diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 7ee65dc3d3c92f87f9760667c0147fd070876ae7..ad18e34647701096d49d4dca0bc0edc37c7e032d 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ simulate-nanosoc:
     - echo "Simulation phase started"
     - git submodule foreach --recursive git submodule init
     - git fetch --recurse-submodules
-    - git submodule foreach --recursive git submodule init
     - source set_env.sh
     - sleep 5
   tags:
diff --git a/set_env.sh b/set_env.sh
index 2b5831e341a0b16fa4d95b980af2224a259b229e..8b26b8de4321a1af4bcbb0a3a1001df532fff068 100755
--- a/set_env.sh
+++ b/set_env.sh
@@ -63,11 +63,17 @@ if [ ! -f $SOCLABS_PROJECT_DIR/.socinit ]; then
     echo "Running First Time Repository Initialisation"
     # Source environment variables for all submodules
     cd $SOCLABS_DESIGN_ROOT
+    echo "1"
     git submodule update --remote --recursive
+    echo "2"
     python3 $SOCLABS_SOCTOOLS_FLOW_DIR/bin/subrepo_checkout.py -b proj-branch -t $SOCLABS_DESIGN_ROOT
+    echo "3"
     #git submodule foreach --recursive git checkout main # TODO: Bug on this line - need to checkout to correct branch
     # Read proj-branch file to find out which branch each subrepo needs to be on
     # git config --file .gitmodules --get-regexp path | awk '{ print $2 }' | while read line; do cd $SOCLABS_PROJECT_DIR/$line && git checkout `grep $line $SOCLABS_PROJECT_DIR/proj-branch | awk '{ print $2 }'` && git pull; done
+    echo "4"
     git restore $SOCLABS_DESIGN_ROOT/.gitmodules
+    echo "5"
     touch $SOCLABS_PROJECT_DIR/.socinit
+    echo "6"
 fi