diff --git a/.github/workflows/changelog.yml b/.github/workflows/changelog.yml
index 847cc2903c0..e6d4225e673 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/changelog.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/changelog.yml
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ concurrency:
 
 permissions: read-all
 
+env:
+  # renovate: datasource=github-releases depName=tcort/markdown-link-check
+  MD_LINK_CHECK_VERSION: "3.12.2"
+
 jobs:
   changelog:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -78,7 +82,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Render .chloggen changelog entries
         run: make chlog-preview > changelog_preview.md
       - name: Install markdown-link-check
-        run: npm ci
+        run: npm install -g markdown-link-check@${{ env.MD_LINK_CHECK_VERSION }}
       - name: Run markdown-link-check
         run: |
           npx --no -- markdown-link-check \
diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-links.yaml b/.github/workflows/check-links.yaml
index 5454b93ba6a..7fbda8f515e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/check-links.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-links.yaml
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ concurrency:
 
 permissions: read-all
 
+env:
+  # renovate: datasource=github-releases depName=tcort/markdown-link-check
+  MD_LINK_CHECK_VERSION: "3.12.2"
+
 jobs:
   changedfiles:
     name: changed files
@@ -46,7 +50,7 @@ jobs:
           fetch-depth: 0
 
       - name: Install markdown-link-check
-        run: npm ci
+        run: npm install -g markdown-link-check@${{ env.MD_LINK_CHECK_VERSION }}
 
       - name: Run markdown-link-check
         run: |
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 291501d325e..00000000000
--- a/package.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "devDependencies": {
-    "markdown-link-check": "3.12.2"
-  }
-}