diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index fb4a43bfed7864..9c9aa320963c8e 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1244,11 +1244,18 @@ pkg-upload: pkg
 	ssh $(STAGINGSERVER) "rclone copyto nodejs/$(DISTTYPEDIR)/$(FULLVERSION)/$(TARNAME).pkg $(CLOUDFLARE_BUCKET)/nodejs/$(DISTTYPEDIR)/$(FULLVERSION)/$(TARNAME).pkg"
 	ssh $(STAGINGSERVER) "touch nodejs/$(DISTTYPEDIR)/$(FULLVERSION)/$(TARNAME).pkg.done"
 
-$(TARBALL): release-only doc-only
+TARBALL_DEPS=release-only
+ifneq ($(SKIP_SHARED_DEPS), 1)
+TARBALL_DEPS+= doc-only
+endif
+
+$(TARBALL): $(TARBALL_DEPS)
 	git checkout-index -a -f --prefix=$(TARNAME)/
+ifneq ($(SKIP_SHARED_DEPS), 1)
 	mkdir -p $(TARNAME)/doc/api
 	cp doc/node.1 $(TARNAME)/doc/node.1
 	cp -r out/doc/api/* $(TARNAME)/doc/api/
+endif
 	sed 's/fileset = fileset.intersection (fileset.gitTracked root)/fileset =/' tools/nix/v8.nix > $(TARNAME)/tools/nix/v8.nix 
 	$(RM) -r $(TARNAME)/.editorconfig
 	$(RM) -r $(TARNAME)/.git*
@@ -1290,7 +1297,6 @@ endif
 	$(RM) -r $(TARNAME)/deps/v8/samples
 	$(RM) -r $(TARNAME)/deps/v8/tools/profviz
 	$(RM) -r $(TARNAME)/deps/v8/tools/run-tests.py
-	$(RM) -r $(TARNAME)/doc/images # too big
 	$(RM) -r $(TARNAME)/test*.tap
 	$(RM) -r $(TARNAME)/tools/cpplint.py
 	$(RM) -r $(TARNAME)/tools/eslint