diff --git a/crates/copilot/src/copilot.rs b/crates/copilot/src/copilot.rs
index ce4938ed0d..ab2d861190 100644
--- a/crates/copilot/src/copilot.rs
+++ b/crates/copilot/src/copilot.rs
@@ -338,9 +338,9 @@ impl Copilot {
         let (server, fake_server) =
             LanguageServer::fake("copilot".into(), Default::default(), cx.to_async());
         let http = util::http::FakeHttpClient::create(|_| async { unreachable!() });
-        let this = cx.add_model(|cx| Self {
+        let this = cx.add_model(|_| Self {
             http: http.clone(),
-            node_runtime: NodeRuntime::instance(http, cx.background().clone()),
+            node_runtime: NodeRuntime::instance(http),
             server: CopilotServer::Running(RunningCopilotServer {
                 lsp: Arc::new(server),
                 sign_in_status: SignInStatus::Authorized,
diff --git a/crates/node_runtime/src/node_runtime.rs b/crates/node_runtime/src/node_runtime.rs
index 94858df880..d43c14ec7b 100644
--- a/crates/node_runtime/src/node_runtime.rs
+++ b/crates/node_runtime/src/node_runtime.rs
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, Context, Result};
 use async_compression::futures::bufread::GzipDecoder;
 use async_tar::Archive;
-use futures::lock::Mutex;
-use futures::{future::Shared, FutureExt};
-use gpui::{executor::Background, Task};
 use serde::Deserialize;
 use smol::{fs, io::BufReader, process::Command};
 use std::process::{Output, Stdio};
@@ -33,20 +30,12 @@ pub struct NpmInfoDistTags {
 
 pub struct NodeRuntime {
     http: Arc<dyn HttpClient>,
-    background: Arc<Background>,
-    installation_path: Mutex<Option<Shared<Task<Result<PathBuf, Arc<anyhow::Error>>>>>>,
 }
 
 impl NodeRuntime {
-    pub fn instance(http: Arc<dyn HttpClient>, background: Arc<Background>) -> Arc<NodeRuntime> {
+    pub fn instance(http: Arc<dyn HttpClient>) -> Arc<NodeRuntime> {
         RUNTIME_INSTANCE
-            .get_or_init(|| {
-                Arc::new(NodeRuntime {
-                    http,
-                    background,
-                    installation_path: Mutex::new(None),
-                })
-            })
+            .get_or_init(|| Arc::new(NodeRuntime { http }))
             .clone()
     }
 
@@ -61,7 +50,9 @@ impl NodeRuntime {
         subcommand: &str,
         args: &[&str],
     ) -> Result<Output> {
-        let attempt = |installation_path: PathBuf| async move {
+        let attempt = || async move {
+            let installation_path = self.install_if_needed().await?;
+
             let mut env_path = installation_path.join("bin").into_os_string();
             if let Some(existing_path) = std::env::var_os("PATH") {
                 if !existing_path.is_empty() {
@@ -92,10 +83,9 @@ impl NodeRuntime {
             command.output().await.map_err(|e| anyhow!("{e}"))
         };
 
-        let installation_path = self.install_if_needed().await?;
-        let mut output = attempt(installation_path.clone()).await;
+        let mut output = attempt().await;
         if output.is_err() {
-            output = attempt(installation_path).await;
+            output = attempt().await;
             if output.is_err() {
                 return Err(anyhow!(
                     "failed to launch npm subcommand {subcommand} subcommand"
@@ -167,23 +157,8 @@ impl NodeRuntime {
     }
 
     async fn install_if_needed(&self) -> Result<PathBuf> {
-        let task = self
-            .installation_path
-            .lock()
-            .await
-            .get_or_insert_with(|| {
-                let http = self.http.clone();
-                self.background
-                    .spawn(async move { Self::install(http).await.map_err(Arc::new) })
-                    .shared()
-            })
-            .clone();
+        log::info!("Node runtime install_if_needed");
 
-        task.await.map_err(|e| anyhow!("{}", e))
-    }
-
-    async fn install(http: Arc<dyn HttpClient>) -> Result<PathBuf> {
-        log::info!("installing Node runtime");
         let arch = match consts::ARCH {
             "x86_64" => "x64",
             "aarch64" => "arm64",
@@ -214,7 +189,8 @@ impl NodeRuntime {
 
             let file_name = format!("node-{VERSION}-darwin-{arch}.tar.gz");
             let url = format!("https://nodejs.org/dist/{VERSION}/{file_name}");
-            let mut response = http
+            let mut response = self
+                .http
                 .get(&url, Default::default(), true)
                 .await
                 .context("error downloading Node binary tarball")?;
diff --git a/crates/zed/src/main.rs b/crates/zed/src/main.rs
index b9fefb89a7..e44ab3e33a 100644
--- a/crates/zed/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/zed/src/main.rs
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ fn main() {
         languages.set_executor(cx.background().clone());
         languages.set_language_server_download_dir(paths::LANGUAGES_DIR.clone());
         let languages = Arc::new(languages);
-        let node_runtime = NodeRuntime::instance(http.clone(), cx.background().to_owned());
+        let node_runtime = NodeRuntime::instance(http.clone());
 
         languages::init(languages.clone(), node_runtime.clone());
         let user_store = cx.add_model(|cx| UserStore::new(client.clone(), http.clone(), cx));
diff --git a/crates/zed/src/zed.rs b/crates/zed/src/zed.rs
index a29567ac38..4b0bf1cd4c 100644
--- a/crates/zed/src/zed.rs
+++ b/crates/zed/src/zed.rs
@@ -2364,7 +2364,7 @@ mod tests {
         languages.set_executor(cx.background().clone());
         let languages = Arc::new(languages);
         let http = FakeHttpClient::with_404_response();
-        let node_runtime = NodeRuntime::instance(http, cx.background().to_owned());
+        let node_runtime = NodeRuntime::instance(http);
         languages::init(languages.clone(), node_runtime);
         for name in languages.language_names() {
             languages.language_for_name(&name);