diff --git a/.nvmrc b/.nvmrc
deleted file mode 120000
index fdcf1c129..000000000
--- a/.nvmrc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-calypso/.nvmrc
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.nvmrc b/.nvmrc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d19159826
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.nvmrc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+10.16.3
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 5c3d51852..7427be34a 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ CURRENT_NODE_VERSION := $(shell node --version | sed -n 's/v\{0,1\}\(.*\)/\1/p')
 # Check that the current node & npm versions are the versions Calypso expects to ensure it is built safely.
 check-node-version-parity:
 ifneq ("$(CALYPSO_NODE_VERSION)", "$(CURRENT_NODE_VERSION)")
-	$(error Please ensure that wp-desktop is using NodeJS $(CALYPSO_NODE_VERSION) to match wp-calypso before continuing. 	Current NodeJS version: $(CURRENT_NODE_VERSION))
+	$(warning Please ensure that wp-desktop is using NodeJS $(CALYPSO_NODE_VERSION) to match wp-calypso before continuing. 	Current NodeJS version: $(CURRENT_NODE_VERSION))
 else 
 	@echo $(GREEN)$(CHECKMARK) Current NodeJS version is on par with Calypso \($(CALYPSO_NODE_VERSION)\) $(RESET)
 endif