diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 244d3e08c..b6e0ebff0 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -2,19 +2,25 @@
 FROM docker.io/emscripten/emsdk:3.1.24
 
 # Enable detection of running in a container
-ENV RUNNING_IN_CONTAINER=true
+ENV RUNNING_IN_CONTAINER=true \
+    # Avoid using bundled Node from emsdk
+    PATH=$EMSDK:$EMSDK/upstream/emscripten:$EMSDK/upstream/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
 
 RUN apt-get update \
+  && curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | bash - \
   && apt-get install -qqy \
-    build-essential \
     autoconf \
+    build-essential \
+    libglib2.0-dev \
     libtool \
+    nodejs \
     pkgconf \
-    libglib2.0-dev \
     # needed for Meson
     ninja-build \
     python3-pip \
-  && pip3 install meson
+  && pip3 install meson \
+  # Prefer the default system-installed version of Node.js
+  && echo "NODE_JS = '$(which node)'" >> $EMSDK/.emscripten
 
 ARG MESON_PATCH=https://github.com/kleisauke/wasm-vips/raw/master/build/patches/meson-emscripten.patch
 RUN cd $(dirname `python3 -c "import mesonbuild as _; print(_.__path__[0])"`) \
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 979055cc8..a71498047 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ echo "============================================="
 echo "Environment"
 echo "============================================="
 emcc --version
+node --version
 
 cd $(dirname $(which emcc))
 
diff --git a/build/README.md b/build/README.md
index beb369601..98664b39f 100644
--- a/build/README.md
+++ b/build/README.md
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@ git pull
 ./emsdk activate tot
 
 # Prefer the default system-installed version of Node.js
-NODE=$(which node)
-sed -i'.old' "/^NODE_JS/s/= .*/= '${NODE//\//\\/}'/" .emscripten
+echo "NODE_JS = '$(which node)'" >> .emscripten
 
 # Activate PATH and other environment variables in the current terminal
 source ./emsdk_env.sh