diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index eb935ca176..efdd1b1f5d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -32,11 +32,16 @@ jobs:
             ./nim-waku/vendor/rln/target/debug
           key: nim-waku-build-v3-${{ steps.nim-waku-head.outputs.ref }}
 
+      - name: Install NodeJS
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v2
+        with:
+          node-version: '14'
+
         # This would have been done part of npm pretest but it gives better
         # visibility in the CI if done as a separate step
       - name: Build wakunode2
         shell: bash
-        run: cd nim-waku && ./build/wakunode2 --help || make wakunode2
+        run: (cd nim-waku && ./build/wakunode2 --help) || npm run nim-waku:build
 
       - name: Ensure wakunode2 is ready
         shell: bash
@@ -52,11 +57,6 @@ jobs:
         with:
           version: '3.x'
 
-      - name: Install NodeJS
-        uses: actions/setup-node@v2
-        with:
-          node-version: '14'
-
       - name: Cache npm cache
         uses: actions/cache@v2
         with:
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 98555bcf61..6baad28b4f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@
     "fix:lint": "eslint src --ext .ts --fix",
     "pretest": "run-s pretest:*",
     "pretest:1-init-git-submodules": "[ -f './nim-waku/build/wakunode2' ] || git submodule update --init --recursive",
-    "pretest:2-build-nim-waku": "cd nim-waku; [ -f './build/wakunode2' ] || make -j$(nproc --all 2>/dev/null || echo 2) wakunode2",
+    "pretest:2-build-nim-waku": "[ -f './nim-waku/build/wakunode2' ] || run-s nim-waku:build",
+    "nim-waku:build": "(cd nim-waku; NIMFLAGS=\"-d:chronicles_colors=off -d:chronicles_sinks=textlines -d:chronicles_log_level=TRACE\" make -j$(nproc --all 2>/dev/null || echo 2) wakunode2)",
     "chat": "ts-node src/chat/index.ts",
     "test": "run-s build test:*",
     "test:lint": "eslint src --ext .ts",