diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 2aa6d52be..0152ed56b 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -14,6 +14,3 @@
 	path = platform/ios/vendor/SMCalloutView
 	url = https://github.com/nfarina/calloutview.git
 
-[submodule "src/mbgl/util/geojsonvt"]
-	path = src/mbgl/util/geojsonvt
-	url = https://github.com/mapbox/geojson-vt-cpp
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 6fbaa9f7f..6d0ac780c 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -15,8 +15,15 @@ function abort { >&2 echo -e "\033[1m\033[31m$1\033[0m"; exit 1; }
 function info { >&2 echo -e "\033[1m\033[33m$1\033[0m"; }
 function warn { >&2 echo -e "\033[1m\033[33m$1\033[0m"; }
 
-# Install mason
-export PATH="`pwd`/.mason:${PATH}" MASON_DIR="`pwd`/.mason"
+if [ -d "`pwd`/.git" ]; then
+    info "This build is within a git repository"
+    export MASON_DIR="`pwd`/.mason"
+    export PATH="${MASON_DIR}:${PATH}"
+else
+    info "This build is NOT within a git repository"
+    which mason || abort "You must install mason to build mapbox-gl-native (https://github.com/mapbox/mason)"
+    export MASON_DIR="$(dirname $(readlink $(which mason)))"
+fi
 
 # You can override the function for a particular set of flags by defining a
 # print_XXX_flags function in your dependencies.sh file
@@ -37,6 +44,23 @@ function print_flags {
     fi
 }
 
+function print_build_flags {
+    local NAME=$1; shift
+    if [ "$(type -t print_${NAME}_flags)" = 'function' ]; then
+        print_${NAME}_flags
+    else
+        local VERSION=`echo "${NAME}_VERSION" | tr "[:lower:]" "[:upper:]"`
+        if [ ! -z ${!VERSION:-} ] ; then
+            mason build ${NAME} ${!VERSION}
+            for FLAGS in "$@" ; do
+                CONFIG+="    '${NAME}_${FLAGS}%': $(quote_flags $(mason ${FLAGS} ${NAME} ${!VERSION})),"$LN
+            done
+        else
+            warn "* Not using ${NAME}"
+        fi
+    fi
+}
+
 function print_default_flags {
     :
 }
@@ -93,6 +117,8 @@ print_flags libuv static_libs cflags ldflags
 print_flags zlib static_libs cflags ldflags
 print_flags nunicode static_libs cflags ldflags
 print_flags libzip static_libs cflags ldflags
+print_build_flags geojsonvt static_libs cflags ldflags
+print_flags variant static_libs cflags ldflags
 
 CONFIG+="  }
 }
diff --git a/gyp/core.gypi b/gyp/core.gypi
index f9b361032..51009be69 100644
--- a/gyp/core.gypi
+++ b/gyp/core.gypi
@@ -31,10 +31,14 @@
           '<@(libuv_cflags)',
           '<@(opengl_cflags)',
           '<@(boost_cflags)',
+          '<@(geojsonvt_cflags)',
+          '<@(variant_cflags)',
         ],
         'cflags': [
           '<@(libuv_cflags)',
           '<@(opengl_cflags)',
+          '<@(geojsonvt_cflags)',
+          '<@(variant_cflags)',
           '-fPIC'
         ],
         'ldflags': [
@@ -43,6 +47,7 @@
         ],
         'libraries': [
           '<@(libuv_static_libs)',
+          '<@(geojsonvt_static_libs)',
         ],
       },
 
