diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index aa2d085f44619fe18e2e1a1f6a962d61b6403900..f3ec03b5a57cf180b3679b7cd1e7a667e6148253 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@ build/asdf.lisp: $(all_lisp)
 ext:
 	git submodule update --init
 
+noext:
+	git submodule deinit .
+
 # This quickly locates such mistakes as unbalanced parentheses:
 load: build/asdf.lisp
 	./test/run-tests.sh -t $l $(all_lisp)
@@ -262,7 +265,8 @@ release: TODO test-all test-on-other-machines-too debian-changelog debian-packag
 	debian-package release \
 	replace-sbcl-asdf replace-ccl-asdf \
 	fix-local-git-tags fix-remote-git-tags wc wc-driver wc-asdf
-	list-source-registry
+	list-source-registry \
+	ext noext
 
 # debug the source registry that will be used to execute commands from this Makefile.
 list-source-registry: