diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 7c28a71ce..7a81f7a38 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ jobs:
     - uses: eine/setup-msys2@v2
       with:
         update: true
-        install: mingw-w64-x86_64-toolchain make mingw-w64-x86_64-cmake mingw-w64-x86_64-ccache mingw-w64-x86_64-boost mingw-w64-x86_64-openssl mingw-w64-x86_64-zeromq mingw-w64-x86_64-libsodium mingw-w64-x86_64-hidapi mingw-w64-x86_64-protobuf-c mingw-w64-x86_64-libusb git
+        install: mingw-w64-x86_64-toolchain make mingw-w64-x86_64-cmake mingw-w64-x86_64-ccache mingw-w64-x86_64-boost mingw-w64-x86_64-openssl mingw-w64-x86_64-zeromq mingw-w64-x86_64-libsodium mingw-w64-x86_64-hidapi mingw-w64-x86_64-protobuf-c mingw-w64-x86_64-libusb mingw-w64-x86_64-unbound git
     - name: build
       run: |
         ccache --max-size=150M
diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 3cf831bcd..721cce3b4 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-[submodule "external/unbound"]
-	path = external/unbound
-	url = https://github.com/monero-project/unbound
-	branch = monero
 [submodule "external/miniupnp"]
 	path = external/miniupnp
 	url = https://github.com/miniupnp/miniupnp
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d06729931..1b9ba570d 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -347,7 +347,6 @@ if(NOT MANUAL_SUBMODULES)
     
     message(STATUS "Checking submodules")
     check_submodule(external/miniupnp)
-    check_submodule(external/unbound)
     check_submodule(external/rapidjson)
     check_submodule(external/trezor-common)
     check_submodule(external/randomx)
@@ -674,8 +673,7 @@ include_directories("${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/translations")
 add_subdirectory(external)
 
 # Final setup for libunbound
-include_directories(${UNBOUND_INCLUDE})
-link_directories(${UNBOUND_LIBRARY_DIRS})
+include_directories(${UNBOUND_INCLUDE_DIR})
 
 # Final setup for easylogging++
 include_directories(${EASYLOGGING_INCLUDE})
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index aa86e7c1e..feb2f641d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ Install all dependencies at once on macOS with the provided Brewfile:
 ``` brew update && brew bundle --file=contrib/brew/Brewfile ```
 
 FreeBSD 12.1 one-liner required to build dependencies:
-```pkg install git gmake cmake pkgconf boost-libs libzmq4 libsodium```
+```pkg install git gmake cmake pkgconf boost-libs libzmq4 libsodium unbound```
 
 ### Cloning the repository
 
@@ -399,13 +399,13 @@ application.
     To build for 64-bit Windows:
 
     ```bash
-    pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-toolchain make mingw-w64-x86_64-cmake mingw-w64-x86_64-boost mingw-w64-x86_64-openssl mingw-w64-x86_64-zeromq mingw-w64-x86_64-libsodium mingw-w64-x86_64-hidapi
+    pacman -S mingw-w64-x86_64-toolchain make mingw-w64-x86_64-cmake mingw-w64-x86_64-boost mingw-w64-x86_64-openssl mingw-w64-x86_64-zeromq mingw-w64-x86_64-libsodium mingw-w64-x86_64-hidapi mingw-w64-x86_64-unbound
     ```
 
     To build for 32-bit Windows:
 
     ```bash
-    pacman -S mingw-w64-i686-toolchain make mingw-w64-i686-cmake mingw-w64-i686-boost mingw-w64-i686-openssl mingw-w64-i686-zeromq mingw-w64-i686-libsodium mingw-w64-i686-hidapi
