diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index b79f775d350dd..6cbf5d3a40ee9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -35,7 +35,9 @@ jobs:
 
       # Run the installer script
     - name: Install dependencies
-      run: node . install
+      run: |
+        node . install --ignore-scripts --no-audit
+        node . rebuild
 
       # Run the tests, but not if we're just gonna do coveralls later anyway
     - name: Run Tap tests
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 76880dd220faf..83046c59aca9b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ SHELL = bash
 PUBLISHTAG = $(shell node scripts/publish-tag.js)
 BRANCH = $(shell git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)
 
-markdowns = $(shell find docs -name '*.md' | grep -v 'index') README.md
+markdowns = $(shell find docs -name '*.md' | grep -v 'index')
 
 # these docs have the @VERSION@ tag in them, so they have to be rebuilt
 # whenever the package.json is touched, in case the version changed.
@@ -14,8 +14,7 @@ version_mandocs = $(shell grep -rl '@VERSION@' docs/content \
 
 cli_mandocs = $(shell find docs/content/commands -name '*.md' \
                |sed 's|.md|.1|g' \
-               |sed 's|docs/content/commands/|man/man1/|g' ) \
-               man/man1/npm-README.1
+               |sed 's|docs/content/commands/|man/man1/|g' )
 
 files_mandocs = $(shell find docs/content/configuring-npm -name '*.md' \
                |sed 's|.md|.5|g' \
@@ -29,63 +28,29 @@ mandocs = $(cli_mandocs) $(files_mandocs) $(misc_mandocs)
 
 all: docs
 
-latest:
-	@echo "Installing latest published npm"
-	@echo "Use 'make install' or 'make link' to install the code"
-	@echo "in this folder that you're looking at right now."
-	node bin/npm-cli.js install -g -f npm ${NPMOPTS}
-
-install: all
-	node bin/npm-cli.js install -g -f ${NPMOPTS} $(shell node bin/npm-cli.js pack | tail -1)
-
-# backwards compat
-dev: install
-
-link: uninstall
-	node bin/npm-cli.js link -f
-
-clean: markedclean marked-manclean docs-clean
-	rm -rf npmrc
-	node bin/npm-cli.js cache clean --force
-
-uninstall:
-	node bin/npm-cli.js rm npm -g -f
+docs: mandocs htmldocs
 
-mandocs: $(mandocs)
+mandocs: dev-deps $(mandocs)
 
 $(version_mandocs): package.json
 
-htmldocs:
+htmldocs: dev-deps
+	node bin/npm-cli.js rebuild
 	cd docs && node dockhand.js >&2
 
-docs: mandocs htmldocs
-
-markedclean:
-	rm -rf node_modules/marked node_modules/.bin/marked .building_marked
-
-marked-manclean:
-	rm -rf node_modules/marked-man node_modules/.bin/marked-man .building_marked-man
+clean: docs-clean gitclean
 
 docsclean: docs-clean
+
 docs-clean:
-	rm -rf \
-    .building_marked \
-    .building_marked-man \
-    man \
-    docs/node_modules \
-    docs/output \
-    docs/.cache
-
-## build-time tools for the documentation
-build-doc-tools := node_modules/.bin/marked \
-                   node_modules/.bin/marked-man
-
-# use `npm install marked-man` for this to work.
-man/man1/npm-README.1: README.md scripts/docs-build.js $(build-doc-tools)
-	@[ -d man/man1 ] || mkdir -p man/man1
-	node scripts/docs-build.js $< $@
+	rm -rf man
 
-man/man1/%.1: docs/content/commands/%.md scripts/docs-build.js $(build-doc-tools)
+## build-time dependencies for the documentation
+dev-deps:
+	node bin/npm-cli.js install --only=dev --no-audit --ignore-scripts
+
+## targets for man files, these are encouraged to be only built by running `make docs` or `make mandocs`
+man/man1/%.1: docs/content/commands/%.md scripts/docs-build.js
 	@[ -d man/man1 ] || mkdir -p man/man1
 	node scripts/docs-build.js $< $@
 
@@ -95,47 +60,41 @@ man/man5/npm-json.5: man/man5/package.json.5
 man/man5/npm-global.5: man/man5/folders.5
 	cp $< $@
 
-man/man5/%.5: docs/content/configuring-npm/%.md scripts/docs-build.js $(build-doc-tools)
+man/man5/%.5: docs/content/configuring-npm/%.md scripts/docs-build.js
 	@[ -d man/man5 ] || mkdir -p man/man5
 	node scripts/docs-build.js $< $@
 
-man/man7/%.7: docs/content/using-npm/%.md scripts/docs-build.js $(build-doc-tools)
+man/man7/%.7: docs/content/using-npm/%.md scripts/docs-build.js
 	@[ -d man/man7 ] || mkdir -p man/man7
 	node scripts/docs-build.js $< $@
 
-marked: node_modules/.bin/marked
-
-node_modules/.bin/marked:
-	node bin/npm-cli.js install marked --no-global --no-timing --no-save
-
-marked-man: node_modules/.bin/marked-man
-
-node_modules/.bin/marked-man:
-	node bin/npm-cli.js install marked-man --no-global --no-timing --no-save
-
-test: docs
+test: dev-deps
 	node bin/npm-cli.js test
 
-tag:
-	node bin/npm-cli.js tag npm@$(PUBLISHTAG) latest
-
 ls-ok:
-	node . ls >/dev/null
+	node . ls --production >/dev/null
 
 gitclean:
 	git clean -fd
 
-publish: gitclean ls-ok link docs-clean docs
+uninstall:
+	node bin/npm-cli.js rm -g -f npm
+
+link: uninstall
+	node bin/npm-cli.js link -f --ignore-scripts
+
+prune:
+	node bin/npm-cli.js prune --production --no-save --no-audit
+	@[[ "$(shell git status -s)" != "" ]] && echo "ERR: found unpruned files" && exit 1 || echo "git status is clean"
+
+
+publish: gitclean ls-ok link test docs-clean docs prune
 	@git push origin :v$(shell node bin/npm-cli.js --no-timing -v) 2>&1 || true
 	git push origin $(BRANCH) &&\
 	git push origin --tags &&\
 	node bin/npm-cli.js publish --tag=$(PUBLISHTAG)
 
-release: gitclean ls-ok markedclean marked-manclean docs-clean docs
-	node bin/npm-cli.js prune --production --no-save
+release: gitclean ls-ok docs-clean docs prune
 	@bash scripts/release.sh
 
-sandwich:
-	@[ $$(whoami) = "root" ] && (echo "ok"; echo "ham" > sandwich) || (echo "make it yourself" && exit 13)
-
-.PHONY: all latest install dev link docs clean uninstall test man docs-clean docsclean release ls-ok realclean
+.PHONY: all latest install dev link docs clean uninstall test man docs-clean docsclean release ls-ok dev-deps prune