diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 9212edb..11f8648 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ RUN git config --global 'user.name' 'Pelias Docker'
 ENV NODE_VERSION='16.20.1'
 RUN git clone 'https://github.com/isaacs/nave.git' /code/nave && /code/nave/nave.sh 'usemain' "${NODE_VERSION}" && rm -rf ~/.nave /code/nave
 
+# node version is so old it requires an older version of npm
+# https://stackoverflow.com/a/77024158
+RUN npm i npm@9 -g
+
 # add global install dir to $NODE_PATH
 ENV NODE_PATH="/usr/local/lib/node_modules:$NODE_PATH"