diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 9f13917190..51f07d3870 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -98,10 +98,6 @@ tools = [
   #"metadrive-simulator @ git+https://github.com/commaai/metadrive.git@minimal ; (platform_machine != 'aarch64')",
 ]
 
-[project.urls]
-Homepage = "https://github.com/commaai/openpilot"
-
-[dependency-groups]
 submodules = [
   "msgq",
   "opendbc",
@@ -111,6 +107,14 @@ submodules = [
   "tinygrad",
 ]
 
+[project.urls]
+Homepage = "https://github.com/commaai/openpilot"
+
+[dependency-groups]
+standalone = [
+  "openpilot[submodules]",
+]
+
 [build-system]
 requires = ["hatchling"]
 build-backend = "hatchling.build"
@@ -207,7 +211,7 @@ not-subscriptable = "ignore" # false positives from dynamic types
 
 [tool.uv]
 python-preference = "only-managed"
-default-groups = ["submodules"]
+default-groups = ["standalone"]
 override-dependencies = [
   "opendbc",  # panda pins opendbc from git for standalone use; always use our submodule
   "av",       # teleoprtc's av<13 pin is stale
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index 2284243b55..bb6a1cb59c 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -922,6 +922,14 @@ docs = [
     { name = "jinja2" },
     { name = "zensical" },
 ]
+submodules = [
+    { name = "msgq" },
+    { name = "opendbc" },
+    { name = "pandacan" },
+    { name = "rednose" },
+    { name = "teleoprtc" },
+    { name = "tinygrad" },
+]
 testing = [
     { name = "codespell" },
     { name = "coverage" },
@@ -940,13 +948,8 @@ tools = [
 ]
 
 [package.dev-dependencies]
-submodules = [
-    { name = "msgq" },
-    { name = "opendbc" },
-    { name = "pandacan" },
-    { name = "rednose" },
-    { name = "teleoprtc" },
-    { name = "tinygrad" },
+standalone = [
+    { name = "openpilot", extra = ["submodules"] },
 ]
 
 [package.metadata]
@@ -977,7 +980,10 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "jeepney" },
     { name = "jinja2", marker = "extra == 'docs'" },
     { name = "matplotlib", marker = "extra == 'dev'" },
+    { name = "msgq", marker = "extra == 'submodules'", editable = "msgq_repo" },
     { name = "numpy", specifier = ">=2.0" },
+    { name = "opendbc", marker = "extra == 'submodules'", editable = "opendbc_repo" },
+    { name = "pandacan", marker = "extra == 'submodules'", editable = "panda" },
     { name = "pillow" },
     { name = "pre-commit-hooks", marker = "extra == 'testing'" },
     { name = "pycapnp", specifier = "==2.1.0" },
@@ -989,6 +995,7 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "pytest-xdist", marker = "extra == 'testing'", git = "https://github.com/sshane/pytest-xdist?rev=2b4372bd62699fb412c4fe2f95bf9f01bd2018da" },
     { name = "pyzmq" },
     { name = "qrcode" },
+    { name = "rednose", marker = "extra == 'submodules'", editable = "rednose_repo" },
     { name = "requests" },
     { name = "ruff", marker = "extra == 'testing'" },
     { name = "scons" },
@@ -996,6 +1003,8 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "setproctitle" },
     { name = "setuptools" },
     { name = "sounddevice" },
+    { name = "teleoprtc", marker = "extra == 'submodules'", editable = "teleoprtc_repo" },
+    { name = "tinygrad", marker = "extra == 'submodules'", editable = "tinygrad_repo" },
     { name = "tqdm" },
     { name = "ty", marker = "extra == 'testing'" },
     { name = "websocket-client" },
@@ -1003,17 +1012,10 @@ requires-dist = [
     { name = "zensical", marker = "extra == 'docs'" },
     { name = "zstandard" },
 ]
-provides-extras = ["docs", "testing", "dev", "tools"]
+provides-extras = ["docs", "testing", "dev", "tools", "submodules"]
 
 [package.metadata.requires-dev]
-submodules = [
-    { name = "msgq", editable = "msgq_repo" },
-    { name = "opendbc", editable = "opendbc_repo" },
-    { name = "pandacan", editable = "panda" },
-    { name = "rednose", editable = "rednose_repo" },
-    { name = "teleoprtc", editable = "teleoprtc_repo" },
-    { name = "tinygrad", editable = "tinygrad_repo" },
-]
+standalone = [{ name = "openpilot", extras = ["submodules"] }]
 
 [[package]]
 name = "packaging"