diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e04a14c36..c625b889a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
     "type-check": "pnpm -r type-check",
     "check": "manypkg check",
     "sync-webgui-repo": "node web/scripts/sync-webgui-repo.js",
+    "preinstall": "npx check-node-version --node 22 || echo '❌ Node.js 22 required. See readme.md Prerequisites section.'",
     "postinstall": "simple-git-hooks"
   },
   "pnpm": {
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 2480f5e73..cea803771 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -20671,6 +20671,10 @@ snapshots:
     dependencies:
       ms: 2.1.3
 
+  debug@4.4.1:
+    dependencies:
+      ms: 2.1.3
+
   debug@4.4.1(supports-color@5.5.0):
     dependencies:
       ms: 2.1.3
@@ -23505,7 +23509,7 @@ snapshots:
     dependencies:
       chalk: 5.5.0
       commander: 14.0.0
-      debug: 4.4.1(supports-color@5.5.0)
+      debug: 4.4.1
       lilconfig: 3.1.3
       listr2: 9.0.1
       micromatch: 4.0.8
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index 6ad66c016..7c6b1848b 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ Make sure the following software is installed before proceeding.
 
 * Bash
 * Docker (for macOS folks, Orbstack works too)
-* [Node.js (v20)][Node-url]
+* [Node.js (v22)][Node-url]
 * [Just](https://github.com/casey/just) (optional)
 * libvirt (macOS folks can run `brew install libvirt`)
 * rclone (for development)