diff --git a/frontend/ui/uimanager.lua b/frontend/ui/uimanager.lua
index 9ae907ac3..c19c5895d 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/uimanager.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/uimanager.lua
@@ -152,7 +152,6 @@ end
 -- modal widget should be always on the top
 -- for refreshtype & refreshregion see description of setDirty()
 function UIManager:show(widget, refreshtype, refreshregion, x, y)
-    dbg("show widget", widget._name)
     self._running = true
     local window = {x = x or 0, y = y or 0, widget = widget}
     -- put this window on top of the toppest non-modal window
diff --git a/kodev b/kodev
index 70dd30ccb..de0eb9701 100755
--- a/kodev
+++ b/kodev
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@ function assert_ret_zero {
     fi
 }
 
+function check_submodules {
+    if [ -n "`git submodule status | grep -E '^\-'`" ]; then
+        kodev-fetch-thirdparty
+    fi
+}
+
 function setup_env {
     files=$(ls -d ./koreader-emulator-*/koreader)
     assert_ret_zero $? "Emulator not found, please build it first."
@@ -101,6 +107,7 @@ ${SUPPORTED_TARGETS}"
             assert_ret_zero $?
             ;;
         *)
+            check_submodules
             make
             assert_ret_zero $? "Failed to build emulator!"
             setup_env
diff --git a/spec/unit/nickel_conf_spec.lua b/spec/unit/nickel_conf_spec.lua
index 3e9f648f4..4d1d738b9 100644
--- a/spec/unit/nickel_conf_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/unit/nickel_conf_spec.lua
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
-require("commonrequire")
-local lfs = require("libs/libkoreader-lfs")
-local NickelConf = require("device/kobo/nickel_conf")
-
 describe("Nickel configuation module", function()
+    local lfs, NickelConf
+    setup(function()
+        require("commonrequire")
+        lfs = require("libs/libkoreader-lfs")
+        NickelConf = require("device/kobo/nickel_conf")
+    end)
+
     describe("Frontlight module", function()
         it("should read value", function()
             local fn = os.tmpname()
diff --git a/spec/unit/screenshoter_spec.lua b/spec/unit/screenshoter_spec.lua
index 245b43559..1e6d0b4bd 100644
--- a/spec/unit/screenshoter_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/unit/screenshoter_spec.lua
@@ -1,20 +1,21 @@
-require("commonrequire")
-local DocumentRegistry = require("document/documentregistry")
-local ReaderUI = require("apps/reader/readerui")
-local lfs = require("libs/libkoreader-lfs")
-local UIManager = require("ui/uimanager")
-local Screen = require("device").screen
-local Event = require("ui/event")
-local DEBUG = require("dbg")
-
 describe("ReaderScreenshot module", function()
+    local DocumentRegistry, ReaderUI, lfs, UIManager, Screen, Event
     local sample_epub = "spec/front/unit/data/leaves.epub"
     local readerui
     setup(function()
+        require("commonrequire")
+        DocumentRegistry = require("document/documentregistry")
+        ReaderUI = require("apps/reader/readerui")
+        lfs = require("libs/libkoreader-lfs")
+        UIManager = require("ui/uimanager")
+        Screen = require("device").screen
+        Event = require("ui/event")
+
         readerui = ReaderUI:new{
             document = DocumentRegistry:openDocument(sample_epub),
         }
     end)
+
     it("should get screenshot in portrait", function()
         local name = "screenshots/reader_screenshot_portrait.png"
         readerui:handleEvent(Event:new("ChangeScreenMode", "portrait"))
@@ -24,7 +25,9 @@ describe("ReaderScreenshot module", function()
         UIManager:run()
         readerui.screenshot:onScreenshot(name)
         assert.truthy(lfs.attributes(name, "mode"))
+        UIManager:quit()
     end)
+
     it("should get screenshot in landscape", function()
         local name = "screenshots/reader_screenshot_landscape.png"
         readerui:handleEvent(Event:new("ChangeScreenMode", "landscape"))
@@ -34,5 +37,6 @@ describe("ReaderScreenshot module", function()
         UIManager:run()
         readerui.screenshot:onScreenshot(name)
         assert.truthy(lfs.attributes(name, "mode"))
+        UIManager:quit()
     end)
 end)