diff --git a/bin/wally-tool-chain-install.sh b/bin/wally-tool-chain-install.sh
index 8ffa67ed7..99087a559 100755
--- a/bin/wally-tool-chain-install.sh
+++ b/bin/wally-tool-chain-install.sh
@@ -61,6 +61,20 @@ section_header() {
     printf "%$(tput cols)s${ENDC}" | tr ' ' '#'
 }
 
+# Check if a git repository exists, is up to date, and has been installed
+# Clones the repository if it doesn't exist
+git_check() {
+    local repo=$1
+    local url=$2
+    local check=$3
+    local branch="${4:-master}"
+    if [[ ((! -e $repo) && ($(git clone "$url") || true)) || ($(cd "$repo"; git fetch; git rev-parse HEAD) != $(cd repo; git rev-parse origin/"$branch")) || (! -e $check) ]]; then
+        return 1
+    else
+        return 0
+    fi
+}
+
 set -e # break on error
 trap error ERR # run error handler on error
 STATUS="setup" # keep track of what part of the installation is running for error messages
@@ -199,7 +213,7 @@ fi
 section_header "Installing/Updating RISC-V GNU Toolchain"
 STATUS="RISC-V GNU Toolchain"
 cd "$RISCV"
-if [[ ((! -e riscv-gnu-toolchain) && ($(git clone https://github.com/riscv/riscv-gnu-toolchain) || true)) || ($(cd riscv-gnu-toolchain; git fetch; git rev-parse HEAD) != $(cd riscv-gnu-toolchain; git rev-parse origin/master)) || (! -e $RISCV/riscv-gnu-toolchain/stamps/build-gcc-newlib-stage2) ]]; then
+if git_check "riscv-gnu-toolchain" "https://github.com/riscv/riscv-gnu-toolchain" "$RISCV/riscv-gnu-toolchain/stamps/build-gcc-newlib-stage2"; then
     cd riscv-gnu-toolchain
     git reset --hard && git clean -f && git checkout master && git pull
     git pull
@@ -222,7 +236,7 @@ section_header "Installing/Updating elf2hex"
 STATUS="elf2hex"
 cd "$RISCV"
 export PATH=$RISCV/bin:$PATH
-if [[ ((! -e elf2hex) && ($(git clone https://github.com/sifive/elf2hex.git) || true)) || ($(cd elf2hex; git fetch; git rev-parse HEAD) != $(cd elf2hex; git rev-parse origin/master)) || (! -e $RISCV/bin/riscv64-unknown-elf-elf2bin) ]]; then
+if git_check "elf2hex" "https://github.com/sifive/elf2hex.git" "$RISCV/bin/riscv64-unknown-elf-elf2bin"; then
     cd elf2hex
     git reset --hard && git clean -f && git checkout master && git pull
     autoreconf -i
@@ -240,9 +254,10 @@ fi
 section_header "Installing/Updating QEMU"
 STATUS="QEMU"
 cd "$RISCV"
-if [[ ((! -e qemu) && ($(git clone --recurse-submodules -j ${NUM_THREADS} https://github.com/qemu/qemu) || true)) || ($(cd qemu; git fetch; git rev-parse HEAD) != $(cd qemu; git rev-parse origin/master)) || (! -e $RISCV/include/qemu-plugin.h) ]]; then
+if git_check "qemu" "https://github.com/qemu/qemu" "$RISCV/include/qemu-plugin.h"; then
     cd qemu
     git reset --hard && git clean -f && git checkout master && git pull --recurse-submodules -j ${NUM_THREADS}
+    submodule update --init --recursive
     ./configure --target-list=riscv64-softmmu --prefix="$RISCV"
     make -j ${NUM_THREADS}
     make install
@@ -257,7 +272,7 @@ fi
 section_header "Installing/Updating SPIKE"
 STATUS="SPIKE"
 cd "$RISCV"
-if [[ ((! -e riscv-isa-sim) && ($(git clone https://github.com/riscv-software-src/riscv-isa-sim) || true)) || ($(cd riscv-isa-sim; git fetch; git rev-parse HEAD) != $(cd riscv-isa-sim; git rev-parse origin/master)) || (! -e $RISCV/lib/pkgconfig/riscv-riscv.pc) ]]; then
+if git_check "riscv-isa-sim" "https://github.com/riscv-software-src/riscv-isa-sim" "$RISCV/lib/pkgconfig/riscv-riscv.pc"; then
     cd riscv-isa-sim
     git reset --hard && git clean -f && git checkout master && git pull
     mkdir -p build
@@ -278,13 +293,13 @@ fi
 section_header "Installing/Updating Verilator"
 STATUS="Verilator"
 cd "$RISCV"
-if [[ ((! -e verilator) && ($(git clone https://github.com/verilator/verilator) || true)) || ($(cd verilator; git fetch; git rev-parse HEAD) != $(cd verilator; git rev-parse origin/master)) || (! -e $RISCV/share/pkgconfig/verilator.pc) ]]; then
-    unset VERILATOR_ROOT     # For bash
+if git_check "verilator" "https://github.com/verilator/verilator" "$RISCV/share/pkgconfig/verilator.pc"; then
+    unset VERILATOR_ROOT
     cd verilator
     git reset --hard && git clean -f && git checkout master && git pull
-    autoconf         # Create ./configure script
-    ./configure --prefix="$RISCV"     # Configure and create Makefile
-    make -j ${NUM_THREADS}  # Build Verilator itself (if error, try just 'make')
+    autoconf
+    ./configure --prefix="$RISCV"
+    make -j ${NUM_THREADS}
     make install
     echo -e "${SUCCESS_COLOR}Verilator successfully installed${ENDC}"
 else
@@ -329,7 +344,7 @@ echo -e "${SUCCESS_COLOR}Sail Compiler successfully installed/updated${ENDC}"
 # The RISC-V Sail Model is the golden reference model for RISC-V. It is written in Sail (described above)
 section_header "Installing/Updating RISC-V Sail Model"
 STATUS="RISC-V Sail Model"
-if [[ ((! -e sail-riscv) && ($(git clone https://github.com/riscv/sail-riscv.git) || true)) || ($(cd sail-riscv; git fetch; git rev-parse HEAD) != $(cd sail-riscv; git rev-parse origin/master)) || (! -e $RISCV/bin/riscv_sim_RV32) ]]; then
+if git_check "sail-riscv" "https://github.com/riscv/sail-riscv.git" "$RISCV/bin/riscv_sim_RV32"; then
     eval "$(opam config env)"
     cd sail-riscv
     git reset --hard && git clean -f && git checkout master && git pull
@@ -358,7 +373,7 @@ section_header "Installing/Updating OSU Skywater 130 cell library"
 STATUS="OSU Skywater 130 cell library"
 mkdir -p "$RISCV"/cad/lib
 cd "$RISCV"/cad/lib
-if [[ ((! -e sky130_osu_sc_t12) && ($(git clone https://foss-eda-tools.googlesource.com/skywater-pdk/libs/sky130_osu_sc_t12) || true)) || ($(cd sky130_osu_sc_t12; git fetch; git rev-parse HEAD) != $(cd sky130_osu_sc_t12; git rev-parse origin/main)) ]]; then
+if git_check "sky130_osu_sc_t12" "https://foss-eda-tools.googlesource.com/skywater-pdk/libs/sky130_osu_sc_t12" "$RISCV/cad/lib/sky130_osu_sc_t12" "main"; then
     cd sky130_osu_sc_t12
     git reset --hard && git clean -f && git checkout main && git pull
     echo -e "${SUCCESS_COLOR}OSU Skywater library successfully installed${ENDC}"