diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a37835d..78c7afc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -63,9 +63,9 @@ You can continue to load other resources such as CSS files as before using the `
 NPM.JS dependencies
 -------------------
 
-1. Add package.json files into one or more of your apps. All package.json files will be merged.
+1. Add package.json or package.json5 files into one or more of your apps. All package files will be merged.
 
-2. Import in your JS files from any of the npm modules specified in your package.json files.
+2. Import in your JS files from any of the npm modules specified in your package files.
 
 3. Run `./manage.py transpile`.
 
diff --git a/npm_mjs/management/commands/create_package_json.py b/npm_mjs/management/commands/create_package_json.py
index 8974477..128eeb2 100644
--- a/npm_mjs/management/commands/create_package_json.py
+++ b/npm_mjs/management/commands/create_package_json.py
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import json
 import os
 
+import pyjson5
 from django.apps import apps as django_apps
 from django.core.management.base import BaseCommand
-from json_minify import json_minify
 
 from npm_mjs.paths import TRANSPILE_CACHE_PATH
 
@@ -34,11 +34,15 @@ def handle(self, *args, **options):
         package = {}
         configs = django_apps.get_app_configs()
         for config in configs:
-            app_package_path = os.path.join(config.path, "package.json")
-            try:
-                with open(app_package_path) as data_file:
-                    data = json.loads(json_minify(data_file.read()))
-            except OSError:
+            json5_package_path = os.path.join(config.path, "package.json5")
+            json_package_path = os.path.join(config.path, "package.json")
+            if os.path.isfile(json5_package_path):
+                with open(json5_package_path) as data_file:
+                    data = pyjson5.decode(data_file.read())
+            elif os.path.isfile(json_package_path):
+                with open(json_package_path) as data_file:
+                    data = json.loads(data_file.read())
+            else:
                 continue
             deep_merge_dicts(package, data)
         if not os.path.exists(TRANSPILE_CACHE_PATH):
diff --git a/npm_mjs/management/commands/npm_install.py b/npm_mjs/management/commands/npm_install.py
index 73e388b..33ea902 100644
--- a/npm_mjs/management/commands/npm_install.py
+++ b/npm_mjs/management/commands/npm_install.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 from npm_mjs.tools import set_last_run
 
 
-def install_npm(force, stdout):
+def install_npm(force, stdout, post_npm_signal=True):
     change_times = [0]
     for path in SETTINGS_PATHS:
         change_times.append(os.path.getmtime(path))
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ def install_npm(force, stdout):
         if node_version > 16:
             os.environ["NODE_OPTIONS"] = "--openssl-legacy-provider"
         call(["npm", "install"], cwd=TRANSPILE_CACHE_PATH)
-        signals.post_npm_install.send(sender=None)
+        if post_npm_signal:
+            signals.post_npm_install.send(sender=None)
         npm_install = True
     return npm_install
 
@@ -76,9 +77,13 @@ def add_arguments(self, parser):
             help="Force npm install even if no change is detected.",
         )
 
+        parser.add_argument(
+            "--nosignal",
+            action="store_false",
+            dest="post_npm_signal",
+            default=True,
+            help="Send a signal after finishing npm install.",
+        )
+
     def handle(self, *args, **options):
-        if options["force"]:
-            force = True
-        else:
-            force = False
-        install_npm(force, self.stdout)
+        install_npm(options["force"], self.stdout, options["post_npm_signal"])
diff --git a/npm_mjs/management/commands/webpack.config.template.js b/npm_mjs/management/commands/webpack.config.template.js
index debee02..53e43f7 100644
--- a/npm_mjs/management/commands/webpack.config.template.js
+++ b/npm_mjs/management/commands/webpack.config.template.js
@@ -9,23 +9,34 @@ const baseRule = {
         loader: "babel-loader",
         options: {
             presets: ["@babel/preset-env"],
-            plugins: ["@babel/plugin-syntax-dynamic-import", "@babel/plugin-proposal-optional-chaining"]
+            plugins: [
+                "@babel/plugin-syntax-dynamic-import",
+                "@babel/plugin-proposal-optional-chaining"
+            ]
         }
     }
 }
 
