diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index d5efb296..0c764f2d 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1403,7 +1403,7 @@ dependencies = [
 ]
 
 [[package]]
-name = "build_package"
+name = "build_packages"
 version = "0.1.0"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 9b14b678..f44e6005 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ members = [
     "kinode/packages/terminal/help", "kinode/packages/terminal/hi", "kinode/packages/terminal/kfetch",
     "kinode/packages/terminal/kill", "kinode/packages/terminal/m", "kinode/packages/terminal/top",
     "kinode/packages/terminal/net_diagnostics", "kinode/packages/terminal/peer", "kinode/packages/terminal/peers",
-    "kinode/packages/tester/tester", "scripts/build_package",
+    "kinode/packages/tester/tester", "scripts/build_packages",
 ]
 default-members = ["lib"]
 resolver = "2"
diff --git a/kinode/build.rs b/kinode/build.rs
index 8250dac9..5ac4a90e 100644
--- a/kinode/build.rs
+++ b/kinode/build.rs
@@ -2,21 +2,24 @@ use std::path::PathBuf;
 
 const CANONICAL_PACKAGES_ZIP_PATH: &str = "../target/packages.zip";
 
+macro_rules! p {
+    ($($tokens: tt)*) => {
+        println!("cargo:warning={}", format!($($tokens)*))
+    }
+}
+
 fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
     let path_to_packages_zip = match std::env::var("PATH_TO_PACKAGES_ZIP") {
-        Err(_) => {
-            let build_package_script_path = PathBuf::from("../scripts/build_package");
-            let mut child = std::process::Command::new("cargo")
-                .arg("run")
-                .current_dir(&build_package_script_path)
-                .spawn()?;
-            let result = child.wait()?;
-            if !result.success() {
-                return Err(anyhow::anyhow!("Failed to build packages."));
-            }
-            CANONICAL_PACKAGES_ZIP_PATH.to_string()
-        }
         Ok(env_var) => env_var,
+        Err(_) => {
+            let canonical_path = PathBuf::from(CANONICAL_PACKAGES_ZIP_PATH);
+            if canonical_path.exists() {
+                p!("No path given via PATH_TO_PACKAGES_ZIP envvar. Defaulting to path of `kinode/target/packages.zip`.");
+                CANONICAL_PACKAGES_ZIP_PATH.to_string()
+            } else {
+                return Err(anyhow::anyhow!("You must build packages.zip with scripts/build_packages or set PATH_TO_PACKAGES_ZIP to point to your desired pacakges.zip (default path at kinode/target/packages.zip was not populated)."));
+            }
+        }
     };
     let path = PathBuf::from(&path_to_packages_zip);
     if !path.exists() {
diff --git a/scripts/build_package/Cargo.toml b/scripts/build_packages/Cargo.toml
similarity index 90%
rename from scripts/build_package/Cargo.toml
rename to scripts/build_packages/Cargo.toml
index 824917a6..fe507b3e 100644
--- a/scripts/build_package/Cargo.toml
+++ b/scripts/build_packages/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [package]
-name = "build_package"
+name = "build_packages"
 version = "0.1.0"
 edition = "2021"
 
diff --git a/scripts/build_package/src/main.rs b/scripts/build_packages/src/main.rs
similarity index 97%
rename from scripts/build_package/src/main.rs
rename to scripts/build_packages/src/main.rs
index a76fcb32..f80a99c9 100644
--- a/scripts/build_package/src/main.rs
+++ b/scripts/build_packages/src/main.rs
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ fn build_and_zip_package(
 }
 
 fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
-    let matches = Command::new("build_package")
+    let matches = Command::new("build_packages")
         .about("Build the core Kinode packages.")
         .arg(
             Arg::new("FEATURES")
@@ -167,8 +167,7 @@ fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
             Ok((entry_path, zip_filename, zip_contents)) => {
                 let metadata_path = entry_path.join("metadata.json");
                 let metadata_contents = fs::read_to_string(&metadata_path)?;
-                let metadata_contents: serde_json::Value =
-                    serde_json::from_str(&metadata_contents)?;
+                let metadata_contents: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(&metadata_contents)?;
                 file_to_metadata.insert(zip_filename.clone(), metadata_contents);
                 let zip_path = target_packages_dir.join(&zip_filename);
                 fs::write(&zip_path, &zip_contents)?;