diff --git a/gyp/version.gypi b/gyp/version.gypi
index 1cc2eb351..4efdd079a 100644
--- a/gyp/version.gypi
+++ b/gyp/version.gypi
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
           'outputs': [
             '<(SHARED_INTERMEDIATE_DIR)/include/mbgl/util/version.hpp',
           ],
-          'action': ['<@(_inputs)', '<(SHARED_INTERMEDIATE_DIR)', '<!@(git describe --tags --always --abbrev=0)', '<!@(git rev-parse HEAD)'],
+          'action': ['<@(_inputs)', '<(SHARED_INTERMEDIATE_DIR)'],
         }
       ],
       'direct_dependent_settings': {
diff --git a/scripts/android/configure.sh b/scripts/android/configure.sh
index 70c8973a8..a849d48d1 100644
--- a/scripts/android/configure.sh
+++ b/scripts/android/configure.sh
@@ -8,5 +8,7 @@ LIBUV_VERSION=1.4.0
 ZLIB_VERSION=system
 NUNICODE_VERSION=1.5.1
 LIBZIP_VERSION=0.11.2
+GEOJSONVT_VERSION=1.1.0
+VARIANT_VERSION=1.0
 
 export MASON_ANDROID_ABI=${MASON_PLATFORM_VERSION}
diff --git a/scripts/build-version.py b/scripts/build-version.py
index 0110e6a2e..1d58998c9 100755
--- a/scripts/build-version.py
+++ b/scripts/build-version.py
@@ -1,22 +1,22 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
 
-import sys, os, errno, re
+import sys, os, errno, re, subprocess
 
+DEFAULT_TAG = [0, 0, 0]
+DEFAULT_REV = 'unknown'
 
-output_dir = sys.argv[1]
+def is_git_repo():
+    try:
+        subprocess.check_output("git rev-parse", shell=True)
+        return True
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as exc:
+        return False
 
-if len(sys.argv) <= 3:
-    tag = [0, 0, 0]
-    rev = sys.argv[2][0:8]
-else:
-    # When they're identical, the git describe can't find a tag and reports the rev instead.
-    if sys.argv[2] == sys.argv[3]:
-        tag = [0, 0, 0]
-    else:
-        ver = re.sub("[^0-9.]", "", sys.argv[2])
-        tag = map(int, ver.split('.'))
-        rev = sys.argv[3][0:8]
+def parse_tag(raw_tag):
+    return map(int, re.sub("[^0-9.]", "", raw_tag).split('.'))
 
+def parse_rev(raw_rev):
+    return raw_rev[0:8]
 
 def mkdir_p(path):
     try:
@@ -27,6 +27,24 @@ def mkdir_p(path):
         else: raise
 
 
+output_dir = sys.argv[1]
+
+if is_git_repo():
+    raw_tag = subprocess.check_output("git describe --tags --always --abbrev=0", shell=True)
+    raw_rev = subprocess.check_output("git rev-parse HEAD", shell=True)
+
+    # When they're identical, the "git describe" can't find a tag and reports the rev instead.
+    if raw_tag == raw_rev:
+        tag = DEFAULT_TAG
+        rev = parse_rev(raw_rev)
+    else:
+        tag = parse_tag(raw_tag)
+        rev = parse_rev(raw_rev)
+else:
+    tag = DEFAULT_TAG
+    rev = DEFAULT_REV
+
+
 header = """// NOTE: DO NOT CHANGE THIS FILE. IT IS AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED.
 #ifndef MBGL_UTIL_VERSION
 #define MBGL_UTIL_VERSION
@@ -60,4 +78,3 @@ extern const unsigned int number;
 header_path = os.path.join(output_dir, 'include/mbgl/util/version.hpp')
 mkdir_p(os.path.dirname(header_path))
 with open(header_path, 'w') as f: f.write(header)
-
diff --git a/scripts/ios/configure.sh b/scripts/ios/configure.sh
index 0562e0e39..954ba34b1 100644
--- a/scripts/ios/configure.sh
+++ b/scripts/ios/configure.sh
@@ -4,3 +4,5 @@ BOOST_VERSION=1.57.0
 SQLITE_VERSION=system
 LIBUV_VERSION=0.10.28
 ZLIB_VERSION=system
+GEOJSONVT_VERSION=1.1.0
+VARIANT_VERSION=1.0
diff --git a/scripts/ios/package.sh b/scripts/ios/package.sh
index 2b1e97c30..3d21bacb5 100755
--- a/scripts/ios/package.sh
+++ b/scripts/ios/package.sh
@@ -74,12 +74,14 @@ if [[ "${BUILD_FOR_DEVICE}" == true ]]; then
         -o ${OUTPUT}/static/lib${NAME}.a \
         ${LIBS[@]/#/build/${BUILDTYPE}-iphoneos/libmbgl-} \
         ${LIBS[@]/#/build/${BUILDTYPE}-iphonesimulator/libmbgl-} \
-        `find mason_packages/ios-${IOS_SDK_VERSION} -type f -name libuv.a`
+        `find mason_packages/ios-${IOS_SDK_VERSION} -type f -name libuv.a` \
+        `find mason_packages/ios-${IOS_SDK_VERSION} -type f -name libgeojsonvt.a`
 else
     libtool -static -no_warning_for_no_symbols \
         -o ${OUTPUT}/static/lib${NAME}.a \
         ${LIBS[@]/#/build/${BUILDTYPE}-iphonesimulator/libmbgl-} \
-        `find mason_packages/ios-${IOS_SDK_VERSION} -type f -name libuv.a`
+        `find mason_packages/ios-${IOS_SDK_VERSION} -type f -name libuv.a` \
+        `find mason_packages/ios-${IOS_SDK_VERSION} -type f -name libgeojsonvt.a`
 fi
 echo "Created ${OUTPUT}/static/lib${NAME}.a"
 
