diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d9f7061..d72d90f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -72,12 +72,12 @@ uECC.o: ./crypto/micro-ecc/uECC.c
 
 env2:
 	virtualenv --python=python2.7 env2
-	env2/bin/pip install -r tools/requirements.txt
+	env2/bin/pip install --upgrade -r tools/requirements.txt
 
 env3:
 	python3 -m venv env3
-	env3/bin/pip install -r tools/requirements.txt
-	env3/bin/pip install black
+	env3/bin/pip install --upgrade -r tools/requirements.txt
+	env3/bin/pip install --upgrade black
 
 # selectively reformat our own code
 black: env3
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d87faa8..fc229de 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ make all-hacker
 python ../../tools/programmer.py solo.hex
 ```
 
+If you forgot the `--recurse-submodules` when cloning, simply `git submodule update --init --recursive`.
+
 For example, if you want to turn off any blue light emission, you can edit [`led_rgb()`](https://github.com/SoloKeysSec/solo/blob/master/targets/stm32l442/src/led.c#L15) and force:
 ```
 uint32_t b = 0;