diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b03d1ba0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[submodule "extern/googletest"]
+	path = extern/googletest
+	url = https://github.com/google/googletest
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 25f94196..1064e1c8 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -135,9 +135,11 @@ if(BUILD_FAIRMQ)
 endif()
 
 if(BUILD_TESTING)
-  find_package2(PRIVATE GTest REQUIRED
-    VERSION 1.7.0
-  )
+  find_package2(PRIVATE GTest VERSION 1.7.0)
+  if(NOT GTest_FOUND)
+    build_bundled(GTest extern/googletest)
+    find_package2(PRIVATE GTest REQUIRED)
+  endif()
 endif()
 
 if(BUILD_DOCS)
@@ -311,7 +313,9 @@ if(PROJECT_PACKAGE_DEPENDENCIES)
     else()
       get_filename_component(prefix ${${dep}_INCLUDE_DIR}/.. ABSOLUTE)
     endif()
-    message(STATUS "  ${BWhite}${dep_padded}${CR}${version_padded}${prefix}")
+    if(NOT ${dep}_BUNDLED)
+      message(STATUS "  ${BWhite}${dep_padded}${CR}${version_padded}${prefix}")
+    endif()
     unset(version_str)
     unset(version_padded)
     unset(version_req_str)
diff --git a/COPYRIGHT b/COPYRIGHT
index 8a17c34a..ad561455 100644
--- a/COPYRIGHT
+++ b/COPYRIGHT
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ Files: cmake/cotire.cmake
 Copyright: 2012-2018 Sascha Kratky
 License: COTIRE
 
+Files: extern/googletest
+Copyright: 2008, Google Inc.
+License: GOOGLE
+
 License: LGPL-3.0-only
   [see LICENSE file]
 
@@ -39,3 +43,33 @@ License: COTIRE
   WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
   FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR
   OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+
+License: GOOGLE
+  Copyright 2008, Google Inc.
+  All rights reserved.
+
+  Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+  modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
+  met:
+
+      * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+  notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+      * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above
+  copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer
+  in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
+  distribution.
+      * Neither the name of Google Inc. nor the names of its
+  contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from
+  this software without specific prior written permission.
+
+  THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS
+  "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+  LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
+  A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT
+  OWNER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
+  SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT
+  LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE,
+  DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY
+  THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
+  (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE
+  OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ee3dcd1d..985a1e33 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -33,15 +33,6 @@ configuration and control services.
 FairMQ has been developed in the context of its mother project [FairRoot](https://github.com/FairRootGroup/FairRoot) -
 a simulation, reconstruction and analysis framework.
 
-## Dependencies
-
-  * PUBLIC: [**Boost**](https://www.boost.org/), [**FairLogger**](https://github.com/FairRootGroup/FairLogger)
-  * BUILD: [CMake](https://cmake.org/), [GTest](https://github.com/google/googletest), [Doxygen](http://www.doxygen.org/)
-  * PRIVATE: [ZeroMQ](http://zeromq.org/), [Msgpack](https://msgpack.org/index.html), [nanomsg](http://nanomsg.org/),
-[asiofi](https://github.com/FairRootGroup/asiofi), [DDS](http://dds.gsi.de), [PMIx](https://pmix.org/)
-
-  Supported platforms: Linux and MacOS.
-
 ## Installation from Source
 
 Recommended:
@@ -98,6 +89,25 @@ find_package(FairMQ 1.1.0 COMPONENTS nanomsg_transport dds_plugin)
 
 When building FairMQ, CMake will print a summary table of all available package components.
 
+## Dependencies
+
+  * [asio](https://github.com/chriskohlhoff/asio)
+  * [asiofi](https://github.com/FairRootGroup/asiofi)
+  * [Boost](https://www.boost.org/)
+  * [CMake](https://cmake.org/)
+  * [DDS](http://dds.gsi.de)
+  * [Doxygen](http://www.doxygen.org/)
+  * [FairLogger](https://github.com/FairRootGroup/FairLogger)
+  * [GTest](https://github.com/google/googletest) (optionally bundled)
+  * [Msgpack](https://msgpack.org/index.html)
+  * [nanomsg](http://nanomsg.org/)
+  * [PMIx](https://pmix.org/)
+  * [ZeroMQ](http://zeromq.org/)
+
+  Which dependencies are required depends on which components are built.
+
+  Supported platforms: Linux and MacOS.
+
 ## CMake options
 
 On command line:
diff --git a/cmake/FairMQLib.cmake b/cmake/FairMQLib.cmake
index 005150ad..0acb764a 100644
--- a/cmake/FairMQLib.cmake
+++ b/cmake/FairMQLib.cmake
@@ -397,3 +397,51 @@ macro(find_package2 qualifier pkgname)
   set(CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH ${__old_cpp__})
   unset(__old_cpp__)
 endmacro()
+
+macro(exec cmd)
+  join("${ARGN}" " " args)
+  file(APPEND ${${package}_BUILD_LOGFILE} ">>> ${cmd} ${args}\n")
+
+  execute_process(COMMAND ${cmd} ${ARGN}
+    WORKING_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}
+    OUTPUT_VARIABLE log
+    ERROR_VARIABLE log
+    RESULT_VARIABLE res
+  )
+  file(APPEND ${${package}_BUILD_LOGFILE} ${log})
+
+  if(res)
+    message(FATAL_ERROR "${res} \nSee also \"${${package}_BUILD_LOGFILE}\"")
+  endif()
+endmacro()
+
+function(build_bundled package bundle)
+  message(STATUS "Building bundled ${package}")
+
+  set(${package}_SOURCE_DIR ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/${bundle})
+  set(${package}_BINARY_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${bundle})
+  file(MAKE_DIRECTORY ${${package}_BINARY_DIR})
+  set(${package}_INSTALL_DIR ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${bundle}_install)
+  file(MAKE_DIRECTORY ${${package}_INSTALL_DIR})
+  set(${package}_BUILD_LOGFILE ${${package}_BINARY_DIR}/build.log)
+  file(REMOVE ${${package}_BUILD_LOGFILE})
+  set(${package}_ROOT ${${package}_INSTALL_DIR})
+
+  if(Git_FOUND)
+    exec(${GIT_EXECUTABLE} submodule update --init --recursive --depth 1 -- ${${package}_SOURCE_DIR})
+  endif()
+
+  if(${package} STREQUAL GTest)
+    exec(${CMAKE_COMMAND} -S ${${package}_SOURCE_DIR} -B ${${package}_BINARY_DIR} -G ${CMAKE_GENERATOR}
+      -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${${package}_INSTALL_DIR} -DBUILD_GMOCK=OFF
+    )
+    exec(${CMAKE_COMMAND} --build ${${package}_BINARY_DIR})
+    exec(${CMAKE_COMMAND} --build ${${package}_BINARY_DIR} --target install)
+  endif()
+
+  string(TOUPPER ${package} package_upper)
+  set(${package_upper}_ROOT "${${package}_INSTALL_DIR}" CACHE PATH "Bundled ${package} install dir")
+  set(${package}_BUNDLED ON CACHE BOOL "Whether bundled ${package} was used")
+
+  message(STATUS "Building bundled ${package} - done")
+endfunction()
diff --git a/extern/googletest b/extern/googletest
new file mode 160000
index 00000000..90a443f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/extern/googletest
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 90a443f9c2437ca8a682a1ac625eba64e1d74a8a