diff --git a/.coin-or/Dependencies b/.coin-or/Dependencies
index 7c78265..8349510 100644
--- a/.coin-or/Dependencies
+++ b/.coin-or/Dependencies
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
+# <Directory>  <Repository>  <Branch/Tag>
+# If a tag is provided, then the checkout will be with detached head.
+# Example: Cbc  https://github.com/coin-or/Cbc releases/2.10.11
+../pthreads  https://github.com/GerHobbelt/pthread-win32 master
 Data/Sample  https://github.com/coin-or-tools/Data-Sample master
 Data/miplib3  https://github.com/coin-or-tools/Data-miplib3 master
 CoinUtils  https://github.com/coin-or/CoinUtils master
 Osi  https://github.com/coin-or/Osi master
 Clp  https://github.com/coin-or/Clp master
 Cgl  https://github.com/coin-or/Cgl master
-Cbc  https://github.com/coin-or/Cbc master
\ No newline at end of file
+Cbc  https://github.com/coin-or/Cbc master
diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows-ci.yml b/.github/workflows/windows-ci.yml
index c87493a..07856d0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows-ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows-ci.yml
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Checkout dependenies sources
         shell: cmd
         run: |
-          for /f "tokens=1,2,3" %%i in (sonnet\.coin-or\Dependencies) do (
+          for /f "eol=# tokens=1,2,3" %%i in (sonnet\.coin-or\Dependencies) do (
             echo Cloning into folder %%i from github project %%j at branch %%k
             git clone --depth=1 --branch=%%k %%j %%i
           )
@@ -45,8 +45,7 @@ jobs:
             7z x -bso0 -oData\miplib3 Data\miplib3\*.gz
             erase /f Data\miplib3\*.gz
           )
-          git clone --depth=1 --branch=master https://github.com/GerHobbelt/pthread-win32.git ..\pthreads
-
+          
       - name: Prepare for build
         shell: pwsh
         run: |
diff --git a/MSVisualStudio/v17/Sonnet.sln b/MSVisualStudio/v17/Sonnet.sln
index a276e49..2f44077 100644
--- a/MSVisualStudio/v17/Sonnet.sln
+++ b/MSVisualStudio/v17/Sonnet.sln
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ Project("{2150E333-8FDC-42A3-9474-1A3956D46DE8}") = "Solution Items", "Solution
 		..\..\AUTHORS.txt = ..\..\AUTHORS.txt
 		..\..\build-third-party-license.bat = ..\..\build-third-party-license.bat
 		..\..\CHANGELOG.txt = ..\..\CHANGELOG.txt
+		..\..\get-dependencies.bat = ..\..\get-dependencies.bat
 		..\..\LICENSE.txt = ..\..\LICENSE.txt
 		..\..\NOTICE.txt = ..\..\NOTICE.txt
 		..\..\README.md = ..\..\README.md
diff --git a/appveyor.yml b/appveyor.yml
index 3a65581..71b64f9 100644
--- a/appveyor.yml
+++ b/appveyor.yml
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ install:
   - ps: |
       cd c:\projects
       $env:GIT_REDIRECT_STDERR = '2>&1'
-      $deps = Get-Content sonnet\.coin-or\Dependencies |  ConvertFrom-String -Delimiter "\s+" -PropertyNames i,j,k
+      $deps = (Get-Content sonnet\.coin-or\Dependencies) -match "^[^#]" |  ConvertFrom-String -Delimiter "\s+" -PropertyNames i,j,k
       foreach ($d in $deps)
       { 
          Write-Host "git clone --depth 1 -b" $d.k $d.j $d.i
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ install:
          7z x -bso0 -oData\miplib3 Data\miplib3\*.gz
          Remove-Item -Force -Path Data\miplib3\*.gz
       }
-      git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/GerHobbelt/pthread-win32.git -b master ..\pthreads
 
   - set RELEASE_TYPE=undefined
   - set RELEASE_NAME=undefined
diff --git a/get-dependencies.bat b/get-dependencies.bat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a0c7b4f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/get-dependencies.bat
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+@rem Read .coin-or\Dependencies and clone if the directory does not exist, or fetch and checkout.
+@rem The Dependencies file has lines like <Directory>  <Repository>  <Branch/Tag>
+@echo off
+
+set depfile=.coin-or\Dependencies
+if not exist %depfile% echo ERROR: File %depfile% not found. && exit /b 1
+
+for /f "eol=# tokens=1,2,3" %%i in (%depfile%) do (
+  echo.
+  echo **********************************
+  echo INFO: Directory: ..\%%i
+  echo INFO: Repo: %%j
+  echo INFO: Branch/Tag: %%k
+  if not exist ..\%%i (
+    echo INFO: Folder ..\%%i does not exist. Now cloning.
+    git clone --depth 1 %%j -b %%k ..\%%i
+    if errorlevel 1 pause
+  ) else (
+    echo INFO: Folder ..\%%i exists. Fetch and Checkout %%k.
+    git -C ..\%%i fetch --all
+    git -C ..\%%i checkout %%k
+    if errorlevel 1 pause
+  )
+  echo INFO: Finished with ..\%%i
+)