diff --git a/cmake/external/brpc.cmake b/cmake/external/brpc.cmake
index a5a86afa4a5352f586714041d9f041b610d97b8e..1b467d138b3a1f00c35d110f75426fc0175ec366 100644
--- a/cmake/external/brpc.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/brpc.cmake
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ set(prefix_path "${THIRD_PARTY_PATH}/install/gflags|${THIRD_PARTY_PATH}/install/
 ExternalProject_Add(
     extern_brpc
     ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+    ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
     GIT_REPOSITORY  "https://github.com/apache/incubator-brpc"
     GIT_TAG         "ad00fe940b4f05225b214131959293bbed8744a0" #rdma branch's head now.
     PREFIX          ${BRPC_SOURCES_DIR}
diff --git a/cmake/external/cares.cmake b/cmake/external/cares.cmake
index 52b634a0757928acc83a03652881a82fb3e0f0f9..a4e19cc469ff036cfeba10a0bf7e93a9d2477878 100644
--- a/cmake/external/cares.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/cares.cmake
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ endif()
 
 ExternalProject_Add(
     extern_cares
+    ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
     GIT_REPOSITORY "https://github.com/c-ares/c-ares.git"
     GIT_TAG "cares-1_13_0"
     PREFIX          ${CARES_SOURCES_DIR}
diff --git a/cmake/external/cub.cmake b/cmake/external/cub.cmake
index a4d63295d730a1e3dc71a5930c48488d0017f942..e8242ab417ce711fa7d6d58ddc1713149af8610f 100644
--- a/cmake/external/cub.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/cub.cmake
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ include_directories(${CUB_INCLUDE_DIR})
 ExternalProject_Add(
   extern_cub
   ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+  ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
   GIT_REPOSITORY "https://github.com/NVlabs/cub.git"
   GIT_TAG        "v1.8.0"
   PREFIX         ${CUB_SOURCE_DIR}
diff --git a/cmake/external/dlpack.cmake b/cmake/external/dlpack.cmake
index a7284a96ea456f5d4dc70028b55c1a80fc126b84..679e91de4b8f2e96eee63a7703e89b457feca2fc 100644
--- a/cmake/external/dlpack.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/dlpack.cmake
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ include_directories(${DLPACK_INCLUDE_DIR})
 ExternalProject_Add(
   extern_dlpack
   ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+  ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
   GIT_REPOSITORY "https://github.com/dmlc/dlpack.git"
   GIT_TAG        "v0.2"
   PREFIX         ${DLPACK_SOURCE_DIR}
diff --git a/cmake/external/eigen.cmake b/cmake/external/eigen.cmake
index c186f6d4f4330c1d851e93e72f16888140bd6a0c..43a23fa9d4faaff1c4e1369ddf3d32a9cfe4d71c 100644
--- a/cmake/external/eigen.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/eigen.cmake
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ if(WITH_AMD_GPU)
     ExternalProject_Add(
         extern_eigen3
         ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+        ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
         GIT_REPOSITORY  "https://github.com/sabreshao/hipeigen.git"
         GIT_TAG         7cb2b6e5a4b4a1efe658abb215cd866c6fb2275e
         PREFIX          ${EIGEN_SOURCE_DIR}
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@ else()
     ExternalProject_Add(
         extern_eigen3
         ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+        ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
         GIT_REPOSITORY  "${EIGEN_GIT_REPOSITORY}"
         # eigen on cuda9.1 missing header of math_funtions.hpp
         # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/43113508/math-functions-hpp-not-found-when-using-cuda-with-eigen
diff --git a/cmake/external/gflags.cmake b/cmake/external/gflags.cmake
index fae1e20d3bea0eeee3f9756e55e892eb512c3da6..1ceee9c168d9ea491d7d82e6ce226fd54f4cf6c3 100644
--- a/cmake/external/gflags.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/gflags.cmake
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${GFLAGS_INCLUDE_DIR})
 ExternalProject_Add(
     extern_gflags
     ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+    ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
     GIT_REPOSITORY  "https://github.com/gflags/gflags.git"
     GIT_TAG         77592648e3f3be87d6c7123eb81cbad75f9aef5a
     PREFIX          ${GFLAGS_SOURCES_DIR}
diff --git a/cmake/external/glog.cmake b/cmake/external/glog.cmake
index ac6294048cf7198651de292f24f97c522a5009e0..7df895ec6242cb1e3c606725eecd7102b83a4381 100644
--- a/cmake/external/glog.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/glog.cmake
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ SET(GLOG_TAG "v0.3.5")
 ExternalProject_Add(
     extern_glog
     ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+    ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
     DEPENDS gflags
     GIT_REPOSITORY  ${GLOG_REPOSITORY}
     GIT_TAG         ${GLOG_TAG}
