diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 6c14166..5b4cffc 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@ set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake)
 set(GIT_SUBMODULE_DIR_sc-components .)
 ### set each submodules's commit or tag that is to be checked out
 ### (leave empty if you want master)
-#set(GIT_SUBMODULE_VERSION_sc-comp 3af6b9836589b082c19d9131c5d0b7afa8ddd7cd)
+#set(GIT_SUBMODULE_VERSION_sc-components 3af6b9836589b082c19d9131c5d0b7afa8ddd7cd)
+set(GIT_SUBMODULE_BRANCH_sc-components "develop")
 
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
 include(cmake/Submodules.cmake)
diff --git a/cmake/Submodules.cmake b/cmake/Submodules.cmake
index f2612b8..0d1b89d 100644
--- a/cmake/Submodules.cmake
+++ b/cmake/Submodules.cmake
@@ -24,7 +24,11 @@ foreach(GIT_SUBMODULE ${GIT_SUBMODULES})
 
     if( "${GIT_SUBMODULE_VERSION_${GIT_SUBMODULE}}" STREQUAL "" )
         message(STATUS "no specific version given for submodule ${GIT_SUBMODULE}, checking out master")
-        set(GIT_SUBMODULE_VERSION_${GIT_SUBMODULE} "master")
+        if( "${GIT_SUBMODULE_BRANCH_${GIT_SUBMODULE}}" STREQUAL "" )
+            set(GIT_SUBMODULE_VERSION_${GIT_SUBMODULE} "master")
+        else()
+            set(GIT_SUBMODULE_VERSION_${GIT_SUBMODULE} ${GIT_SUBMODULE_BRANCH_${GIT_SUBMODULE}})
+        endif()
     endif()
 
     if( "${GIT_SUBMODULE_DIR_${GIT_SUBMODULE}}" STREQUAL "" )