diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index e8564d50..c467250f 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
 [submodule "lib/recomp-net"]
 	path = lib/recomp-net
 	url = https://github.com/TechnicallyComputers/recomp-net.git
-[submodule "lib/recomp-ui"]
-	path = lib/recomp-ui
-	url = https://github.com/mstan/recomp-ui.git
-	branch = master
diff --git a/lib/recomp-ui b/lib/recomp-ui
deleted file mode 160000
index 7511bc97..00000000
--- a/lib/recomp-ui
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 7511bc97b49c5fd89a1dab96583eff5978018ff0
diff --git a/runtime/runtime.cmake b/runtime/runtime.cmake
index 6a6e5f80..2d73ae1e 100644
--- a/runtime/runtime.cmake
+++ b/runtime/runtime.cmake
@@ -95,8 +95,18 @@ else()
     option(PSX_STATIC_RUNTIME "Statically link SDL2 + libgcc/libstdc++ for a self-contained exe" OFF)
 endif()
 
-# PSX_RECOMP_UI: build the shared Dear ImGui launcher from lib/recomp-ui.
+# PSX_RECOMP_UI: wire the shared Dear ImGui launcher from the *game* repo's
+# root recomp-ui submodule (CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR/recomp-ui). Not vendored in
+# psxrecomp — games that need the launcher own the pin.
 option(PSX_RECOMP_UI "Build the shared recomp-ui Dear ImGui launcher" ON)
+set(RECOMP_UI_ROOT "" CACHE PATH
+    "Path to recomp-ui; empty = <game>/recomp-ui")
+if(PSX_RECOMP_UI AND (NOT RECOMP_UI_ROOT OR RECOMP_UI_ROOT STREQUAL ""))
+    if(EXISTS "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/recomp-ui/recomp_ui.cmake")
+        set(RECOMP_UI_ROOT "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/recomp-ui" CACHE PATH
+            "Path to recomp-ui; empty = <game>/recomp-ui" FORCE)
+    endif()
+endif()
 
 set(PSXRECOMP_RUNTIME_SOURCES
     ${PSXRECOMP_ROOT}/runtime/src/main.cpp
@@ -551,15 +561,18 @@ function(psxrecomp_add_runtime_target target)
     endif()
 
     # Shared recomp-ui Dear ImGui launcher (not in the oracle build — that's headless).
+    # Lives at the game repo root (RECOMP_UI_ROOT / CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR/recomp-ui),
+    # not under psxrecomp/lib/.
     if(PSX_RECOMP_UI AND NOT PSXRT_ORACLE)
-        if(NOT EXISTS "${PSXRECOMP_ROOT}/lib/recomp-ui/recomp_ui.cmake")
+        if(NOT RECOMP_UI_ROOT OR NOT EXISTS "${RECOMP_UI_ROOT}/recomp_ui.cmake")
             message(FATAL_ERROR
-                "PSX_RECOMP_UI=ON but lib/recomp-ui is missing. "
-                "Run: git submodule update --init --recursive")
+                "PSX_RECOMP_UI=ON but recomp-ui is missing.\n"
+                "Add at the game repo root:\n"
+                "  git submodule add -b master "
+                "https://github.com/mstan/recomp-ui.git recomp-ui\n"
+                "Or set -DRECOMP_UI_ROOT=/path/to/recomp-ui")
         endif()
-        set(RECOMP_UI_ROOT "${PSXRECOMP_ROOT}/lib/recomp-ui" CACHE PATH
-            "Root directory of recomp-ui" FORCE)
-        include("${PSXRECOMP_ROOT}/lib/recomp-ui/recomp_ui.cmake")
+        include("${RECOMP_UI_ROOT}/recomp_ui.cmake")
 
         set(_psx_recomp_ui_args)
         if(PSXRT_LAUNCHER_BOXART)