diff --git a/cmake/external/gtest.cmake b/cmake/external/gtest.cmake
index 99cdca5455087c8f5ce3fae36c485d5d568da32c..1d5a6fad55db028e3617297a6792018cca0e6510 100644
--- a/cmake/external/gtest.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/gtest.cmake
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ ENDIF()
 ExternalProject_Add(
     extern_gtest
     ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+    ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
     DEPENDS         ${GTEST_DEPENDS}
     GIT_REPOSITORY  "https://github.com/google/googletest.git"
     GIT_TAG         "release-1.8.1"
diff --git a/cmake/external/leveldb.cmake b/cmake/external/leveldb.cmake
index 3ba8a466c647f1aeef0ad20d4a540b6926e94054..95d1c4b1f0eaafa717f8b6911034f7635990a357 100644
--- a/cmake/external/leveldb.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/leveldb.cmake
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${LEVELDB_INCLUDE_DIR})
 ExternalProject_Add(
     extern_leveldb
     ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+    ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
     PREFIX ${LEVELDB_SOURCES_DIR}
     GIT_REPOSITORY "https://github.com/google/leveldb"
     GIT_TAG v1.18
diff --git a/cmake/external/libxsmm.cmake b/cmake/external/libxsmm.cmake
index 5a7ee046555e783f87fb1c4e88775b81abc5813f..b6ab2d1528447b03af5ec6bc6291ce48cb9fac13 100644
--- a/cmake/external/libxsmm.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/libxsmm.cmake
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ SET(LIBXSMM_LIBS        "${LIBXSMM_LIBRARY_DIR}/libxsmm.a"
 
 ExternalProject_Add(
     extern_libxsmm
+    ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
     GIT_REPOSITORY  "https://github.com/hfp/libxsmm.git"
     GIT_TAG         "7cc03b5b342fdbc6b6d990b190671c5dbb8489a2"
     PREFIX          ${LIBXSMM_SOURCES_DIR}
diff --git a/cmake/external/mkldnn.cmake b/cmake/external/mkldnn.cmake
index acab8974584baccbcf826db592ebf7f7584bccb0..25870d9afd434c3ec300c6edb7624eac76c941bf 100644
--- a/cmake/external/mkldnn.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/mkldnn.cmake
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ ENDIF(NOT WIN32)
 ExternalProject_Add(
     ${MKLDNN_PROJECT}
     ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+    ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
     DEPENDS             ${MKLDNN_DEPENDS}
     GIT_REPOSITORY      "https://github.com/intel/mkl-dnn.git"
     GIT_TAG             "aef88b7c233f48f8b945da310f1b973da31ad033"
diff --git a/cmake/external/ngraph.cmake b/cmake/external/ngraph.cmake
index fb752a22b3fde2c39146bd1864e6d3189cd0ac6a..0abc34be5cd7c1f0fd50dc5f5cb3fab3acdbbc34 100644
--- a/cmake/external/ngraph.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/ngraph.cmake
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ SET(NGRAPH_TBB_LIB         ${NGRAPH_LIB_DIR}/${NGRAPH_TBB_LIB_NAME})
 ExternalProject_Add(
     ${NGRAPH_PROJECT}
     ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+    ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
     DEPENDS                  ${MKLDNN_PROJECT} ${MKLML_PROJECT}
     GIT_REPOSITORY           ${NGRAPH_GIT_REPO}
     GIT_TAG                  ${NGRAPH_GIT_TAG}
diff --git a/cmake/external/openblas.cmake b/cmake/external/openblas.cmake
index 1d40ad108fbfba69d86bfa16be6e46ddfbdc25da..5282c7dd8229d20f8f40883aee06607ea966d8d9 100644
--- a/cmake/external/openblas.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/openblas.cmake
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ IF(NOT ${CBLAS_FOUND})
     ExternalProject_Add(
         extern_openblas
         ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+        ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
         GIT_REPOSITORY      https://github.com/xianyi/OpenBLAS.git
         GIT_TAG             ${OPENBLAS_COMMIT}
         PREFIX              ${CBLAS_SOURCES_DIR}
diff --git a/cmake/external/protobuf.cmake b/cmake/external/protobuf.cmake
index b437e151c7f997d3898c3cd1b95cbe89385e2124..f172ebb18e66bf865307c749ff1daf475fc1ebcf 100644
--- a/cmake/external/protobuf.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/protobuf.cmake
@@ -209,6 +209,7 @@ FUNCTION(build_protobuf TARGET_NAME BUILD_FOR_HOST)
     ExternalProject_Add(
         ${TARGET_NAME}
         ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+        ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
         PREFIX          ${PROTOBUF_SOURCES_DIR}
         UPDATE_COMMAND  ""
         DEPENDS         zlib
diff --git a/cmake/external/pybind11.cmake b/cmake/external/pybind11.cmake
index a2dbf4cdb7c000c713124993a1643f1b086ff263..a7bf580883f423e4fa53056ff311e03dc0e9d423 100644
--- a/cmake/external/pybind11.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/pybind11.cmake
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ include_directories(${PYBIND_SOURCE_DIR}/src/extern_pybind/include)
