diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 1cc820e4f25..c986c48c023 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -190,14 +190,10 @@ def terasologyModules() {
 }
 
 // Helpers that do magic things after having dependencies attached below
-task moduleClasses
 task moduleJars
 
 // This magically makes everything work - without this the desired module projects returned have no tasks :-(
 gradle.projectsEvaluated {
-    // Note how "classes" may indirectly trigger "jar" for module dependencies of modules (module compile dependency)
-    moduleClasses.dependsOn(terasologyModules().classes)
-
     // This makes it work for a full jar task
     moduleJars.dependsOn(terasologyModules().jar)
 }
diff --git a/facades/PC/build.gradle.kts b/facades/PC/build.gradle.kts
index 82cb15fe70f..29d6b33a659 100644
--- a/facades/PC/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/facades/PC/build.gradle.kts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright 2020 The Terasology Foundation
+// Copyright 2021 The Terasology Foundation
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
 // The PC facade is responsible for the primary distribution - a plain Java application runnable on PCs
@@ -92,6 +92,11 @@ dependencies {
 
     // TODO: Consider whether we can move the CR dependency back here from the engine, where it is referenced from the main menu
     implementation(group = "org.terasology.crashreporter", name = "cr-terasology", version = "4.1.0")
+
+    // Make sure any local module builds are up-to-date and have their dependencies by declaring
+    // a runtime dependency on whatever the `:modules` subproject declares.
+    // This won't add anything if there are no modules checked out.
+    runtimeOnly(platform(project(":modules")))
 }
 
 // Instructions for packaging a jar file for the PC facade
@@ -113,11 +118,10 @@ configurations {
 }
 
 // Used for all game configs.
-val commonConfigure : JavaExec.()-> Unit = {
+fun JavaExec.commonConfigure() {
     group = "terasology run"
 
     dependsOn(":extractNatives")
-    dependsOn(":moduleClasses")
     dependsOn("classes")
 
     // Run arguments
diff --git a/facades/TeraEd/build.gradle b/facades/TeraEd/build.gradle
index 1e7cd56d860..be43aefd617 100644
--- a/facades/TeraEd/build.gradle
+++ b/facades/TeraEd/build.gradle
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ sourceSets {
 dependencies {
     implementation project(':engine')
     implementation group: 'org.reflections', name: 'reflections', version: '0.9.10'
+
+    runtimeOnly(platform(project(":modules")))
 }
 
 application {
@@ -46,7 +48,6 @@ task editor(type:JavaExec) {
 
     // Dependencies: natives + all modules & the PC facade itself (which will trigger the engine)
     dependsOn rootProject.extractNatives
-    dependsOn rootProject.moduleClasses
     dependsOn classes
 
     // Run arguments
diff --git a/modules/build.gradle.kts b/modules/build.gradle.kts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d51022963af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/build.gradle.kts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+// Copyright 2020 The Terasology Foundation
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+plugins {
+    `java-platform`
+}
+
+javaPlatform {
+    allowDependencies()
+}
+
+dependencies {
+    // This platform depends on each of its subprojects.
+    subprojects {
+        runtime(this)
+    }
+}
+
+// Allows using :modules:clean as a shortcut for running clean in each module.
+tasks.named("clean").configure {
+    val cleanPlatform = this
+    subprojects {
+        cleanPlatform.dependsOn(this.tasks.named("clean"))
+    }
+}
diff --git a/modules/subprojects.settings.gradle b/modules/subprojects.settings.gradle
index bc3467d19c6..570d905ca86 100644
--- a/modules/subprojects.settings.gradle
+++ b/modules/subprojects.settings.gradle
@@ -1,18 +1,5 @@
-/*
- * Copyright 2020 MovingBlocks
- *
- * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *     https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
- * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
- * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
- * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
- * limitations under the License.
- */
+// Copyright 2020 The Terasology Foundation
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
 // This magically allows subdirs in this subproject to themselves become sub-subprojects in a proper tree structure
 new File(rootDir, 'modules').eachDir { possibleSubprojectDir ->