diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 6cbf8b1b..24245a3c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: denoland/setup-deno@v2   # using ourself to install deno could compromise the tests
         with:
           deno-version: ^2.1.6
-      - run: deno task cache --frozen
+      - run: deno install --frozen
       - run: deno task test --coverage=cov_profile --no-check
       - run: deno coverage cov_profile --lcov --exclude=tests/ --output=cov_profile.lcov
       - uses: coverallsapp/github-action@v2
diff --git a/deno.jsonc b/deno.jsonc
index 67c63582..8fe70edb 100644
--- a/deno.jsonc
+++ b/deno.jsonc
@@ -15,8 +15,7 @@
     //--------------------------------------- ci/cd/admin
     "coverage": "scripts/run-coverage.sh",
     "typecheck": "deno check ./entrypoint.ts",
-    "compile": "deno compile --lock=deno.lock --allow-all --output \"$INIT_CWD/pkgx\" ./entrypoint.ts",
-    "cache": "deno cache ./entrypoint.ts src/**/*.test.ts"
+    "compile": "deno compile --lock=deno.lock --allow-all --output \"$INIT_CWD/pkgx\" ./entrypoint.ts"
   },
   "pkgx": "deno^2.1.6",
   "lint": {
@@ -37,6 +36,9 @@
     "is-what": "https://deno.land/x/is_what@v4.1.15/src/index.ts",
     "outdent": "jsr:@cspotcode/outdent@^0.8",
     "pkgx": "https://deno.land/x/libpkgx@v0.20.3/mod.ts",
-    "pkgx/": "https://deno.land/x/libpkgx@v0.20.3/src/"
+    "pkgx/": "https://deno.land/x/libpkgx@v0.20.3/src/",
+    // test dependencies
+    "faker": "npm:@faker-js/faker@^9.4.0",
+    "npm:@types/node@*": "npm:@types/node@*" // gets downloaded implictly when running tests
   }
 }
diff --git a/deno.lock b/deno.lock
index 512a27ec..8e220306 100644
--- a/deno.lock
+++ b/deno.lock
@@ -6,14 +6,19 @@
     "jsr:@cspotcode/outdent@0.8": "0.8.0",
     "jsr:@std/assert@^1.0.10": "1.0.10",
     "jsr:@std/assert@^1.0.6": "1.0.10",
+    "jsr:@std/async@^1.0.9": "1.0.9",
     "jsr:@std/bytes@^1.0.2": "1.0.4",
     "jsr:@std/crypto@1": "1.0.3",
+    "jsr:@std/data-structures@^1.0.6": "1.0.6",
     "jsr:@std/encoding@1": "1.0.6",
     "jsr:@std/encoding@~1.0.5": "1.0.6",
     "jsr:@std/fmt@^1.0.2": "1.0.4",
+    "jsr:@std/fmt@~1.0.2": "1.0.4",
     "jsr:@std/fs@1": "1.0.9",
+    "jsr:@std/fs@^1.0.9": "1.0.9",
     "jsr:@std/internal@^1.0.5": "1.0.5",
     "jsr:@std/io@0.225": "0.225.0",
+    "jsr:@std/io@~0.224.9": "0.224.9",
     "jsr:@std/json@1": "1.0.1",
     "jsr:@std/jsonc@^1.0.1": "1.0.1",
     "jsr:@std/path@1": "1.0.8",
@@ -22,7 +27,7 @@
     "jsr:@std/testing@^1.0.3": "1.0.9",
     "jsr:@std/yaml@1": "1.0.5",
     "jsr:@std/yaml@^1.0.5": "1.0.5",
-    "npm:@faker-js/faker@*": "9.4.0",
+    "npm:@faker-js/faker@^9.4.0": "9.4.0",
     "npm:@types/node@*": "22.5.4"
   },
   "jsr": {
@@ -30,7 +35,9 @@
       "integrity": "f71c921cce224c13d322e5cedba4f38e8f7354c7d855c9cb22729362a53f25aa",
       "dependencies": [
         "jsr:@cliffy/internal",
-        "jsr:@std/encoding@~1.0.5"
+        "jsr:@std/encoding@~1.0.5",
+        "jsr:@std/fmt@~1.0.2",
+        "jsr:@std/io@~0.224.9"
       ]
     },
     "@cliffy/internal@1.0.0-rc.7": {
@@ -45,12 +52,18 @@
         "jsr:@std/internal"
       ]
     },
+    "@std/async@1.0.9": {
+      "integrity": "c6472fd0623b3f3daae023cdf7ca5535e1b721dfbf376562c0c12b3fb4867f91"
+    },
     "@std/bytes@1.0.4": {
       "integrity": "11a0debe522707c95c7b7ef89b478c13fb1583a7cfb9a85674cd2cc2e3a28abc"
     },
     "@std/crypto@1.0.3": {
       "integrity": "a2a32f51ddef632d299e3879cd027c630dcd4d1d9a5285d6e6788072f4e51e7f"
     },
+    "@std/data-structures@1.0.6": {
+      "integrity": "76a7fd8080c66604c0496220a791860492ab21a04a63a969c0b9a0609bbbb760"
+    },
     "@std/encoding@1.0.6": {
       "integrity": "ca87122c196e8831737d9547acf001766618e78cd8c33920776c7f5885546069"
     },
@@ -66,6 +79,9 @@
     "@std/internal@1.0.5": {
       "integrity": "54a546004f769c1ac9e025abd15a76b6671ddc9687e2313b67376125650dc7ba"
     },
+    "@std/io@0.224.9": {
+      "integrity": "4414664b6926f665102e73c969cfda06d2c4c59bd5d0c603fd4f1b1c840d6ee3"
+    },
     "@std/io@0.225.0": {
       "integrity": "c1db7c5e5a231629b32d64b9a53139445b2ca640d828c26bf23e1c55f8c079b3",
       "dependencies": [
@@ -88,7 +104,11 @@
       "integrity": "9bdd4ac07cb13e7594ac30e90f6ceef7254ac83a9aeaa089be0008f33aab5cd4",
       "dependencies": [
         "jsr:@std/assert@^1.0.10",
-        "jsr:@std/internal"
+        "jsr:@std/async",
+        "jsr:@std/data-structures",
+        "jsr:@std/fs@^1.0.9",
+        "jsr:@std/internal",
+        "jsr:@std/path@^1.0.8"
       ]
     },
     "@std/yaml@1.0.5": {
@@ -160,7 +180,9 @@
       "jsr:@std/jsonc@^1.0.1",
       "jsr:@std/path@^1.0.6",
       "jsr:@std/testing@^1.0.3",
-      "jsr:@std/yaml@^1.0.5"
+      "jsr:@std/yaml@^1.0.5",
+      "npm:@faker-js/faker@^9.4.0",
+      "npm:@types/node@*"
     ]
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/utils/test-utils.ts b/src/utils/test-utils.ts
index 7ab11065..44752cd9 100644
--- a/src/utils/test-utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils/test-utils.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { Logger } from "../prefab/install.ts"
-import { faker } from "npm:@faker-js/faker"
+import { faker } from "faker"
 import { Path } from "pkgx"
 
 export default faker