diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 7a718883790..4c553506650 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ on:
 env:
   DEFAULT_TARGET: f7
   FBT_TOOLCHAIN_PATH: /runner/_work
+  FBT_GIT_SUBMODULE_SHALLOW: 1
 
 jobs:
   main:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_compact.yml b/.github/workflows/build_compact.yml
index 7556c15acda..c63be24a47d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_compact.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_compact.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ on:
 
 env:
   FBT_TOOLCHAIN_PATH: /runner/_work
+  FBT_GIT_SUBMODULE_SHALLOW: 1
 
 jobs:
   compact:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pvs_studio.yml b/.github/workflows/pvs_studio.yml
index 24964a3094d..4f650f1b7c3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pvs_studio.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pvs_studio.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ env:
   TARGETS: f7
   DEFAULT_TARGET: f7
   FBT_TOOLCHAIN_PATH: /runner/_work
+  FBT_GIT_SUBMODULE_SHALLOW: 1
 
 jobs:
   analyse_c_cpp:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml
index 794dce37f05..35085ba57a1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/unit_tests.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ env:
   TARGETS: f7
   DEFAULT_TARGET: f7
   FBT_TOOLCHAIN_PATH: /opt
+  FBT_GIT_SUBMODULE_SHALLOW: 1
 
 jobs:
   run_units_on_bench:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/updater_test.yml b/.github/workflows/updater_test.yml
index f4064e1cca3..9987fdd3244 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/updater_test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/updater_test.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ env:
   TARGETS: f7
   DEFAULT_TARGET: f7
   FBT_TOOLCHAIN_PATH: /opt
+  FBT_GIT_SUBMODULE_SHALLOW: 1
 
 jobs:
   test_updater_on_bench:
diff --git a/fbt b/fbt
index 26f325d4556..e6133d07b17 100755
--- a/fbt
+++ b/fbt
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
 set -eu;
 
 # private variables
-N_GIT_THREADS="$(getconf _NPROCESSORS_ONLN)";
+N_CORES="$(getconf _NPROCESSORS_ONLN)";
+N_GIT_THREADS="$(($N_CORES * 2))";
 SCRIPT_PATH="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd -P)";
 SCONS_DEFAULT_FLAGS="--warn=target-not-built";
 SCONS_EP="python3 -m SCons";
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ FBT_NOENV="${FBT_NOENV:-""}";
 FBT_NO_SYNC="${FBT_NO_SYNC:-""}";
 FBT_TOOLCHAIN_PATH="${FBT_TOOLCHAIN_PATH:-$SCRIPT_PATH}";
 FBT_VERBOSE="${FBT_VERBOSE:-""}";
+FBT_GIT_SUBMODULE_SHALLOW="${FBT_GIT_SUBMODULE_SHALLOW:-""}";
 
 if [ -z "$FBT_NOENV" ]; then
     FBT_VERBOSE="$FBT_VERBOSE" . "$SCRIPT_PATH/scripts/toolchain/fbtenv.sh";
@@ -29,7 +31,12 @@ if [ -z "$FBT_NO_SYNC" ]; then
         echo "\".git\" directory not found, please clone repo via \"git clone\"";
         exit 1;
     fi
-    git submodule update --init --jobs "$N_GIT_THREADS";
+    _FBT_CLONE_FLAGS="--jobs $N_GIT_THREADS";
+    if [ ! -z "$FBT_GIT_SUBMODULE_SHALLOW" ]; then
+        _FBT_CLONE_FLAGS="$_FBT_CLONE_FLAGS --depth 1";
+    fi
+
+    git submodule update --init --recursive $_FBT_CLONE_FLAGS;
 fi
 
 $SCONS_EP $SCONS_DEFAULT_FLAGS "$@"
diff --git a/fbt.cmd b/fbt.cmd
index 03e4ec3d094..20432be1c53 100644
--- a/fbt.cmd
+++ b/fbt.cmd
@@ -4,10 +4,18 @@ call "%~dp0scripts\toolchain\fbtenv.cmd" env
 set SCONS_EP=python -m SCons
 
 if [%FBT_NO_SYNC%] == [] (
+    set _FBT_CLONE_FLAGS=--jobs %NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS%
+    if not [%FBT_GIT_SUBMODULE_SHALLOW%] == [] (
+        set _FBT_CLONE_FLAGS=%_FBT_CLONE_FLAGS% --depth 1
+    )
     if exist ".git" (
-        git submodule update --init --depth 1 --jobs %NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS%
+        git submodule update --init --recursive %_FBT_CLONE_FLAGS%
+        if %ERRORLEVEL% neq 0 (
+            echo Failed to update submodules, set FBT_NO_SYNC to skip
+            exit /b 1
+        )
     ) else (
-        echo Not in a git repo, please clone with "git clone"
+        echo .git not found, please clone repo with "git clone"
         exit /b 1
     )
 )
diff --git a/scripts/fbt/appmanifest.py b/scripts/fbt/appmanifest.py
index ff49707b1d6..1a6cae9b17c 100644
--- a/scripts/fbt/appmanifest.py
+++ b/scripts/fbt/appmanifest.py
@@ -100,6 +100,10 @@ def supports_hardware_target(self, target: str):
     def is_default_deployable(self):
         return self.apptype != FlipperAppType.DEBUG and self.fap_category != "Examples"
 
