diff --git a/.github/workflows/user_events.yml b/.github/workflows/user_events.yml
index d3ea7ae9c..00ed4ec34 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/user_events.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/user_events.yml
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/checkout@v7.0.1
         with:
           path: opentelemetry-cpp-contrib
-          submodules: "recursive"
       - name: checkout opentelemetry-cpp
         uses: actions/checkout@v7.0.1
         with:
diff --git a/exporters/user_events/CMakeLists.txt b/exporters/user_events/CMakeLists.txt
index 84c27ab3b..bd2548f62 100644
--- a/exporters/user_events/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/exporters/user_events/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -26,20 +26,28 @@ if(MAIN_PROJECT)
   find_package(opentelemetry-cpp REQUIRED)
 endif()
 
-if(BUILD_TRACEPOINTS)
+if(NOT BUILD_TRACEPOINTS)
+  find_package(eventheader-headers QUIET)
+endif()
+
+if(BUILD_TRACEPOINTS OR NOT eventheader_headers_FOUND)
   set(ORIGINAL_BUILD_SAMPLES ${BUILD_SAMPLES})
   set(ORIGINAL_BUILD_TOOLS ${BUILD_TOOLS})
 
   # don't build samples and tools from LinuxTracepoints.
   set(BUILD_SAMPLES OFF)
   set(BUILD_TOOLS OFF)
-  add_subdirectory(third_party/LinuxTracepoints)
+
+  FetchContent_Declare(
+    tracepoints
+    GIT_REPOSITORY https://github.com/microsoft/LinuxTracepoints.git
+    GIT_TAG ebc5eaaa21382a48c5883d111626c4dc46684ca2 # v1.4.0
+  )
+  FetchContent_MakeAvailable(tracepoints)
 
   # Restore original values
   set(BUILD_SAMPLES ${ORIGINAL_BUILD_SAMPLES})
   set(BUILD_TOOLS ${ORIGINAL_BUILD_TOOLS})
-else()
-  find_package(eventheader-headers REQUIRED CONFIG)
 endif()
 
 include_directories(include)
@@ -174,4 +182,4 @@ else()
     FILES_MATCHING
     PATTERN
     "*.h")
-endif()
\ No newline at end of file
+endif()
diff --git a/exporters/user_events/third_party/LinuxTracepoints b/exporters/user_events/third_party/LinuxTracepoints
deleted file mode 160000
index a817b91df..000000000
--- a/exporters/user_events/third_party/LinuxTracepoints
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit a817b91dfb08b2929ec6d48a211644e3394bf1c7