diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index f3cb9f90ae4..4acec85f220 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -73346,9 +73346,6 @@
       "name": "@mongodb-js/compass-utils",
       "version": "0.2.0",
       "license": "SSPL",
-      "dependencies": {
-        "@electron/remote": "^2.0.9"
-      },
       "devDependencies": {
         "@mongodb-js/eslint-config-compass": "^1.0.2",
         "@mongodb-js/mocha-config-compass": "^1.0.2",
@@ -73366,6 +73363,9 @@
         "prettier": "^2.7.1",
         "sinon": "^9.2.3",
         "typescript": "^4.8.3"
+      },
+      "optionalDependencies": {
+        "@electron/remote": "^2.0.9"
       }
     },
     "packages/compass-utils/node_modules/anymatch": {
diff --git a/packages/compass-utils/package.json b/packages/compass-utils/package.json
index c1bd41eea73..1815ac472da 100644
--- a/packages/compass-utils/package.json
+++ b/packages/compass-utils/package.json
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
     "test-ci": "npm run test-cov",
     "reformat": "npm run prettier -- --write ."
   },
-  "dependencies": {
+  "optionalDependencies": {
     "@electron/remote": "^2.0.9"
   },
   "devDependencies": {