diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 343a73fe..1532ae6f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ Read this if you want to build a local version.
     - rust
     - python3.8 or later with header files (python3-dev)
     - spidermonkey latest from mozilla-central
+    - npm (nodejs)
     - [Poetry](https://python-poetry.org/docs/#installation)
     - [poetry-dynamic-versioning](https://github.com/mtkennerly/poetry-dynamic-versioning)
 
diff --git a/python/pminit/pmpm.py b/python/pminit/pmpm.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 59a78a14..00000000
--- a/python/pminit/pmpm.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,67 +0,0 @@
-# @file     pmpm.py
-#           A minimum copy of npm written in pure Python.
-#           Currently, this can only install dependencies specified by package-lock.json into node_modules.
-# @author   Tom Tang <xmader@distributive.network>
-# @date     July 2023
-
-import json
-import io
-import os, shutil
-import tempfile
-import tarfile
-from dataclasses import dataclass
-import urllib.request
-from typing import List, Union
-
-@dataclass
-class PackageItem:
-    installation_path: str
-    tarball_url: str
-    has_install_script: bool
-
-def parse_package_lock_json(json_data: Union[str, bytes]) -> List[PackageItem]:
-    # See https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/v9/configuring-npm/package-lock-json#packages
-    packages: dict = json.loads(json_data)["packages"]
-    items: List[PackageItem] = []
-    for key, entry in packages.items():
-        if key == "":
-            # Skip the root project (listed with a key of "")
-            continue
-        items.append(
-            PackageItem(
-                installation_path=key, # relative path from the root project folder
-                                       # The path is flattened for nested node_modules, e.g., "node_modules/create-ecdh/node_modules/bn.js"
-                tarball_url=entry["resolved"], # TODO: handle git dependencies
-                has_install_script=entry.get("hasInstallScript", False) # the package has a preinstall, install, or postinstall script
-            )
-        )
-    return items
-
-def download_package(tarball_url: str) -> bytes:
-    with urllib.request.urlopen(tarball_url) as response:
-        tarball_data: bytes = response.read()
-        return tarball_data
-
-def unpack_package(work_dir:str, installation_path: str, tarball_data: bytes):
-    installation_path = os.path.join(work_dir, installation_path)
-    shutil.rmtree(installation_path, ignore_errors=True)
-
-    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix="pmpm_cache-") as tmpdir:
-        with io.BytesIO(tarball_data) as tar_file:
-            with tarfile.open(fileobj=tar_file) as tar:
-                tar.extractall(tmpdir)
-        shutil.move(
-            os.path.join(tmpdir, "package"), # Strip the root folder
-            installation_path
-        )
-
-def main(work_dir: str):
-    with open(os.path.join(work_dir, "package-lock.json"), encoding="utf-8") as f:
-        items = parse_package_lock_json(f.read())
-        for i in items:
-            print("Installing " + i.installation_path)
-            tarball_data = download_package(i.tarball_url)
-            unpack_package(work_dir, i.installation_path, tarball_data)
-
-if __name__ == "__main__":
-    main(os.getcwd())
diff --git a/python/pminit/post-install-hook.py b/python/pminit/post-install-hook.py
index 061492c1..1b2d26dd 100644
--- a/python/pminit/post-install-hook.py
+++ b/python/pminit/post-install-hook.py
@@ -1,13 +1,39 @@
-import os
-import pmpm
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import shutil
 
-WORK_DIR = os.path.join(
-  os.path.realpath(os.path.dirname(__file__)),
-  "pythonmonkey"
-)
+def execute(cmd: str):
+    popen = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout = subprocess.PIPE, stderr = subprocess.STDOUT,
+        shell = True, text = True )
+    for stdout_line in iter(popen.stdout.readline, ""):
+        sys.stdout.write(stdout_line)
+        sys.stdout.flush()
+
+    popen.stdout.close()
+    return_code = popen.wait()
+    if return_code:
+        raise subprocess.CalledProcessError(return_code, cmd)
 
 def main():
-  pmpm.main(WORK_DIR) # cd pythonmonkey && npm i
+    node_package_manager = 'npm'
+    # check if npm is installed on the system
+    if (shutil.which(node_package_manager) is None):
+        print("""
+
+PythonMonkey Build Error:
+
+    
+  *    It appears npm is not installed on this system.
+  *    npm is required for PythonMonkey to build.
+  *    Please install NPM and Node.js before installing PythonMonkey.
+  *    Refer to the documentation for installing NPM and Node.js here: https://nodejs.org/en/download
+
+
+        """)
+        raise Exception("PythonMonkey build error: Unable to find npm on the system.")
+    else:
+        execute(f"cd pythonmonkey && {node_package_manager} i --no-package-lock") # do not update package-lock.json
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-  main()
+    main()
+
diff --git a/python/pminit/pyproject.toml b/python/pminit/pyproject.toml
index 7c7b84b6..09d28174 100644
--- a/python/pminit/pyproject.toml
+++ b/python/pminit/pyproject.toml
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ documentation = "https://docs.pythonmonkey.io/"
 repository = "https://github.com/Distributive-Network/PythonMonkey"
 
 include = [
-  "pmpm.py",
   # Install extra files into the pythonmonkey package
   "pythonmonkey/package*.json",
   { path = "pythonmonkey/node_modules/**/*", format = "wheel" },