diff --git a/cmake/modules/CheckSubmodule.cmake b/cmake/modules/CheckSubmodule.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..569b3ab414d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/modules/CheckSubmodule.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+# Utility for validating and -- if needed -- cloning a git submodule
+# This project depends on "CheckCommand", which is part of the LMMS project.
+#
+# Looks for a relative file inside source directory of current target
+# - Attempts to clone with git if it's missing
+# - Throws FATAL_ERROR by default unless OPTIONAL is specified
+# - If submodule "foo" is located inside "src/3rdparty/foo", the RELATIVE_FILE
+#   should be foo/file.c, resolving to src/3rdparty/foo/foo/bar.c
+#
+# Usage:
+#       CHECK_SUBMODULE(foo/bar.c)
+#       CHECK_SUBMODULE(foo/bar.c OPTIONAL)
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2017, Tres Finocchiaro, <tres.finocchiaro@gmail.com>
+#
+# Redistribution and use is allowed according to the terms of the BSD license.
+# For details see the accompanying COPYING-CMAKE-SCRIPTS file.
+INCLUDE(CheckCommand)
+
+MACRO(CHECK_SUBMODULE)
+	SET(ARG_LIST "${ARGN}")
+	LIST(LENGTH ARG_LIST ARG_LEN)
+	IF (ARG_LEN EQUAL 1)
+		LIST(GET ARG_LIST 0 RELATIVE_FILE)
+	ELSEIF(ARG_LEN EQUAL 2)
+		LIST(GET ARG_LIST 0 RELATIVE_FILE)
+		LIST(GET ARG_LIST 1 OPTIONAL)
+	ELSE()
+		MESSAGE(FATAL_ERROR "CHECK_SUBMODULE takes (1) or (2) arguments but (${ARG_LEN}) were provided")
+	ENDIF()
+	
+	# Guess submodule name from the path prefix
+	STRING(REPLACE "/"  ";" PARTS ${RELATIVE_FILE})
+	LIST(GET PARTS 0 SUBMODULE_NAME)
+	SET(ABSOLUTE_FILE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${RELATIVE_FILE}")
+	SET(SUBMODULE_PATH "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${SUBMODULE_NAME}")
+
+	# Attempt to do lazy clone
+	IF(NOT EXISTS "${ABSOLUTE_FILE}")
+		MESSAGE("-- Submodule '${SUBMODULE_NAME}' missing")
+		MESSAGE("--   Cloning '${SUBMODULE_NAME}' using git")
+		CHECK_COMMAND(git)
+		EXECUTE_PROCESS(
+			COMMAND git submodule update --init --recursive
+			WORKING_DIRECTORY "${SUBMODULE_PATH}"
+			ERROR_VARIABLE GIT_STDERR
+		)
+		IF(NOT GIT_STDERR EQUAL "")
+			MESSAGE("${GIT_STDERR}")
+		ENDIF()
+	ENDIF()
+
+	IF(EXISTS "${ABSOLUTE_FILE}")
+		MESSAGE("-- Found submodule '${SUBMODULE_NAME}': ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${SUBMODULE_NAME}")
+	ELSE()
+		# Handle optional/warning mode
+		IF(OPTIONAL STREQUAL "OPTIONAL")
+			SET(MESSAGE_STATUS WARNING)
+		ELSE()
+			SET(MESSAGE_STATUS FATAL_ERROR)
+		ENDIF()
+		MESSAGE(${MESSAGE_STATUS} "Submodule '${SUBMODULE_NAME}' missing or incomplete (${RELATIVE_FILE} file not found)\n"
+			"Did you forget to specify '--recurse' when it was cloned?\n\n")
+
+	ENDIF()
+ENDMACRO()
diff --git a/plugins/LadspaEffect/swh/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/LadspaEffect/swh/CMakeLists.txt
index cc4b6851983..3ebaa8eabc7 100644
--- a/plugins/LadspaEffect/swh/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/LadspaEffect/swh/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,22 +1,21 @@
+INCLUDE(CheckCommand)
+INCLUDE(CheckSubmodule)
+
+CHECK_SUBMODULE(swh/configure.ac)
+CHECK_COMMAND(perl)
+CHECK_COMMAND(patch)
+
 MESSAGE("\nPreparing SWH LADSPA submodule\n--------------------------")
 