 ExternalProject_Add(
         extern_pybind
         ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+        ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
         GIT_REPOSITORY  "https://github.com/pybind/pybind11.git"
         GIT_TAG         "v2.2.4"
         PREFIX          ${PYBIND_SOURCE_DIR}
diff --git a/cmake/external/rocprim.cmake b/cmake/external/rocprim.cmake
index b7e13c529e0971917d883fea218944ecf9b026af..df4c88cadc4bc570db0eac9564806f559dfd443e 100644
--- a/cmake/external/rocprim.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/rocprim.cmake
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ SET(ROCPRIM_INCLUDE_DIR ${ROCPRIM_INSTALL_DIR}/include)
 
 ExternalProject_Add(
     extern_rocprim
+    ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
     GIT_REPOSITORY "https://github.com/ROCmSoftwarePlatform/rocPRIM.git"
     GIT_TAG        5bd41b96ab8d8343330fb2c3e1b96775bde3b3fc 
     PREFIX         ${ROCPRIM_SOURCE_DIR}
diff --git a/cmake/external/threadpool.cmake b/cmake/external/threadpool.cmake
index d87a818ba8d9d96e792ad37285393b2581d8f19e..ebec736084d6874c7249f8e7dad7212e620aeefc 100644
--- a/cmake/external/threadpool.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/threadpool.cmake
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${THREADPOOL_INCLUDE_DIR})
 ExternalProject_Add(
     extern_threadpool
     ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+    ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
     GIT_REPOSITORY  "https://github.com/progschj/ThreadPool.git"
     GIT_TAG         9a42ec1329f259a5f4881a291db1dcb8f2ad9040
     PREFIX          ${THREADPOOL_SOURCE_DIR}
diff --git a/cmake/external/warpctc.cmake b/cmake/external/warpctc.cmake
index c7ca7ba56ba74e40a1a44884435c1bf2852f688d..7fa517d17f97d2223abab40dee9f5eefd4ad3047 100644
--- a/cmake/external/warpctc.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/warpctc.cmake
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ SET(WARPCTC_REPOSITORY "https://github.com/wopeizl/warp-ctc.git")
 ExternalProject_Add(
     extern_warpctc
     ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+    ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
     GIT_REPOSITORY ${WARPCTC_REPOSITORY}
     PREFIX          ${WARPCTC_SOURCES_DIR}
     UPDATE_COMMAND  ""
diff --git a/cmake/external/xbyak.cmake b/cmake/external/xbyak.cmake
index 245ecf8bb1667912111b66009f37feac47f79d44..f60eb8113998797da0258725508d25e632d9b88b 100644
--- a/cmake/external/xbyak.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/xbyak.cmake
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ add_definitions(-DXBYAK_NO_OP_NAMES)
 ExternalProject_Add(
     ${XBYAK_PROJECT}
     ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+    ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
     DEPENDS             ""
     GIT_REPOSITORY      "https://github.com/herumi/xbyak.git"
     GIT_TAG             "v5.661"  # Jul 26th
diff --git a/cmake/external/xxhash.cmake b/cmake/external/xxhash.cmake
index 4b3f9726f2dfaad56ad8d5e0bce991ca5ae279de..07b19f8eaa8aaca7e864e3683a57849d89242035 100644
--- a/cmake/external/xxhash.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/xxhash.cmake
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ if(WIN32)
   ExternalProject_Add(
       extern_xxhash
       ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+      ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
       GIT_REPOSITORY  "https://github.com/Cyan4973/xxHash"
       GIT_TAG         "v0.6.5"
       PREFIX          ${XXHASH_SOURCE_DIR}
diff --git a/cmake/external/zlib.cmake b/cmake/external/zlib.cmake
index 58881ac2206d844acf56c3dd67138ca18f59eb49..52d481705de9ff3a7527edc2106e2d1f3413314c 100644
--- a/cmake/external/zlib.cmake
+++ b/cmake/external/zlib.cmake
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${THIRD_PARTY_PATH}/install) # For Paddle code to include zl
 ExternalProject_Add(
     extern_zlib
     ${EXTERNAL_PROJECT_LOG_ARGS}
+    ${SHALLOW_CLONE}
     GIT_REPOSITORY  "https://github.com/madler/zlib.git"
     GIT_TAG         "v1.2.8"
     PREFIX          ${ZLIB_SOURCES_DIR}
diff --git a/cmake/third_party.cmake b/cmake/third_party.cmake
index a7c8661bba3bc5e1bce61b63170f8784f1f310d7..5229f4bd942c73942518d13807a871483f3a82c0 100644
--- a/cmake/third_party.cmake
+++ b/cmake/third_party.cmake
@@ -89,6 +89,10 @@ if(WIN32 OR APPLE OR NOT WITH_GPU OR ON_INFER)
     set(WITH_DGC OFF)
 endif()
 
+if(${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_GREATER "3.5.2")
+    set(SHALLOW_CLONE "GIT_SHALLOW TRUE") # adds --depth=1 arg to git clone of External_Projects
+endif()
+
 ########################### include third_party accoring to flags ###############################
 include(external/zlib)      # download, build, install zlib
 include(external/gflags)    # download, build, install gflags