diff --git a/scripts/linux/configure.sh b/scripts/linux/configure.sh
index 1099a6550..c4c307eb7 100644
--- a/scripts/linux/configure.sh
+++ b/scripts/linux/configure.sh
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ LIBUV_VERSION=0.10.28
 ZLIB_VERSION=system
 NUNICODE_VERSION=1.5.1
 LIBZIP_VERSION=0.11.2
+GEOJSONVT_VERSION=1.1.0
+VARIANT_VERSION=1.0
 
 function print_opengl_flags {
     CONFIG+="    'opengl_cflags%': $(quote_flags $(pkg-config gl x11 --cflags)),"$LN
diff --git a/scripts/main.mk b/scripts/main.mk
index 3639a780a..dae3782a6 100644
--- a/scripts/main.mk
+++ b/scripts/main.mk
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ HOST_VERSION ?= $(BUILD_VERSION)
 export MASON_PLATFORM=$(HOST)
 export MASON_PLATFORM_VERSION=$(HOST_VERSION)
 
+ifneq (,$(wildcard scripts/$(HOST)/$(HOST_VERSION)/configure.sh))
+	CONFIGURE_FILES += scripts/$(HOST)/$(HOST_VERSION)/configure.sh
+endif
+
 HOST_SLUG = $(HOST)-$(HOST_VERSION)
 CONFIGURE_FILES = scripts/$(HOST)/configure.sh
 ifneq (,$(wildcard scripts/$(HOST)/$(HOST_VERSION)/configure.sh))
@@ -34,6 +38,7 @@ default: ;
 
 #### Dependencies ##############################################################
 
+ifneq (,$(wildcard .git/.))
 SUBMODULES += .mason/mason.sh
 .mason/mason.sh:
 	./scripts/flock.py .git/Submodule.lock git submodule update --init .mason
@@ -42,10 +47,6 @@ SUBMODULES += styles/styles
 styles/styles:
 	./scripts/flock.py .git/Submodule.lock git submodule update --init styles
 
