diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..8efe9a0cef974f02da9e94cd51f4f95ac9920786
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[submodule "proto"]
+	path = proto
+	url = git@gitlab.indiscale.com:caosdb/src/caosdb-proto.git
diff --git a/proto b/proto
new file mode 160000
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..b0cade5e02daff99eaa46e1201f2786ac873114b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/proto
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit b0cade5e02daff99eaa46e1201f2786ac873114b