+    pacman -S mingw-w64-i686-toolchain make mingw-w64-i686-cmake mingw-w64-i686-boost mingw-w64-i686-openssl mingw-w64-i686-zeromq mingw-w64-i686-libsodium mingw-w64-i686-hidapi mingw-w64-i686-unbound
     ```
 
 * Open the MingW shell via `MinGW-w64-Win64 Shell` shortcut on 64-bit Windows
diff --git a/contrib/depends/packages/expat.mk b/contrib/depends/packages/expat.mk
index d73a5e307..1e1b9dbb8 100644
--- a/contrib/depends/packages/expat.mk
+++ b/contrib/depends/packages/expat.mk
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 package=expat
-$(package)_version=2.2.4
-$(package)_download_path=https://github.com/libexpat/libexpat/releases/download/R_2_2_4
+$(package)_version=2.4.1
+$(package)_download_path=https://github.com/libexpat/libexpat/releases/download/R_2_4_1
 $(package)_file_name=$(package)-$($(package)_version).tar.bz2
-$(package)_sha256_hash=03ad85db965f8ab2d27328abcf0bc5571af6ec0a414874b2066ee3fdd372019e
+$(package)_sha256_hash=2f9b6a580b94577b150a7d5617ad4643a4301a6616ff459307df3e225bcfbf40
 
 define $(package)_set_vars
 $(package)_config_opts=--enable-static
diff --git a/contrib/depends/packages/ldns.mk b/contrib/depends/packages/ldns.mk
index 6fbcc3466..90c63e821 100644
--- a/contrib/depends/packages/ldns.mk
+++ b/contrib/depends/packages/ldns.mk
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 package=ldns
-$(package)_version=1.6.17
-$(package)_download_path=https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/downloads/ldns/
+$(package)_version=1.7.1
+$(package)_download_path=https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/downloads/$(package)/
 $(package)_file_name=$(package)-$($(package)_version).tar.gz
-$(package)_sha256_hash=8b88e059452118e8949a2752a55ce59bc71fa5bc414103e17f5b6b06f9bcc8cd
+$(package)_sha256_hash=8ac84c16bdca60e710eea75782356f3ac3b55680d40e1530d7cea474ac208229
 $(package)_dependencies=openssl
 
 define $(package)_set_vars
diff --git a/contrib/depends/packages/packages.mk b/contrib/depends/packages/packages.mk
index 95b23a37e..56ce425bb 100644
--- a/contrib/depends/packages/packages.mk
+++ b/contrib/depends/packages/packages.mk
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-packages:=boost openssl zeromq libiconv
+packages:=boost openssl zeromq libiconv expat ldns unbound
 
 native_packages := native_ccache
 
diff --git a/contrib/depends/packages/unbound.mk b/contrib/depends/packages/unbound.mk
index 733a7f232..2d870d63f 100644
--- a/contrib/depends/packages/unbound.mk
+++ b/contrib/depends/packages/unbound.mk
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 package=unbound
-$(package)_version=1.6.8
-$(package)_download_path=https://www.unbound.net/downloads/
+$(package)_version=1.13.2
+$(package)_download_path=https://www.nlnetlabs.nl/downloads/$(package)/
 $(package)_file_name=$(package)-$($(package)_version).tar.gz
-$(package)_sha256_hash=e3b428e33f56a45417107448418865fe08d58e0e7fea199b855515f60884dd49
+$(package)_sha256_hash=0a13b547f3b92a026b5ebd0423f54c991e5718037fd9f72445817f6a040e1a83
 $(package)_dependencies=openssl expat ldns
 
 define $(package)_set_vars
-  $(package)_config_opts=--disable-shared --enable-static --without-pyunbound --prefix=$(host_prefix) --with-libexpat=$(host_prefix) --with-ssl=$(host_prefix) --with-libevent=no --without-pythonmodule --disable-flto --with-pthreads