-SUBMODULES += src/mbgl/util/geojsonvt/geojsonvt.hpp
-src/mbgl/util/geojsonvt/geojsonvt.hpp:
-	./scripts/flock.py .git/Submodule.lock git submodule update --init src/mbgl/util/geojsonvt
-
 ifeq ($(HOST),ios)
 SUBMODULES += platform/ios/vendor/SMCalloutView/SMCalloutView.h
 platform/ios/vendor/SMCalloutView/SMCalloutView.h:
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ SUBMODULES += test/ios/KIF/KIF.xcodeproj
 test/ios/KIF/KIF.xcodeproj:
 	./scripts/flock.py .git/Submodule.lock git submodule update --init test/ios/KIF
 endif
+endif
 
 # Wildcard targets get removed after build by default, but we want to preserve the config.
 .PRECIOUS: config/%.gypi
diff --git a/scripts/osx/configure.sh b/scripts/osx/configure.sh
index fc3c5f464..4280bdf0a 100644
--- a/scripts/osx/configure.sh
+++ b/scripts/osx/configure.sh
@@ -11,3 +11,5 @@ LIBUV_VERSION=0.10.28
 ZLIB_VERSION=system
 NUNICODE_VERSION=1.5.1
 LIBZIP_VERSION=0.11.2
+GEOJSONVT_VERSION=1.1.0
+VARIANT_VERSION=1.0
diff --git a/scripts/osx/run.sh b/scripts/osx/run.sh
index 86a729152..70d54c5ce 100755
--- a/scripts/osx/run.sh
+++ b/scripts/osx/run.sh
@@ -14,9 +14,6 @@ BUILDTYPE=${BUILDTYPE:-Release}
 mapbox_time "checkout_styles" \
 git submodule update --init styles
 
-mapbox_time "checkout_geojsonvt" \
-git submodule update --init src/mbgl/util/geojsonvt
-
 mapbox_time "compile_program" \
 make xosx -j${JOBS} BUILDTYPE=${BUILDTYPE}
 
diff --git a/src/mbgl/map/annotation.cpp b/src/mbgl/map/annotation.cpp
index 874459797..4bc01871b 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/map/annotation.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/map/annotation.cpp
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
+#include <mapbox/geojsonvt/geojsonvt_convert.hpp>
+
 #include <mbgl/map/annotation.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/annotation/point_annotation.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/annotation/shape_annotation.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/map/tile_id.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/map/live_tile.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/constants.hpp>
-#include <mbgl/util/geojsonvt/geojsonvt_convert.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/ptr.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/string.hpp>
 
diff --git a/src/mbgl/map/annotation.hpp b/src/mbgl/map/annotation.hpp
index 5adec162f..6b80d9f6c 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/map/annotation.hpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/map/annotation.hpp
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 #ifndef MBGL_MAP_ANNOTATIONS
 #define MBGL_MAP_ANNOTATIONS
 
+#include <mapbox/geojsonvt/geojsonvt.hpp>
+
 #include <mbgl/map/map.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/map/geometry_tile.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/map/tile_id.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/style/style_properties.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/style/types.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/geo.hpp>
-#include <mbgl/util/geojsonvt/geojsonvt.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/noncopyable.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/vec.hpp>
 
diff --git a/src/mbgl/util/geojsonvt b/src/mbgl/util/geojsonvt
deleted file mode 160000
index 995ffc72c..000000000
--- a/src/mbgl/util/geojsonvt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 995ffc72c556da4b4880a6036fbcf7159fc5ecce
diff --git a/test/test.gypi b/test/test.gypi
index a35b00133..c53263bd5 100644
--- a/test/test.gypi
+++ b/test/test.gypi
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@
       'libraries': [
         '<@(libuv_static_libs)',
         '<@(sqlite_static_libs)',
+        '<@(geojsonvt_static_libs)',
       ],
       'variables': {
         'cflags_cc': [
@@ -102,6 +103,8 @@
           '<@(opengl_cflags)',
           '<@(boost_cflags)',
           '<@(sqlite_cflags)',
+          '<@(geojsonvt_cflags)',
+          '<@(variant_cflags)',
         ],
         'ldflags': [
           '<@(libuv_ldflags)',