diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f06339a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+[submodule "pregexp"]
+	path = pregexp
+	url = https://github.com/ds26gte/pregexp/
diff --git a/ce.asd b/ce.asd
index dfd394d..d2044e0 100644
--- a/ce.asd
+++ b/ce.asd
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
+; -*- lisp -*-
 
 ; override file extension
 ; defaults to .lisp rather than .cl
-(defclass file (cl-source-file)
+(defclass clfile (cl-source-file)
   ((type :initform "cl")))
 
 (defsystem :ce
   :depends-on (#:asdf)
-  :components ((:file "ce")))
+  :components
+  ((:clfile "ce" :depends-on ("pregexp/pregexp"))
+   (:file "pregexp/pregexp")))
 
diff --git a/ce.cl b/ce.cl
index b55ea17..2e71b26 100644
--- a/ce.cl
+++ b/ce.cl
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 ; -*- lisp -*-
+
 (require :asdf)
+; pregexp seems to not have a provide, so we cannot require
+; instead try loading it if not already bundled in via asdf
+(when (not (boundp '*pregexp-version*))
+ (load "pregexp/pregexp.lisp"))
 
 (defvar ce-commands-alist '((#\q . quit)
  (#\Newline . ce-command-enter)
diff --git a/pregexp b/pregexp
new file mode 160000
index 0000000..d456c68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pregexp
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit d456c686b17fa5cc28039c1bb765daed3e68d2b0