npm ERR! code ENOGIT

A package requires git clone but git is not installed.

Frequently documented in developer and vendor support forums.

• Git not installed
• Git not in PATH
• Git dependency in package

1. Install git
2. Add git to system PATH
3. Use https instead of git URLs

Last reviewed: March 2026 How we review solutions

ENOGIT means npm tried to execute a git command but could not find the git binary on your system PATH. npm needs git for several operations: installing packages directly from Git repositories (npm install github:user/repo), resolving dependencies that point to Git URLs in package.json, running prepare scripts that call git, and processing package-lock.json entries that reference Git commit hashes. The most common scenario is a clean CI/CD environment or Docker container that does not include git in its base image—official Node.js Docker images include npm but not git, and many minimal CI runners follow the same pattern. Development machines almost always have git installed, so this error primarily appears in automated environments. Windows users occasionally encounter ENOGIT when git is installed but not added to the system PATH—the Git for Windows installer offers a choice between adding git to PATH or keeping it isolated, and choosing the isolated option makes git invisible to npm. Another subtle cause is package.json dependencies that use the git+https:// or git+ssh:// protocol specifiers, which are common in enterprise projects using private Git repositories instead of private npm registries.

1. Check if git is installed: git --version
2. If not installed: apt install git (Linux), brew install git (macOS)
3. On Windows: reinstall Git for Windows and select "Git from the command line"
4. In Docker: add RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y git to your Dockerfile
5. Check if the dependency uses a git URL: grep "git+" package.json

Git installed but SSH keys not available

npm can find git but the git+ssh:// dependency requires SSH keys that do not exist in the CI environment. Use git+https:// instead of git+ssh:// and provide a personal access token: git config --global url."https://token:YOUR_TOKEN@github.com/".insteadOf "git@github.com:"

Husky postinstall fails without git init

Husky (git hooks manager) runs a postinstall script that requires a .git directory. In CI or Docker where the project is copied without .git, Husky fails. Set the HUSKY=0 environment variable to skip hook installation in CI.

Windows PATH has Git Bash but not Git

Git for Windows includes Git Bash, which has git available inside the Bash shell but not in cmd.exe or PowerShell if the PATH option was not selected. Reinstall and choose "Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software."

Why does npm need git?

Some packages install from git repositories.

How to avoid git deps?

Use published npm versions instead.

Which npm operations require git?

Installing packages from Git URLs (github:user/repo), resolving lockfile entries with Git references, running prepare scripts that call git (like Husky), and npm pack when creating a tarball that includes git metadata.

Can I avoid needing git entirely?

Yes, if all your dependencies are published to an npm registry (public or private) and none use git:// URLs. Check your package.json and package-lock.json for any git:// or github: references and replace them with published npm versions.

Why does the official Node.js Docker image not include git?

Docker images are kept minimal to reduce size and attack surface. The node:18-alpine image is about 120MB; adding git would increase it. The philosophy is to install only what you need explicitly.

• npm install – Official npm Docs
• package.json Reference – npm Docs