diff --git a/template/Makefile b/template/Makefile
index 0d5939c..b6b3f03 100644
--- a/template/Makefile
+++ b/template/Makefile
@@ -120,9 +120,9 @@ compile-frontend: frontend/package.json ## compile latest frontend dependencies
 
 init-frontend-dependencies: ## compile initial frontend dependencies to be built into the docker image
 	@docker run --rm --user $(shell id -u):$(shell id -g) -w "/app" -v $(shell pwd)/frontend:/app -e npm_config_cache=/tmp/.npm node:lts /bin/bash -c \
-		"xargs npm install < dependencies-init.txt"
+		"xargs -n 5 npm install < dependencies-init.txt"
 	@docker run --rm --user $(shell id -u):$(shell id -g) -w "/app" -v $(shell pwd)/frontend:/app -e npm_config_cache=/tmp/.npm node:lts /bin/bash -c \
-		"xargs npm install --save-dev < dependencies-dev-init.txt"
+		"xargs -n 5 npm install --save-dev < dependencies-dev-init.txt"
 
 shell-backend:  ## Shell into the running Django container
 	$(KUBECTL_EXEC_BACKEND)