+    @property
+    def do_strict_import_checks(self):
+        return self.apptype != FlipperAppType.PLUGIN
+
     def __post_init__(self):
         if self.apptype == FlipperAppType.PLUGIN:
             self.stack_size = 0
diff --git a/scripts/fbt_tools/fbt_extapps.py b/scripts/fbt_tools/fbt_extapps.py
index bc8f9d5df74..963429f2451 100644
--- a/scripts/fbt_tools/fbt_extapps.py
+++ b/scripts/fbt_tools/fbt_extapps.py
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ def __init__(self, env, app):
         self.ext_apps_work_dir = env["EXT_APPS_WORK_DIR"]
         self.app_work_dir = self.get_app_work_dir(env, app)
         self.app_alias = f"fap_{self.app.appid}"
+        self.icons_src = None
         self.externally_built_files = []
         self.private_libs = []
 
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@ def _compile_assets(self):
         )
         self.app_env.Alias("_fap_icons", fap_icons)
         self.fw_env.Append(_APP_ICONS=[fap_icons])
+        self.icons_src = next(filter(lambda n: n.path.endswith(".c"), fap_icons))
 
     def _build_private_libs(self):
         for lib_def in self.app.fap_private_libs:
@@ -160,6 +162,10 @@ def _build_app(self):
         if not app_sources:
             raise UserError(f"No source files found for {self.app.appid}")
 
+        # Ensure that icons are included in the build, regardless of user-configured sources
+        if self.icons_src and not self.icons_src in app_sources:
+            app_sources.append(self.icons_src)
+
         ## Uncomment for debug
         # print(f"App sources for {self.app.appid}: {list(f.path for f in app_sources)}")
 
@@ -180,7 +186,9 @@ def _build_app(self):
             self.app._assets_dirs.append(self.app_work_dir.Dir("assets"))
 
         app_artifacts.validator = self.app_env.ValidateAppImports(
-            app_artifacts.compact
+            app_artifacts.compact,
+            _CHECK_APP=self.app.do_strict_import_checks
+            and self.app_env.get("STRICT_FAP_IMPORT_CHECK"),
         )[0]
 
         if self.app.apptype == FlipperAppType.PLUGIN:
@@ -300,7 +308,10 @@ def validate_app_imports(target, source, env):
                 + fg.brightmagenta(f"{disabled_api_syms}")
                 + fg.brightyellow(")")
             )
-        SCons.Warnings.warn(SCons.Warnings.LinkWarning, warning_msg),
+        if env.get("_CHECK_APP"):
+            raise UserError(warning_msg)
+        else:
+            SCons.Warnings.warn(SCons.Warnings.LinkWarning, warning_msg),
 
 
 def GetExtAppByIdOrPath(env, app_dir):
diff --git a/scripts/fbt_tools/sconsrecursiveglob.py b/scripts/fbt_tools/sconsrecursiveglob.py
index 38aa9a839fe..e7eb8fb7297 100644
--- a/scripts/fbt_tools/sconsrecursiveglob.py
+++ b/scripts/fbt_tools/sconsrecursiveglob.py
@@ -20,10 +20,9 @@ def GlobRecursive(env, pattern, node=".", exclude=[]):
             source=True,
             exclude=exclude,
         )
-    # Otherwise, just check if that's an existing file path
-    # NB: still creates "virtual" nodes as part of existence check
-    elif (file_node := node.File(pattern)).exists() or file_node.rexists():
-        results.append(file_node)
+    # Otherwise, just assume that file at path exists
+    else:
+        results.append(node.File(pattern))
     # print(f"Glob result for {pattern} from {node}: {results}")
     return results
 
diff --git a/scripts/ufbt/commandline.scons b/scripts/ufbt/commandline.scons
index 99c34c35da3..a3ba7e08dae 100644
--- a/scripts/ufbt/commandline.scons
+++ b/scripts/ufbt/commandline.scons
@@ -88,6 +88,11 @@ vars.AddVariables(
         "CDC Port of Flipper to use, if multiple are connected",
         "auto",
     ),
+    BoolVariable(
+        "STRICT_FAP_IMPORT_CHECK",
+        help="Enable strict import check for .faps",
+        default=True,
+    ),
 )
 
 Return("vars")
diff --git a/site_scons/commandline.scons b/site_scons/commandline.scons
index f75d5e0e4da..2d2abd5c676 100644
--- a/site_scons/commandline.scons
+++ b/site_scons/commandline.scons
@@ -269,6 +269,11 @@ vars.AddVariables(
             "clangd",
         ],
     ),
+    BoolVariable(
+        "STRICT_FAP_IMPORT_CHECK",
+        help="Enable strict import check for .faps",
+        default=True,
+    ),
 )
 
 Return("vars")