 const predefinedVariables = {
-    "transpile_VERSION": transpile.VERSION
+    transpile_VERSION: transpile.VERSION
 }
 
 if (settings.DEBUG) {
     baseRule.exclude = /node_modules/
-    predefinedVariables.staticUrl = `(url => ${JSON.stringify(settings.STATIC_URL)} + url)`
-} else if (settings.STATICFILES_STORAGE !== "npm_mjs.storage.ManifestStaticFilesStorage") {
-    predefinedVariables.staticUrl = `(url => ${JSON.stringify(settings.STATIC_URL)} + url + "?v=" + ${transpile.VERSION})`
+    predefinedVariables.staticUrl = `(url => ${JSON.stringify(
+        settings.STATIC_URL
+    )} + url)`
+} else if (
+    settings.STATICFILES_STORAGE !==
+    "npm_mjs.storage.ManifestStaticFilesStorage"
+) {
+    predefinedVariables.staticUrl = `(url => ${JSON.stringify(
+        settings.STATIC_URL
+    )} + url + "?v=" + ${transpile.VERSION})`
 }
 
-module.exports = { // eslint-disable-line no-undef
+module.exports = {
+    // eslint-disable-line no-undef
     mode: settings.DEBUG ? "development" : "production",
     module: {
         rules: [baseRule]
@@ -35,8 +46,6 @@ module.exports = { // eslint-disable-line no-undef
         chunkFilename: transpile.VERSION + "-[id].js",
         publicPath: transpile.BASE_URL
     },
-    plugins: [
-        new webpack.DefinePlugin(predefinedVariables)
-    ],
+    plugins: [new webpack.DefinePlugin(predefinedVariables)],
     entry: transpile.ENTRIES
 }
diff --git a/npm_mjs/package.json b/npm_mjs/package.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 4570ab4..0000000
--- a/npm_mjs/package.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-// Django-npm-mjs will combine this file with package.json files in other installed
-// apps before executing npm commands. Different from a regular package.json, comments
-// are allowed in this file.
-{
-  "description": "Install dependencies for ES6 transpilation",
-  "private": true,
-  "dependencies": {
-    "@babel/preset-env": "^7.19.1",
-    "@babel/core": "7.19.1",
-    "@babel/cli": "7.18.10",
-    "@babel/plugin-syntax-dynamic-import": "7.8.3",
-    "@babel/plugin-proposal-optional-chaining": "^7.12.1",
-    "@babel/plugin-transform-template-literals": "^7.18.6",
-    "babel-loader": "8.2.5",
-    "webpack": "5.74.0",
-    "webpack-cli": "4.10.0"
-  }
-}
diff --git a/npm_mjs/package.json5 b/npm_mjs/package.json5
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..097246f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/npm_mjs/package.json5
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+// Django-npm-mjs will combine this file with package.json files in other installed
+// apps before executing npm commands. Different from a regular package.json, comments
+// are allowed in this file.
+{
+    description: "Install dependencies for ES6 transpilation",
+    private: true,
+    dependencies: {
+        "@babel/preset-env": "^7.23.2",
+        "@babel/core": "7.23.2",
+        "@babel/cli": "7.23.0",
+        "@babel/plugin-syntax-dynamic-import": "7.8.3",
+        "@babel/plugin-transform-optional-chaining": "^7.23.0",
+        "@babel/plugin-transform-template-literals": "^7.18.6",
+        "babel-loader": "9.1.3",
+        webpack: "5.89.0",
+        "webpack-cli": "5.1.4",
+    },
+}
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index acad291..d7d7276 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 Django >= 3.2
-JSON_minify == 0.3.0
+pyjson5 == 1.6.4