diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index b3ddd8299..b2328c6c5 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ ARG INSTALL_SOFFICE=
 # leaner (development dependencies are not installed) and runs faster (among
 # other things, assets are minified & compressed).
 ENV NODE_ENV=production
-
+ENV ETHERPAD_PRODUCTION=true
 # Install dependencies required for modifying access.
 RUN apk add shadow
 # Follow the principle of least privilege: run as unprivileged user.
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ ARG EP_UID=5001
 ARG EP_GID=0
 ARG EP_SHELL=
 
+ENV NODE_ENV=production
 
 RUN groupadd --system ${EP_GID:+--gid "${EP_GID}" --non-unique} etherpad && \
     useradd --system ${EP_UID:+--uid "${EP_UID}" --non-unique} --gid etherpad \
diff --git a/src/bin/installDeps.sh b/src/bin/installDeps.sh
index ed34a79c0..d4f6b1e85 100755
--- a/src/bin/installDeps.sh
+++ b/src/bin/installDeps.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
+
 # Move to the Etherpad base directory.
 MY_DIR=$(cd "${0%/*}" && pwd -P) || exit 1
 cd "${MY_DIR}/../.." || exit 1
@@ -36,14 +37,22 @@ if [ ! -f "$settings" ]; then
   cp settings.json.template "$settings" || exit 1
 fi
 
+
 log "Installing dependencies..."
-(
-  mkdir -p node_modules &&
-  cd node_modules &&
-  { [ -d ep_etherpad-lite ] || ln -sf ../src ep_etherpad-lite; } &&
-  cd ep_etherpad-lite &&
-  npm ci --no-optional --omit=optional --include=dev --lockfile-version 1
-) || exit 1
+(mkdir -p node_modules &&
+cd node_modules &&
+{ [ -d ep_etherpad-lite ] || ln -sf ../src ep_etherpad-lite; } &&
+cd ep_etherpad-lite)
+
+cd src
+
+if [ -z "${ETHERPAD_PRODUCTION}" ]; then
+  log "Installing dev dependencies"
+ npm ci --no-optional --omit=optional --include=dev --lockfile-version 1 || exit 1
+else
+  log "Installing production dependencies"
+  npm ci --no-optional --omit=optional --omit=dev --lockfile-version 1 --production || exit 1
+fi
 
 # Remove all minified data to force node creating it new
 log "Clearing minified cache..."