diff --git a/synthtool/languages/node.py b/synthtool/languages/node.py
index 9f8da9f87..b928d32b8 100644
--- a/synthtool/languages/node.py
+++ b/synthtool/languages/node.py
@@ -212,7 +212,8 @@ def fix(hide_output=False):
     logger.debug("Running fix...")
     shell.run(["npm", "run", "fix"], hide_output=hide_output)
 
-
+#TODO: delete these functions if it turns out we no longer
+#need them to be hermetic.
 def fix_hermetic(hide_output=False):
     """
     Fixes the formatting in the current Node.js library. It assumes that gts
@@ -220,13 +221,13 @@ def fix_hermetic(hide_output=False):
     """
     logger.debug("Copy eslint config")
     shell.run(
-        ["cp", "-r", "node_modules", "."],
+        ["cp", "-r", "/node_modules", "."],
         check=True,
         hide_output=hide_output,
     )
     logger.debug("Running fix...")
     shell.run(
-        ["node_modules/.bin/gts", "fix"],
+        ["/node_modules/.bin/gts", "fix"],
         check=False,
         hide_output=hide_output,
     )
@@ -240,7 +241,8 @@ def compile_protos(hide_output=False):
     logger.debug("Compiling protos...")
     shell.run(["npx", "compileProtos", "src"], hide_output=hide_output)
 
-
+#TODO: delete these functions if it turns out we no longer
+#need them to be hermetic.
 def compile_protos_hermetic(hide_output=False):
     """
     Compiles protos into .json, .js, and .d.ts files using
@@ -249,7 +251,7 @@ def compile_protos_hermetic(hide_output=False):
     """
     logger.debug("Compiling protos...")
     shell.run(
-        ["node_modules/.bin/compileProtos", "src"],
+        ["/node_modules/.bin/compileProtos", "src"],
         check=True,
         hide_output=hide_output,
     )
@@ -265,8 +267,8 @@ def postprocess_gapic_library(hide_output=False):
 
 def postprocess_gapic_library_hermetic(hide_output=False):
     logger.debug("Post-processing GAPIC library...")
-    fix_hermetic(hide_output=hide_output)
-    compile_protos_hermetic(hide_output=hide_output)
+    fix(hide_output=hide_output)
+    compile_protos(hide_output=hide_output)
     logger.debug("Post-processing completed")