diff --git a/repo2docker/buildpacks/conda/__init__.py b/repo2docker/buildpacks/conda/__init__.py
index 7271e602..7d14931d 100644
--- a/repo2docker/buildpacks/conda/__init__.py
+++ b/repo2docker/buildpacks/conda/__init__.py
@@ -96,12 +96,6 @@ class CondaBuildPack(BaseImage):
                 chown -R ${NB_USER}:${NB_USER} ${NPM_DIR}
                 """,
             ),
-            (
-                "${NB_USER}",
-                r"""
-                ${NB_PYTHON_PREFIX}/bin/npm config --global set prefix ${NPM_DIR}
-                """,
-            ),
         ]
 
     major_pythons = {"2": "2.7", "3": "3.7"}
diff --git a/repo2docker/buildpacks/conda/install-miniforge.bash b/repo2docker/buildpacks/conda/install-miniforge.bash
index 5d3c5d9b..3612099b 100755
--- a/repo2docker/buildpacks/conda/install-miniforge.bash
+++ b/repo2docker/buildpacks/conda/install-miniforge.bash
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ echo "installing notebook env:"
 cat /tmp/environment.yml
 time mamba env create -p ${NB_PYTHON_PREFIX} -f /tmp/environment.yml
 
+# Set NPM config
+${NB_PYTHON_PREFIX}/bin/npm config --global set prefix ${NPM_DIR}
+
 # empty conda history file,
 # which seems to result in some effective pinning of packages in the initial env,
 # which we don't intend.