diff --git a/.appveyor.yml b/.appveyor.yml
index 89f1418d2..7795b2f3b 100644
--- a/.appveyor.yml
+++ b/.appveyor.yml
@@ -1,12 +1,8 @@
 version: '{build}'
 
 cache:
-- sqlite-dll-win32-x86-3240000.zip -> .appveyor.yml
-- sqlite-dll-win64-x64-3240000.zip -> .appveyor.yml
-- nimbus-deps.zip -> .appveyor.yml
 - x86_64-4.9.2-release-win32-seh-rt_v4-rev4.7z -> .appveyor.yml
 - i686-4.9.2-release-win32-dwarf-rt_v4-rev4.7z -> .appveyor.yml
-- Nim -> .appveyor.yml
 
 matrix:
   # We always want 32 and 64-bit compilation
@@ -16,6 +12,9 @@ platform:
   - x86
   - x64
 
+# when multiple CI builds are queued, the tested commit needs to be in the last X commits cloned with "--depth X"
+clone_depth: 10
+
 install:
   - setlocal EnableExtensions EnableDelayedExpansion
 
@@ -23,88 +22,32 @@ install:
       SET "MINGW_ARCHIVE=i686-4.9.2-release-win32-dwarf-rt_v4-rev4.7z" &
       SET "MINGW_URL=https://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw-w64/files/Toolchains%%20targetting%%20Win32/Personal%%20Builds/mingw-builds/4.9.2/threads-win32/dwarf/i686-4.9.2-release-win32-dwarf-rt_v4-rev4.7z" &
       SET "MINGW_DIR=mingw32" &
-      SET "SQLITE_URL=https://www.sqlite.org/2018/sqlite-dll-win32-x86-3240000.zip" &
-      SET "SQLITE_ARCHIVE=sqlite-dll-win32-x86-3240000.zip" &
-      SET "ROCKSDB_URL=https://github.com/status-im/nimbus-deps/releases/download/nimbus-deps/nimbus-deps.zip" &
-      SET "ROCKSDB_ARCHIVE=nimbus-deps.zip"
     ) ELSE (
       IF "%PLATFORM%" == "x64" (
         SET "MINGW_ARCHIVE=x86_64-4.9.2-release-win32-seh-rt_v4-rev4.7z" &
         SET "MINGW_URL=https://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw-w64/files/Toolchains%%20targetting%%20Win64/Personal%%20Builds/mingw-builds/4.9.2/threads-win32/seh/x86_64-4.9.2-release-win32-seh-rt_v4-rev4.7z" &
         SET "MINGW_DIR=mingw64" &
-        SET "SQLITE_URL=https://www.sqlite.org/2018/sqlite-dll-win64-x64-3240000.zip" &
-        SET "SQLITE_ARCHIVE=sqlite-dll-win64-x64-3240000.zip" &
-        SET "ROCKSDB_URL=https://github.com/status-im/nimbus-deps/releases/download/nimbus-deps/nimbus-deps.zip" &
-        SET "ROCKSDB_ARCHIVE=nimbus-deps.zip"
       ) else (
         echo "Unknown platform"
       )
     )
 
-  - MKDIR %CD%\bin
-  - SET PATH=%CD%\%MINGW_DIR%\bin;%CD%\bin;%CD%\Nim\bin;%PATH%
+  - SET "PATH=%CD%\%MINGW_DIR%\bin;%PATH%"
 
-  # Unpack mingw
+  # download and unpack Mingw-w64
   - IF NOT EXIST "%MINGW_ARCHIVE%" appveyor DownloadFile "%MINGW_URL%" -FileName "%MINGW_ARCHIVE%"
   - 7z x -y "%MINGW_ARCHIVE%" > nul
 
-  # Unpack sqlite
-  - IF not exist "%SQLITE_ARCHIVE%" appveyor DownloadFile "%SQLITE_URL%" -FileName "%SQLITE_ARCHIVE%"
-  - 7z x -y "%SQLITE_ARCHIVE%" > nul
-  - IF "%PLATFORM%" == "x64" ( copy %CD%\sqlite3.dll %CD%\bin\sqlite3_64.dll ) ELSE ( copy %CD%\sqlite3.dll %CD%\bin\sqlite3_32.dll )
-
-  # Unpack rocksdb
-  - IF not exist "%ROCKSDB_ARCHIVE%" appveyor DownloadFile "%ROCKSDB_URL%" -FileName "%ROCKSDB_ARCHIVE%"
-  - 7z x -y "%ROCKSDB_ARCHIVE%" > nul
-  - IF "%PLATFORM%" == "x64" ( copy %CD%\x64\librocksdb.dll %CD%\bin\librocksdb.dll ) ELSE ( copy %CD%\x86\librocksdb.dll %CD%\bin\librocksdb.dll )
-
-  # build nim from our own branch - this to avoid the day-to-day churn and
-  # regressions of the fast-paced Nim development while maintaining the
-  # flexibility to apply patches
-  - SET "NEED_REBUILD="
-
-  - IF NOT EXIST "Nim\\.git\\" (
-      git clone https://github.com/status-im/Nim.git
-    ) ELSE (
-      ( cd Nim ) &
-      ( git pull ) &
-      ( cd .. )
-    )
-
-  # Rebuild Nim if HEAD has moved or if we don't yet have a cached version
-  - IF NOT EXIST "Nim\\ver.txt" (
-      SET NEED_REBUILD=1
-    ) ELSE (
-      ( CD Nim ) &
-      ( git rev-parse HEAD > ..\\cur_ver.txt ) &
-      ( fc ver.txt ..\\cur_ver.txt || SET NEED_REBUILD=1 ) &
-      ( cd .. )
-    )
-
-  - IF NOT EXIST "Nim\\bin\\nim.exe" SET NEED_REBUILD=1
-  - IF NOT EXIST "Nim\\bin\\nimble.exe" SET NEED_REBUILD=1
-
-  # after building nim, wipe csources to save on cache space
-  - IF DEFINED NEED_REBUILD (
-      cd Nim &
-      ( IF EXIST "csources" rmdir /s /q csources ) &
-      git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/nim-lang/csources &
-      cd csources &
-      ( IF "%PLATFORM%" == "x64" ( build64.bat ) else ( build.bat ) ) &
-      cd .. &
-      bin\nim c koch &
-      koch boot -d:release &
-      koch nimble &
-      git rev-parse HEAD > ver.txt &
-      rmdir /s /q csources
-    )
-
 build_script:
   - cd C:\projects\%APPVEYOR_PROJECT_SLUG%
-  - nimble install -y --depsOnly
-  - nimble nimbus
+  # speed up submodule cloning
+  - git submodule update --init --recursive --depth 10
+  - mingw32-make fetch-dlls
+  - mingw32-make -j2 nimbus
+
 test_script:
   - build\nimbus.exe --help
-  - nimble test
+  - mingw32-make -j2 test
 
 deploy: off
+