyta/puppet-textmate.tmbundle.git
+[submodule "vendor/packages/c.tmbundle"]
+	path = vendor/packages/c.tmbundle
+	url = https://github.com/textmate/c.tmbundle.git
+[submodule "vendor/packages/objective-c.tmbundle"]
+	path = vendor/packages/objective-c.tmbundle
+	url = https://github.com/textmate/objective-c.tmbundle.git
+[submodule "vendor/packages/git.tmbundle"]
+	path = vendor/packages/git.tmbundle
+	url = https://github.com/textmate/git.tmbundle.git
+[submodule "vendor/packages/json.tmbundle"]
+	path = vendor/packages/json.tmbundle
+	url = https://github.com/textmate/json.tmbundle.git
diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index e85ba30a5..c4fe647b6 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -85,36 +85,9 @@ task "create-dot-atom" do
   `cp -r "#{dot_atom_template_path}/themes" "#{DOT_ATOM_PATH}"`
 end
 
-desc "Clone default bundles into .atom directory"
-task "clone-default-bundles" => "create-dot-atom" do
-  bundles = {
-    "https://github.com/textmate/css.tmbundle.git" => "aa549903ff01e9ba7dc0bd83f2cfe7ab54feab2d",
-    "https://github.com/textmate/html.tmbundle.git" => "af4fef34e1df538eda9a166912047b610530ece0",
-    "https://github.com/textmate/javascript.tmbundle.git" => "58e81b0eae498c9a4eb6e395368df3b7a01d9851",
-    "https://github.com/drnic/ruby-on-rails-tmbundle.git" => "683f6e652cc467e0007f80aa11f174a4d9189f3c",
-    "https://github.com/textmate/ruby.tmbundle.git" => "daad8ef03de9630e74578a046240fd9acc63b8b5",
-    "https://github.com/textmate/text.tmbundle.git" => "061224bd78fd98d02035466cdd959bf29995c2c5",
-    "https://github.com/jashkenas/coffee-script-tmbundle.git" => "20d9b95240bbbc27565c74c7227b8c6eb9049f78",
-    "https://github.com/cburyta/puppet-textmate.tmbundle.git" => "5ef4949b2c964bace86782573cb952751ca77f5e",
-    "https://github.com/textmate/c.tmbundle.git" => "c8a6516c1131055bfcd1bca5e2ee6567c2f50058",
-    "https://github.com/textmate/objective-c.tmbundle.git" => "b0826e645a3d8ca37dd625a56935d49cc8eeb9fc",
-    "https://github.com/textmate/git.tmbundle.git" => "132724ab03dfc70fc77deca8ef1a359dc8404d80",
-    "https://github.com/textmate/json.tmbundle.git" => "5765750aa970c72decef3e2fcefec16a0f22e427",
-  }
-
-  `rm -rf #{File.join(DOT_ATOM_PATH, 'bundles', 'ruby-on-rails.tmbundle')}` # github/textmate removed this repo, use drnic's repo instead
-
-  for bundle_url, sha in bundles
-    bundle_dir = bundle_url[/([^\/]+?)(\.git)?$/, 1]
-    dest_path = File.join(DOT_ATOM_PATH, "packages", bundle_dir)
-    if File.exists? dest_path
-      `cd #{dest_path} && git fetch --quiet`
-    else
-      `git clone --quiet #{bundle_url} #{dest_path}`
-    end
-
-    `cd #{dest_path} && git reset --quiet --hard #{sha}`
-  end
+desc "Clone default bundles into vendor/bundles directory"
+task "clone-default-bundles" do
+  `git submodule update --recursive --init`
 end
 
 desc "Clean build Atom via `xcodebuild`"
diff --git a/script/bootstrap b/script/bootstrap
index de6b5542d..e437aa79c 100755
--- a/script/bootstrap
+++ b/script/bootstrap
@@ -19,3 +19,4 @@ exit_unless_xcode_exists
 exit_unless_npm_exists
 
 npm install
+git submodule update --recursive --init
diff --git a/src/app/config.coffee b/src/app/config.coffee
index aed08732f..fca996949 100644
--- a/src/app/config.coffee
+++ b/src/app/config.coffee
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ configJsonPath = fs.join(configDirPath, "config.json")
 userInitScriptPath = fs.join(configDirPath, "atom.coffee")
 bundledThemesDirPath = fs.join(resourcePath, "themes")
 bundledPackagesDirPath = fs.join(resourcePath, "src/packages")
+bundledVendorPackagesDirPath = fs.join(resourcePath, "vendor/packages")
 userThemesDirPath = fs.join(configDirPath, "themes")
 userPackagesDirPath = fs.join(configDirPath, "packages")
 