+# FIXME:  Fixes should be moved upstream to github.com/swh/ladspa
 SET(PLUGIN_BLACKLIST
 	${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/swh/lookahead_limiter_1435.xml
 	${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/swh/lookahead_limiter_const_1906.xml
 )
 
-# Check for command line dependencies
-INCLUDE(CheckCommand)
-CHECK_COMMAND(perl)
-CHECK_COMMAND(patch)
-
-# Check for submodule contents before writing content
-IF(NOT EXISTS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/swh/configure.ac")
-	MESSAGE(FATAL_ERROR "SWH submodule does not appear to be cloned properly.")
-ENDIF()
-
 # Patch swh to compile with various enviroments
-MESSAGE("* Patching SWH")
+# FIXME: Fixes should be moved upstream to github.com/swh/ladspa
+MESSAGE("* Patching source")
 EXECUTE_PROCESS(
 	COMMAND patch -N makestub.pl ../makestub.pl.patch
 	COMMAND patch -N util/blo.c ../blo.c.patch
@@ -33,72 +32,69 @@ ENDIF()
 # Create blank config.h
 FILE(WRITE swh/config.h "")
 
-# Convert xml source files to C source files
-# TODO: Prevent this from running on every configure step
+# Precompiler PIC Macro
+IF(LMMS_BUILD_WIN32)
+	SET(PIC_FLAGS "")
+ELSE()
+	SET(PIC_FLAGS "-fPIC -DPIC")
+ENDIF()
+
+# Additional link flags
+IF(LMMS_BUILD_WIN32 AND MINGW_PREFIX)
+	SET(LINK_FLAGS "${LINK_FLAGS} -shared -Wl,-no-undefined -Wl,-Bsymbolic -lm")
+ELSEIF(LMMS_BUILD_APPLE)
+	SET(LINK_FLAGS "${LINK_FLAGS} -Bsymbolic -lm")
+ENDIF()
+
+# Additional compile flags
+SET(COMPILE_FLAGS "${COMPILE_FLAGS} -O3 -Wall")
+SET(COMPILE_FLAGS "${COMPILE_FLAGS} -fomit-frame-pointer -fstrength-reduce -funroll-loops -ffast-math -c -fno-strict-aliasing")
+SET(COMPILE_FLAGS "${COMPILE_FLAGS} ${PIC_FLAGS}")
+
+# Loop over every XML file
 FILE(GLOB XML_SOURCES "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/swh/*.xml")
 LIST(LENGTH XML_SOURCES XML_COUNT)
 LIST(REMOVE_ITEM XML_SOURCES ${PLUGIN_BLACKLIST})
 LIST(SORT XML_SOURCES)
 LIST(LENGTH XML_SOURCES XML_WHITELIST)
 LIST(LENGTH PLUGIN_BLACKLIST BLACKLIST_COUNT)
-MESSAGE("* Convert ${XML_WHITELIST} of ${XML_COUNT} XML files to C files (${BLACKLIST_COUNT} blacklisted)")
+MESSAGE("* ${XML_WHITELIST} of ${XML_COUNT} XML files (${BLACKLIST_COUNT} blacklisted)")
 FOREACH(_item ${XML_SOURCES})
+	# Get library name and (soon to be) C file
 	GET_FILENAME_COMPONENT(_plugin "${_item}" NAME_WE)
-	EXECUTE_PROCESS(
-		COMMAND ./makestub.pl ${_item}
-		OUTPUT_FILE ${_plugin}.c
-		WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/swh
-		OUTPUT_FILE ${_plugin}.c
-		RESULT_VARIABLE XML_STATUS
+	SET(_out_file "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/swh/${_plugin}.c")
+
+	# Coerce XML source file to C
+	ADD_CUSTOM_COMMAND(
+		OUTPUT "${_out_file}"
+		COMMAND ./makestub.pl "${_item}" > "${_out_file}"
+		DEPENDS "${_item}"
+		WORKING_DIRECTORY "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/swh"
+		VERBATIM
 	)
-	IF(NOT XML_STATUS EQUAL 0)
-		MESSAGE(FATAL_ERROR "Could not convert ${_plugin}.xml to ${_plugin}.c\n"
-			"Please ensure all SWH perl dependencies are installed, e.g. libxml-perl")
-	ENDIF()
-ENDFOREACH()
-MESSAGE("* Finished preparing submodule\n")
 
