diff --git a/.npmrc b/.npmrc
index 1dab4ed4c30209..aafab1669bf724 100644
--- a/.npmrc
+++ b/.npmrc
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 save-exact = true
+engine-strict = true
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 0d9193762e851a..39decc8bde5cfd 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@
 	"bugs": {
 		"url": "https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues"
 	},
+	"engines": {
+		"node": ">=10.0.0",
+		"npm": ">=6.9.0"
+	},
 	"config": {
 		"GUTENBERG_PHASE": 2
 	},
@@ -199,7 +203,6 @@
 	},
 	"scripts": {
 		"analyze-bundles": "npm run build -- --webpack-bundle-analyzer",
-		"prebuild": "npm run check-engines",
 		"clean:packages": "rimraf \"./packages/*/@(build|build-module|build-style)\"",
 		"clean:package-types": "tsc --build --clean",
 		"prebuild:packages": "npm run clean:packages && lerna run build",
@@ -208,11 +211,9 @@
 		"build:plugin-zip": "./bin/build-plugin-zip.sh",
 		"build": "npm run build:packages && wp-scripts build",
 		"changelog": "./bin/plugin/cli.js changelog",
-		"check-engines": "wp-scripts check-engines",
 		"check-licenses": "concurrently \"wp-scripts check-licenses --prod --gpl2 --ignore=@react-native-community/cli,@react-native-community/cli-platform-ios\" \"wp-scripts check-licenses --dev\"",
 		"precheck-local-changes": "npm run docs:build",
 		"check-local-changes": "( git diff -U0 | xargs -0 node bin/process-git-diff ) || ( echo \"There are local uncommitted changes after one or both of 'npm install' or 'npm run docs:build'!\" && exit 1 );",
-		"predev": "npm run check-engines",
 		"dev": "npm run build:packages && concurrently \"wp-scripts start\" \"npm run dev:packages\"",
 		"dev:packages": "node ./bin/packages/watch.js",
 		"docs:build": "node ./docs/tool/index.js && node ./bin/api-docs/update-api-docs.js",