diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index fc3a00cc78..c24cd35868 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 - [#2150: Prevent CSURF deprecated warning](https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-prototype-kit/pull/2150)
 
 - [#2130: Create our own file store functionality in place of the session-file-store package](https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-prototype-kit/pull/2130)
+- 
+- [#2172: Hiding govuk-frontend uninstall until we deal with dependent plugins](https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-prototype-kit/pull/2172)
 
 ## 13.6.2
 
diff --git a/cypress/e2e/plugins/2-prototype-kit-plugin-tests/remove-govuk-frontend.cypress.js b/cypress/e2e/plugins/2-prototype-kit-plugin-tests/remove-govuk-frontend.cypress.js
index d76b62f060..812aa9162a 100644
--- a/cypress/e2e/plugins/2-prototype-kit-plugin-tests/remove-govuk-frontend.cypress.js
+++ b/cypress/e2e/plugins/2-prototype-kit-plugin-tests/remove-govuk-frontend.cypress.js
@@ -1,11 +1,20 @@
 const { managePluginsPagePath, performPluginAction } = require('../plugin-utils')
 const { uninstallPlugin, installPlugin } = require('../../utils')
+const path = require('path')
 
 const plugin = 'govuk-frontend'
 const pluginName = 'GOV.UK Frontend'
 const dependentPlugin = '@govuk-prototype-kit/common-templates'
+const appConfigPath = path.join('app', 'config.json')
 
 describe('Manage prototype pages without govuk-frontend', () => {
+  before(() => {
+    cy.task('copyFromStarterFiles', { filename: appConfigPath })
+    cy.task('addToConfigJson', { allowGovukFrontendUninstall: true })
+  })
+  after(() => {
+    cy.task('copyFromStarterFiles', { filename: appConfigPath })
+  })
   it('Uninstall govuk-frontend', () => {
     uninstallPlugin(dependentPlugin)
 
diff --git a/cypress/events/index.js b/cypress/events/index.js
index c4b106c590..4af13a6197 100644
--- a/cypress/events/index.js
+++ b/cypress/events/index.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 // core dependencies
 const fs = require('fs')
 const fsp = fs.promises
+const fse = require('fs-extra')
 const path = require('path')
 
 // npm dependencies
@@ -283,6 +284,15 @@ module.exports = function setupNodeEvents (on, config) {
         .then(makeSureCypressCanInterpretTheResult)
     },
 
+    addToConfigJson: (additionalConfig) => {
+      log(`Adding config JSON => ${downloadsFolder}`)
+      const appConfigPath = path.join(config.env.projectFolder, 'app', 'config.json')
+      return fse.readJson(appConfigPath)
+        .then(existingConfig => Object.assign({}, existingConfig, additionalConfig))
+        .then(newConfig => fse.writeJson(appConfigPath, newConfig))
+        .then(makeSureCypressCanInterpretTheResult)
+    },
+
     log: (message) => {
       log(message)
       return makeSureCypressCanInterpretTheResult()
diff --git a/lib/config.js b/lib/config.js
index 6995e05b5f..5f7a1169f1 100644
--- a/lib/config.js
+++ b/lib/config.js
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ function getConfig (config, swallowError = true) {
   overrideOrDefault('logPerformanceSummary', 'LOG_PERFORMANCE_SUMMARY', asNumber, undefined)
   overrideOrDefault('verbose', 'VERBOSE', asBoolean, false)
   overrideOrDefault('showPrereleases', 'SHOW_PRERELEASES', asBoolean, false)
+  overrideOrDefault('allowGovukFrontendUninstall', 'ALLOW_GOVUK_FRONTEND_UNINSTALL', asBoolean, false)
 
   if (config.serviceName === undefined) {
     config.serviceName = 'GOV.UK Prototype Kit'
diff --git a/lib/config.test.js b/lib/config.test.js
index eb9385572e..d7f13e8099 100644
--- a/lib/config.test.js
+++ b/lib/config.test.js
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ describe('config', () => {
     useNjkExtensions: false,
     logPerformance: false,
     showPrereleases: false,
+    allowGovukFrontendUninstall: false,
     verbose: false
   })
 
diff --git a/lib/manage-prototype-handlers.js b/lib/manage-prototype-handlers.js
index b47a5d8b87..2c27dcd23c 100644
--- a/lib/manage-prototype-handlers.js
+++ b/lib/manage-prototype-handlers.js
@@ -450,7 +450,11 @@ async function getPluginDetails () {
         const pluginPkgPath = path.join(projectDir, 'node_modules', pack.packageName, 'package.json')
         const pluginPkg = await fse.pathExists(pluginPkgPath) ? await fse.readJson(pluginPkgPath) : {}
         pack.installedVersion = pluginPkg.version
-        if (!['govuk-prototype-kit'].includes(pack.packageName)) {
+        const mandatoryPlugins = ['govuk-prototype-kit']
+        if (!config.getConfig().allowGovukFrontendUninstall) {
+          mandatoryPlugins.push('govuk-frontend')
+        }
+        if (!mandatoryPlugins.includes(pack.packageName)) {
           pack.uninstallLink = `${contextPath}/plugins/uninstall?package=${encodeURIComponent(pack.packageName)}`
         }
       }