-ADD_DEFINITIONS(-DFFTW3)
-INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES("${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/include"
-                    "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/swh"
-                    ${FFTW3F_INCLUDE_DIRS}
-                    "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}")
-LINK_DIRECTORIES(${FFTW3F_LIBRARY_DIRS})
-FILE(GLOB PLUGIN_SOURCES "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/swh/*.c")
-LIST(SORT PLUGIN_SOURCES)
+	# Add a library target for this C file, which depends on success of makestup.pl
+	ADD_LIBRARY("${_plugin}" MODULE "${_out_file}")
 
-FOREACH(_item ${PLUGIN_SOURCES})
-	GET_FILENAME_COMPONENT(_plugin "${_item}" NAME_WE)
-
-	ADD_LIBRARY("${_plugin}" MODULE "${_item}")
-	# vocoder_1337 does not use fftw3f
+	# Vocoder does not use fftw
 	IF(NOT ("${_plugin}" STREQUAL "vocoder_1337"))
 		TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES("${_plugin}" -lfftw3f)
 	ENDIF()
-	INSTALL(TARGETS "${_plugin}" LIBRARY DESTINATION "${PLUGIN_DIR}/ladspa")
-	SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES("${_plugin}" PROPERTIES PREFIX "")
-	SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES("${_plugin}" PROPERTIES COMPILE_FLAGS "-O3 -Wall -fomit-frame-pointer -fstrength-reduce -funroll-loops -ffast-math -c -fno-strict-aliasing")
-	IF(LMMS_BUILD_WIN32)
-		ADD_CUSTOM_COMMAND(TARGET "${_plugin}" POST_BUILD COMMAND "${STRIP}" \"$<TARGET_FILE:${_plugin}>\")
-	ELSE(LMMS_BUILD_WIN32)
-		SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES("${_plugin}" PROPERTIES COMPILE_FLAGS "${COMPILE_FLAGS} -fPIC -DPIC")
-	ENDIF(LMMS_BUILD_WIN32)
-	IF(LMMS_BUILD_APPLE)
-		SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES("${_plugin}" PROPERTIES LINK_FLAGS "${LINK_FLAGS} -Bsymbolic -lm")
-	ELSEIF(NOT LMMS_BUILD_APPLE AND NOT LMMS_BUILD_OPENBSD)
-		SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES("${_plugin}" PROPERTIES LINK_FLAGS "${LINK_FLAGS} -shared -Wl,-no-undefined -Wl,-Bsymbolic -lm")
-	ENDIF(LMMS_BUILD_APPLE)
-	IF(LMMS_BUILD_LINUX OR LMMS_BUILD_HAIKU)
-		SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES("${_plugin}" PROPERTIES LINK_FLAGS "${LINK_FLAGS}")
-	ENDIF(LMMS_BUILD_LINUX OR LMMS_BUILD_HAIKU)
-ENDFOREACH(_item ${PLUGIN_SOURCES})
 
+	SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES("${_plugin}" PROPERTIES PREFIX "")
+	SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES("${_plugin}" PROPERTIES COMPILE_FLAGS "${COMPILE_FLAGS}")
+	SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES("${_plugin}" PROPERTIES LINK_FLAGS "${LINK_FLAGS}")
+	INSTALL(TARGETS "${_plugin}" LIBRARY DESTINATION "${PLUGIN_DIR}/ladspa")
+ENDFOREACH()
 
-IF(LMMS_BUILD_WIN32)
-	SET(PIC_FLAGS "")
-ELSE(LMMS_BUILD_WIN32)
-	SET(PIC_FLAGS "-fPIC")
-ENDIF(LMMS_BUILD_WIN32)
+ADD_DEFINITIONS(-DFFTW3)
+INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(
+	"${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/include"
+	"${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/swh"
+	${FFTW3F_INCLUDE_DIRS}
+	"${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}"
+)
+LINK_DIRECTORIES(${FFTW3F_LIBRARY_DIRS})
 
 ADD_LIBRARY(iir STATIC swh/util/iir.c)
 SET_TARGET_PROPERTIES(iir PROPERTIES COMPILE_FLAGS "${PIC_FLAGS}")