diff --git a/packages/cli/src/environment.js b/packages/cli/src/environment.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a42eceb07e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/environment.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+process.env.NO_JS = "1"
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/index.js b/packages/cli/src/index.js
index 0a3ced4200..691fc71928 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/index.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env node
 require("./prebuilds")
+require("./environment")
 const { getCommands } = require("./options")
 const { Command } = require("commander")
 const { getHelpDescription } = require("./utils")
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/prebuilds.js b/packages/cli/src/prebuilds.js
index b8f380a937..b582b090e7 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/prebuilds.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/prebuilds.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 const os = require("os")
 const { join } = require("path")
 const fs = require("fs")
+const { error } = require("./utils")
 const PREBUILDS = "prebuilds"
 const ARCH = `${os.platform()}-${os.arch()}`
 const PREBUILD_DIR = join(process.execPath, "..", PREBUILDS, ARCH)
@@ -25,7 +26,15 @@ function checkForBinaries() {
   }
 }
 
-function cleanup() {
+function cleanup(evt) {
+  if (evt && evt.errno) {
+    console.error(
+      error(
+        "Failed to run CLI command - please report with the following message:"
+      )
+    )
+    console.error(error(evt))
+  }
   if (fs.existsSync(PREBUILD_DIR)) {
     fs.rmSync(PREBUILD_DIR, { recursive: true })
   }
diff --git a/packages/string-templates/src/helpers/javascript.js b/packages/string-templates/src/helpers/javascript.js
index 951a9f534a..c5996c25f0 100644
--- a/packages/string-templates/src/helpers/javascript.js
+++ b/packages/string-templates/src/helpers/javascript.js
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ const getContextValue = (path, context) => {
 
 // Evaluates JS code against a certain context
 module.exports.processJS = (handlebars, context) => {
+  if (process && process.env.NO_JS) {
+    throw new Error("JS disabled in environment.")
+  }
   try {
     // Wrap JS in a function and immediately invoke it.
     // This is required to allow the final `return` statement to be valid.
diff --git a/packages/string-templates/src/index.cjs b/packages/string-templates/src/index.cjs
index 870e14493a..12fd86b6cb 100644
--- a/packages/string-templates/src/index.cjs
+++ b/packages/string-templates/src/index.cjs
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-const { VM } = require("vm2")
 const templates = require("./index.js")
-const { setJSRunner } = require("./helpers/javascript")
 
 /**
  * CJS entrypoint for rollup
@@ -21,13 +19,17 @@ module.exports.disableEscaping = templates.disableEscaping
 module.exports.findHBSBlocks = templates.findHBSBlocks
 module.exports.convertToJS = templates.convertToJS
 
-/**
- * Use vm2 to run JS scripts in a node env
- */
-setJSRunner((js, context) => {
-  const vm = new VM({
-    sandbox: context,
-    timeout: 1000
+if (!process.env.NO_JS) {
+  const { VM } = require("vm2")
+  const { setJSRunner } = require("./helpers/javascript")
+  /**
+   * Use vm2 to run JS scripts in a node env
+   */
+  setJSRunner((js, context) => {
+    const vm = new VM({
+      sandbox: context,
+      timeout: 1000
+    })
+    return vm.run(js)
   })
-  return vm.run(js)
-})
+}
diff --git a/packages/string-templates/src/index.mjs b/packages/string-templates/src/index.mjs
index 34cb90ea34..58b0c9dde4 100644
--- a/packages/string-templates/src/index.mjs
+++ b/packages/string-templates/src/index.mjs
@@ -21,16 +21,18 @@ export const disableEscaping = templates.disableEscaping
 export const findHBSBlocks = templates.findHBSBlocks
 export const convertToJS = templates.convertToJS
 
-/**
- * Use polyfilled vm to run JS scripts in a browser Env
- */
-setJSRunner((js, context) => {
-  context = {
-    ...context,
-    alert: undefined,
-    setInterval: undefined,
-    setTimeout: undefined,
-  }
-  vm.createContext(context)
-  return vm.runInNewContext(js, context, { timeout: 1000 })
-})
+if (process && !process.env.NO_JS) {
+  /**
+   * Use polyfilled vm to run JS scripts in a browser Env
+   */
+  setJSRunner((js, context) => {
+    context = {
+      ...context,
+      alert: undefined,
+      setInterval: undefined,
+      setTimeout: undefined,
+    }
+    vm.createContext(context)
+    return vm.runInNewContext(js, context, { timeout: 1000 })
+  })
+}