diff --git a/packer/provision/basebuild.sh b/packer/provision/basebuild.sh
index bf3038d..9f9d06b 100644
--- a/packer/provision/basebuild.sh
+++ b/packer/provision/basebuild.sh
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@
 }
 
 ubuntu_systems() {
+    DISTRO=$(lsb_release -cs)
+
     apt-get clean
 
     # get prereqs for PPA and apt-over-HTTPS support
@@ -80,6 +82,18 @@
     sudo apt-key add /tmp/k8s-apt-key.gpg
     echo "deb http://apt.kubernetes.io/ kubernetes-xenial main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/kubernetes.list
 
+    # set up NodeJS repo
+    sudo add-apt-repository -y -r ppa:chris-lea/node.js
+
+    cat << EOF | base64 -d > /tmp/nodejs-apt-key.gpg
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
+EOF
+
+    sudo apt-key add /tmp/nodejs-apt-key.gpg
+    NODE_VERSION=node_7.x
+    echo "deb https://deb.nodesource.com/$NODE_VERSION $DISTRO main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nodesource.list
+    echo "deb-src https://deb.nodesource.com/$NODE_VERSION $DISTRO main" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nodesource.list
+
     # update after adding apt repos to sources
     apt-get update
 
@@ -181,10 +195,6 @@
       go install -ldflags="-X main.version=v0.5.0" ./cmd/dep
     popd
 
-    # ubuntu 16.04 installs the node binary as /usr/bin/nodejs, which breaks
-    # tools that expect it to be named just `node`. Symlink it to fix
-    ln -s /usr/bin/nodejs /usr/local/bin/node
-
     # install repo
     REPO_SHA256SUM="394d93ac7261d59db58afa49bb5f88386fea8518792491ee3db8baab49c3ecda"
     curl -o /tmp/repo 'https://gerrit.opencord.org/gitweb?p=repo.git;a=blob_plain;f=repo;hb=refs/heads/stable'