diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 233a9a93cc3..c3ca8c46983 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ ifneq (,$(wildcard ./.env))
 	export
 endif
 
-.PHONY: help up up.full down down.full refresh refresh.wp refresh.full migrate svgtest itsJustJavascript
+.PHONY: help up up.full down refresh refresh.wp refresh.full migrate svgtest itsJustJavascript
 
 help:
 	@echo 'Available commands:'
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ help:
 	@echo
 	@echo '  GRAPHER + CLOUDFLARE (staff-only)'
 	@echo '  make up.full                start dev environment via docker-compose and tmux'
-	@echo '  make down.full              stop any services still running'
 	@echo '  make sync-images            sync all images from the remote master'
 	@echo '  make update.chart-entities  update the charts_x_entities join table'
 	@echo '  make reindex                reindex (or initialise) search in Algolia'
@@ -49,11 +48,10 @@ help:
 
 up: export DEBUG = 'knex:query'
 
-up: require create-if-missing.env ../owid-content tmp-downloads/owid_metadata.sql.gz
+up: require create-if-missing.env ../owid-content tmp-downloads/owid_metadata.sql.gz node_modules
 	@make validate.env
 	@make check-port-3306
 	@echo '==> Building grapher'
-	yarn install
 	yarn lerna run build
 
 	@echo '==> Starting dev environment'
@@ -76,11 +74,10 @@ up: require create-if-missing.env ../owid-content tmp-downloads/owid_metadata.sq
 		set -g mouse on \
 		|| make down
 
-up.devcontainer: create-if-missing.env.devcontainer tmp-downloads/owid_metadata.sql.gz
+up.devcontainer: create-if-missing.env.devcontainer tmp-downloads/owid_metadata.sql.gz node_modules
 	@make validate.env
 	@make check-port-3306
 	@echo '==> Building grapher'
-	yarn install
 	yarn lerna run build
 
 	@echo '==> Starting dev environment'
@@ -100,12 +97,11 @@ up.devcontainer: create-if-missing.env.devcontainer tmp-downloads/owid_metadata.
 
 up.full: export DEBUG = 'knex:query'
 
-up.full: require create-if-missing.env.full ../owid-content tmp-downloads/owid_metadata.sql.gz
+up.full: require create-if-missing.env.full ../owid-content tmp-downloads/owid_metadata.sql.gz node_modules
 	@make validate.env.full
 	@make check-port-3306
 
 	@echo '==> Building grapher'
-	yarn install
 	yarn lerna run build
 
 	@echo '==> Starting dev environment'
@@ -127,11 +123,11 @@ up.full: require create-if-missing.env.full ../owid-content tmp-downloads/owid_m
 		bind X kill-pane \; \
 		bind Q kill-server \; \
 		set -g mouse on \
-		|| make down.full
+		|| make down
 
-migrate:
+migrate: node_modules
 	@echo '==> Running DB migrations'
-	yarn && yarn buildLerna && yarn runDbMigrations
+	yarn buildLerna && yarn runDbMigrations
 
 refresh:
 	@echo '==> Downloading chart data'
@@ -143,9 +139,9 @@ refresh:
 	@echo '!!! If you use ETL, wipe indicators from your R2 staging with `rclone delete r2:owid-api-staging/[yourname]/ ' \
 	'--fast-list --transfers 32 --checkers 32  --verbose`'
 
-refresh.pageviews:
+refresh.pageviews: node_modules
 	@echo '==> Refreshing pageviews'
-	yarn && yarn refreshPageviews
+	yarn refreshPageviews
 
 sync-images: sync-images.preflight-check
 	@echo '==> Syncing images to R2'
@@ -165,10 +161,6 @@ down:
 	@echo '==> Stopping services'
 	docker compose -f docker-compose.grapher.yml down
 
-down.full:
-	@echo '==> Stopping services'
-	docker compose -f docker-compose.full.yml down
-
 require:
 	@echo '==> Checking your local environment has the necessary commands...'
 	@which docker >/dev/null 2>&1 || (echo "ERROR: docker compose is required."; exit 1)
@@ -223,19 +215,18 @@ tmp-downloads/owid_metadata.sql.gz:
 	@echo '==> Downloading metadata'
 	./devTools/docker/download-grapher-metadata-mysql.sh
 
-deploy:
+deploy: node_modules
 	@echo '==> Starting from a clean slate...'
 	rm -rf itsJustJavascript
 
 	@echo '==> Building...'
-	yarn
 	yarn lerna run build --skip-nx-cache
 	yarn run tsc -b
 
 	@echo '==> Deploying...'
 	yarn buildAndDeploySite live
 
-stage:
+stage: node_modules
 	@if [[ ! "$(STAGING)" ]]; then \
 		echo 'ERROR: must set the staging environment'; \
 		echo '       e.g. STAGING=halley make stage'; \
@@ -246,16 +237,14 @@ stage:
 	rm -rf itsJustJavascript
 
 	@echo '==> Building...'
-	yarn
 	yarn lerna run build
 	yarn run tsc -b
 
 	@echo '==> Deploying to $(STAGING)...'
 	yarn buildAndDeploySite $(STAGING)
 
-test:
+test: node_modules
 	@echo '==> Linting'
-	yarn
 	yarn run eslint
 	yarn lerna run build
 	yarn lerna run buildTests
@@ -266,32 +255,27 @@ test:
 	@echo '==> Running tests'
 	yarn run jest
 
-dbtest:
+dbtest: node_modules
 	@echo '==> Building'
-	yarn
 	yarn buildTsc
 
 	@echo '==> Running db test script'
 	./db/tests/run-db-tests.sh
 
-lint:
+lint: node_modules
 	@echo '==> Linting'
-	yarn
 	yarn run eslint
 
-check-formatting:
+check-formatting: node_modules
 	@echo '==> Checking formatting'
-	yarn
 	yarn testPrettierAll
 
-format:
+format: node_modules
 	@echo '==> Fixing formatting'
-	yarn
 	yarn fixPrettierAll
 
-unittest:
+unittest: node_modules
 	@echo '==> Running tests'
-	yarn
 	yarn run jest --all
 
 ../owid-grapher-svgs: