diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index d0bf9e5..40a7de4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -42,8 +42,9 @@ jobs:
 
           - name: Install packages
             run: |
+                (cd third_party && git clone -b develop --single-branch --depth 1 https://github.com/userver-framework/userver.git)
                 sudo apt update
-                sudo apt install --allow-downgrades -y pep8 $(cat third_party/userver/scripts/docs/en/deps/${{matrix.os}}.md | tr '\n' ' ')
+                sudo apt install --allow-downgrades -y pycodestyle $(cat third_party/userver/scripts/docs/en/deps/${{matrix.os}}.md | tr '\n' ' ')
 
           - name: Setup ccache
             run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/update-submodules.yaml b/.github/workflows/update-submodules.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 9603da8..0000000
--- a/.github/workflows/update-submodules.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-name: Update submodules
-
-on:
-  workflow_dispatch:
-
-jobs:
-  update:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
-
-      - name: Update submodules
-        run: |
-          git submodule update --init
-
-      - name: Commit & push changes
-        run: |
-          git config user.email "actions@github.com"
-          git config user.name "GitHub Actions - update submodules"
-          git commit -am "Update submodules"
-          git push
diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
deleted file mode 100644
index 4d25646..0000000
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-[submodule "third_party/userver"]
-	path = third_party/userver
-	url = https://github.com/userver-framework/userver.git
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 9b67dde..591b2d8 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,14 +1,23 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.12)
 project(service_template CXX)
 
-# Compatibility mode: some systems don't support these features
-set(USERVER_FEATURE_CRYPTOPP_BLAKE2 OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
-set(USERVER_FEATURE_GRPC_CHANNELZ OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
-set(USERVER_FEATURE_REDIS_HI_MALLOC ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
-
 
 # Adding userver dependency
-add_subdirectory(third_party/userver)
+find_package(userver COMPONENTS core postgresql QUIET)
+if(NOT userver_FOUND)  # Fallback to subdirectory usage
+    # Compatibility mode: some systems don't support these features
+    set(USERVER_FEATURE_CRYPTOPP_BLAKE2 OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+    set(USERVER_FEATURE_GRPC_CHANNELZ OFF CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+    set(USERVER_FEATURE_REDIS_HI_MALLOC ON CACHE BOOL "" FORCE)
+
+    if (EXISTS third_party/userver)
+        message(STATUS "Using userver framework from third_party/userver")
+        add_subdirectory(third_party/userver)
+    else()
+        message(FATAL_ERROR "Either install the userver or provide a path to it")
+    endif()
+endif()
+
 userver_setup_environment()
 
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 5ec81a8..5c911ad 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -17,12 +17,10 @@ all: test-debug test-release
 # Run cmake
 .PHONY: cmake-debug
 cmake-debug:
-	git submodule update --init
 	cmake -B build_debug $(CMAKE_DEBUG_FLAGS)
 
 .PHONY: cmake-release
 cmake-release:
-	git submodule update --init
 	cmake -B build_release $(CMAKE_RELEASE_FLAGS)
 
 build_debug/CMakeCache.txt: cmake-debug
@@ -39,7 +37,7 @@ test-debug test-release: test-%: build-%
 	cmake --build build_$* -j $(NPROCS) --target service_template_unittest
 	cmake --build build_$* -j $(NPROCS) --target service_template_benchmark
 	cd build_$* && ((test -t 1 && GTEST_COLOR=1 PYTEST_ADDOPTS="--color=yes" ctest -V) || ctest -V)
-	pep8 tests
+	pycodestyle tests
 
 # Start the service (via testsuite service runner)
 .PHONY: service-start-debug service-start-release
diff --git a/configs/config_vars.testing.yaml b/configs/config_vars.testing.yaml
index 66b744e..828e658 100644
--- a/configs/config_vars.testing.yaml
+++ b/configs/config_vars.testing.yaml
@@ -3,3 +3,5 @@ worker-fs-threads: 2
 logger-level: debug
 
 is_testing: true
+
+server-port: 8080
diff --git a/configs/config_vars.yaml b/configs/config_vars.yaml
index a7ec8b1..d44ed88 100644
--- a/configs/config_vars.yaml
+++ b/configs/config_vars.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 worker-threads: 4
 worker-fs-threads: 2
-logger-level: debug
+logger-level: info
 
 is_testing: false
 
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 50d2ad7..ae9ee6b 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ version: "2.3"
 
 services:
     service_template-container:
-        image: ghcr.io/userver-framework/ubuntu-22.04-userver-base-ci:latest
+        image: ghcr.io/userver-framework/ubuntu-22.04-userver-pg:latest
         privileged: true
         network_mode: bridge
         environment:
@@ -11,9 +11,8 @@ services:
           - CORES_DIR=/cores
         volumes:
           - .:/service_template:rw
-          - ./third_party/userver/scripts/docker/:/tools:ro
         ports:
           - 8080:8080
         working_dir: /service_template
         entrypoint:
-          - /tools/run_as_user.sh
+          - ./tests/run_as_user.sh
diff --git a/tests/run_as_user.sh b/tests/run_as_user.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..5e0c9f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/run_as_user.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+# Exit on any error and treat unset variables as errors
+set -euo pipefail
+
+DIR_UID="$(stat -c '%u' .)"
+
+if ! id -u user > /dev/null 2> /dev/null; then
+    if [ "$DIR_UID" = "0" ]; then
+        useradd --create-home --no-user-group user
+    else
+        useradd --create-home --no-user-group --uid $DIR_UID user
+    fi
+elif [ "$DIR_UID" != "0" ]; then
+    usermod -u $DIR_UID user
+fi
+
+HOME=/home/user sudo -E -u user "$@"
diff --git a/third_party/Readme.md b/third_party/Readme.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e623aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/third_party/Readme.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+### Directory for third party libraries
+
+`userver` placed into this directory would be used if there's no installed
+userver framework. For example:
+
+```
+cd /data/code
+git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/userver-framework/userver.git
+git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/userver-framework/service_template.git
+ln -s /data/code/userver /data/code/service_template/third_party/userver
+```
diff --git a/third_party/userver b/third_party/userver
deleted file mode 160000
index 2846de7..0000000
--- a/third_party/userver
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 2846de78187610740fd29d81195c06998ed6cdce