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ module.exports =
 class Config
   configDirPath: configDirPath
   themeDirPaths: [userThemesDirPath, bundledThemesDirPath]
-  packageDirPaths: [userPackagesDirPath, bundledPackagesDirPath]
+  packageDirPaths: [userPackagesDirPath, bundledVendorPackagesDirPath, bundledPackagesDirPath]
   settings: null
 
   constructor: ->
diff --git a/src/stdlib/require.coffee b/src/stdlib/require.coffee
index 362fc2af2..e87742c19 100644
--- a/src/stdlib/require.coffee
+++ b/src/stdlib/require.coffee
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ paths = [
   "#{window.resourcePath}/src/app"
   "#{window.resourcePath}/src/packages"
   "#{window.resourcePath}/src"
+  "#{window.resourcePath}/vendor/packages"
   "#{window.resourcePath}/vendor"
   "#{window.resourcePath}/static"
   "#{window.resourcePath}/bundles"
diff --git a/vendor/packages/c.tmbundle b/vendor/packages/c.tmbundle
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..c8a6516c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vendor/packages/c.tmbundle
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit c8a6516c1131055bfcd1bca5e2ee6567c2f50058
diff --git a/vendor/packages/coffee-script-tmbundle b/vendor/packages/coffee-script-tmbundle
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..29c6ecbc7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vendor/packages/coffee-script-tmbundle
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 29c6ecbc7cd46466e25d11b01d57fb279085ce64
diff --git a/vendor/packages/css.tmbundle b/vendor/packages/css.tmbundle
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..aa549903f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vendor/packages/css.tmbundle
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit aa549903ff01e9ba7dc0bd83f2cfe7ab54feab2d
diff --git a/vendor/packages/git.tmbundle b/vendor/packages/git.tmbundle
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..132724ab0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vendor/packages/git.tmbundle
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 132724ab03dfc70fc77deca8ef1a359dc8404d80
diff --git a/vendor/packages/html.tmbundle b/vendor/packages/html.tmbundle
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..af4fef34e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vendor/packages/html.tmbundle
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit af4fef34e1df538eda9a166912047b610530ece0
diff --git a/vendor/packages/javascript.tmbundle b/vendor/packages/javascript.tmbundle
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..58e81b0ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vendor/packages/javascript.tmbundle
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 58e81b0eae498c9a4eb6e395368df3b7a01d9851
diff --git a/vendor/packages/json.tmbundle b/vendor/packages/json.tmbundle
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..5765750aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vendor/packages/json.tmbundle
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 5765750aa970c72decef3e2fcefec16a0f22e427
diff --git a/vendor/packages/objective-c.tmbundle b/vendor/packages/objective-c.tmbundle
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..b0826e645
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vendor/packages/objective-c.tmbundle
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit b0826e645a3d8ca37dd625a56935d49cc8eeb9fc
diff --git a/vendor/packages/puppet-textmate.tmbundle b/vendor/packages/puppet-textmate.tmbundle
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..5ef4949b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vendor/packages/puppet-textmate.tmbundle
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 5ef4949b2c964bace86782573cb952751ca77f5e
diff --git a/vendor/packages/ruby-on-rails-tmbundle b/vendor/packages/ruby-on-rails-tmbundle
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..683f6e652
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vendor/packages/ruby-on-rails-tmbundle
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 683f6e652cc467e0007f80aa11f174a4d9189f3c
diff --git a/vendor/packages/ruby.tmbundle b/vendor/packages/ruby.tmbundle
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..daad8ef03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vendor/packages/ruby.tmbundle
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit daad8ef03de9630e74578a046240fd9acc63b8b5
diff --git a/vendor/packages/text.tmbundle b/vendor/packages/text.tmbundle
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..061224bd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vendor/packages/text.tmbundle
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 061224bd78fd98d02035466cdd959bf29995c2c5