+  $(package)_config_opts=--disable-shared --enable-static --without-pyunbound --prefix=$(host_prefix) --with-libexpat=$(host_prefix) --with-ssl=$(host_prefix) --with-libevent=no --without-pythonmodule --disable-flto --with-pthreads --with-libunbound-only
   $(package)_config_opts_linux=--with-pic
   $(package)_config_opts_w64=--enable-static-exe --sysconfdir=/etc --prefix=$(host_prefix) --target=$(host_prefix)
   $(package)_build_opts_mingw32=LDFLAGS="$($(package)_ldflags) -lpthread"
diff --git a/contrib/depends/toolchain.cmake.in b/contrib/depends/toolchain.cmake.in
index 383b88f31..a87b9c058 100644
--- a/contrib/depends/toolchain.cmake.in
+++ b/contrib/depends/toolchain.cmake.in
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ SET(Readline_INCLUDE_DIR @prefix@/include)
 SET(Readline_LIBRARY @prefix@/lib/libreadline.a)
 SET(Terminfo_LIBRARY @prefix@/lib/libtinfo.a)
 
+SET(UNBOUND_INCLUDE_DIR @prefix@/include)
+SET(UNBOUND_LIBRARIES @prefix@/lib/libunbound.a)
+
 SET(LRELEASE_PATH @prefix@/native/bin CACHE FILEPATH "path to lrelease" FORCE)
 
 if(NOT CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "Android")
diff --git a/external/CMakeLists.txt b/external/CMakeLists.txt
index 7ae4ba750..5b7f69a56 100644
--- a/external/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/external/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -55,26 +55,12 @@ set(UPNP_LIBRARIES "libminiupnpc-static" PARENT_SCOPE)
 
 find_package(Unbound)
 
-if(NOT UNBOUND_INCLUDE_DIR OR STATIC)
-  # NOTE: If STATIC is true, CMAKE_FIND_LIBRARY_SUFFIXES has been reordered.
-  # unbound has config tests which used OpenSSL libraries, so -ldl may need to
-  # be set in this case.
-  # The unbound CMakeLists.txt can set it, since it's also needed for the
-  # static OpenSSL libraries set up there after with target_link_libraries.
-  add_subdirectory(unbound)
-
-  set(UNBOUND_STATIC true PARENT_SCOPE)
-  set(UNBOUND_INCLUDE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/unbound/libunbound" PARENT_SCOPE)
-  set(UNBOUND_LIBRARY "unbound" PARENT_SCOPE)
-  set(UNBOUND_LIBRARY_DIRS "${LIBEVENT2_LIBDIR}" PARENT_SCOPE)
+if(NOT UNBOUND_INCLUDE_DIR)
+  die("Could not find libunbound")
 else()
   message(STATUS "Found libunbound include (unbound.h) in ${UNBOUND_INCLUDE_DIR}")
   if(UNBOUND_LIBRARIES)
-    message(STATUS "Found libunbound shared library")
-    set(UNBOUND_STATIC false PARENT_SCOPE)
-    set(UNBOUND_INCLUDE ${UNBOUND_INCLUDE_DIR} PARENT_SCOPE)
-    set(UNBOUND_LIBRARY ${UNBOUND_LIBRARIES} PARENT_SCOPE)
-    set(UNBOUND_LIBRARY_DIRS "" PARENT_SCOPE)
+    message(STATUS "Found libunbound library")
   else()
     die("Found libunbound includes, but could not find libunbound library. Please make sure you have installed libunbound or libunbound-dev or the equivalent")
   endif()
diff --git a/external/unbound b/external/unbound
deleted file mode 160000
index 0f6c0579d..000000000
--- a/external/unbound
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 0f6c0579d66b65f86066e30e7876105ba2775ef4
diff --git a/src/common/CMakeLists.txt b/src/common/CMakeLists.txt
index 8e427b6b8..99d9bd8bf 100644
--- a/src/common/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/common/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ monero_add_library(common
 target_link_libraries(common
   PUBLIC
     cncrypto
-    ${UNBOUND_LIBRARY}
+    ${UNBOUND_LIBRARIES}
     ${LIBUNWIND_LIBRARIES}
     ${Boost_DATE_TIME_LIBRARY}
     ${Boost_FILESYSTEM_LIBRARY}