diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 564cdd2..85e4eea 100644
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -607,8 +607,6 @@ PACKAGE_URL=''
 
 ac_subst_vars='LTLIBOBJS
 LIBOBJS
-NODE
-NPM
 PYTHON3
 GIT
 REALPATH
@@ -1907,116 +1905,17 @@ fi
 done
 
 
-# HTML theme reference dependency for dynamic building, alternatively this could
-# be removed and instead the HTML theme reference could be statically integrated
-# by storing the build package archive under vendor/ instead and untar the
-# archive into src/<whatever>.
-{ printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for vendor build dependencies..." >&5
-printf "%s\n" "$as_me: checking for vendor build dependencies..." >&6;}
-for ac_prog in npm
-do
-  # Extract the first word of "$ac_prog", so it can be a program name with args.
-set dummy $ac_prog; ac_word=$2
-{ printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for $ac_word" >&5
-printf %s "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
-if test ${ac_cv_prog_NPM+y}
-then :
-  printf %s "(cached) " >&6
-else case e in #(
-  e) if test -n "$NPM"; then
-  ac_cv_prog_NPM="$NPM" # Let the user override the test.
-else
-as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
-for as_dir in $PATH
-do
-  IFS=$as_save_IFS
-  case $as_dir in #(((
-    '') as_dir=./ ;;
-    */) ;;
-    *) as_dir=$as_dir/ ;;
-  esac
-    for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
-  if as_fn_executable_p "$as_dir$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
-    ac_cv_prog_NPM="$ac_prog"
-    printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: found $as_dir$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
-    break 2
-  fi
-done
-  done
-IFS=$as_save_IFS
-
-fi ;;
-esac
-fi
-NPM=$ac_cv_prog_NPM
-if test -n "$NPM"; then
-  { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $NPM" >&5
-printf "%s\n" "$NPM" >&6; }
-else
-  { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
-printf "%s\n" "no" >&6; }
-fi
-
-
-  test -n "$NPM" && break
-done
-
-for ac_prog in node
-do
-  # Extract the first word of "$ac_prog", so it can be a program name with args.
-set dummy $ac_prog; ac_word=$2
-{ printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for $ac_word" >&5
-printf %s "checking for $ac_word... " >&6; }
-if test ${ac_cv_prog_NODE+y}
-then :
-  printf %s "(cached) " >&6
-else case e in #(
-  e) if test -n "$NODE"; then
-  ac_cv_prog_NODE="$NODE" # Let the user override the test.
-else
-as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
-for as_dir in $PATH
-do
-  IFS=$as_save_IFS
-  case $as_dir in #(((
-    '') as_dir=./ ;;
-    */) ;;
-    *) as_dir=$as_dir/ ;;
-  esac
-    for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
-  if as_fn_executable_p "$as_dir$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; then
-    ac_cv_prog_NODE="$ac_prog"
-    printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: found $as_dir$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
-    break 2
-  fi
-done
-  done
-IFS=$as_save_IFS
-
-fi ;;
-esac
-fi
-NODE=$ac_cv_prog_NODE
-if test -n "$NODE"; then
-  { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $NODE" >&5
-printf "%s\n" "$NODE" >&6; }
-else
-  { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: no" >&5
-printf "%s\n" "no" >&6; }
-fi
-
-
-  test -n "$NODE" && break
-done
-
-
 { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: initializing Git submodules..." >&5
 printf "%s\n" "$as_me: initializing Git submodules..." >&6;}
 git submodule update --init --remote --recursive
 
+# HTML theme reference dependency for dynamic building, alternatively this could
+# be removed and instead the HTML theme reference could be statically integrated
+# by storing the build package archive under vendor/ instead and untar the
+# archive into src/<whatever>.
 { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: initializing vendors..." >&5
 printf "%s\n" "$as_me: initializing vendors..." >&6;}
-sh -xc "cd vendor/html-theme-ref && npm install"
+sh -xc "cd vendor/html-theme-ref && sh ./configure"
 
 { printf "%s\n" "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: initializing python3 venv..." >&5
 printf "%s\n" "$as_me: initializing python3 venv..." >&6;}
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index d782e95..d6c9157 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -6,19 +6,15 @@ AC_CHECK_PROGS([REALPATH], [realpath])
 AC_CHECK_PROGS([GIT], [git])
 AC_CHECK_PROGS([PYTHON3], [python3])
 
+AC_MSG_NOTICE([initializing Git submodules...])
+git submodule update --init --remote --recursive
+
 # HTML theme reference dependency for dynamic building, alternatively this could
 # be removed and instead the HTML theme reference could be statically integrated
 # by storing the build package archive under vendor/ instead and untar the
 # archive into src/<whatever>.
-AC_MSG_NOTICE([checking for vendor build dependencies...])
-AC_CHECK_PROGS([NPM], [npm])
-AC_CHECK_PROGS([NODE], [node])
-
-AC_MSG_NOTICE([initializing Git submodules...])
-git submodule update --init --remote --recursive
-
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([initializing vendors...])
-sh -xc "cd vendor/html-theme-ref && npm install"
+sh -xc "cd vendor/html-theme-ref && sh ./configure"
 
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([initializing python3 venv...])
 python3 -m venv .venv