diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 7287ff99c..81d31eafb 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ GEM
     base64 (0.1.1)
     bigdecimal (3.1.4)
     builder (3.2.4)
+    climate_control (1.2.0)
     concurrent-ruby (1.2.2)
     connection_pool (2.4.1)
     crass (1.0.6)
@@ -234,6 +235,7 @@ PLATFORMS
   x86_64-linux
 
 DEPENDENCIES
+  climate_control
   mocha
   puma
   sqlite3
diff --git a/lib/generators/suspenders/install/web_generator.rb b/lib/generators/suspenders/install/web_generator.rb
index 0b5172272..c6e08f23e 100644
--- a/lib/generators/suspenders/install/web_generator.rb
+++ b/lib/generators/suspenders/install/web_generator.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ module Install
       class WebGenerator < Rails::Generators::Base
         include Suspenders::Generators::APIAppUnsupported
         include Suspenders::Generators::DatabaseUnsupported
+        include Suspenders::Generators::NodeNotInstalled
 
         source_root File.expand_path("../../../templates/install/web", __FILE__)
         desc <<~MARKDOWN
diff --git a/lib/generators/suspenders/prerequisites_generator.rb b/lib/generators/suspenders/prerequisites_generator.rb
index e96fb1d21..91f1ca6e0 100644
--- a/lib/generators/suspenders/prerequisites_generator.rb
+++ b/lib/generators/suspenders/prerequisites_generator.rb
@@ -1,13 +1,16 @@
 module Suspenders
   module Generators
     class PrerequisitesGenerator < Rails::Generators::Base
+      include Suspenders::Generators::Helpers
+      include Suspenders::Generators::NodeNotInstalled
+
       source_root File.expand_path("../../templates/prerequisites", __FILE__)
 
       desc <<~MARKDOWN
         Creates `.node-version` file set to the current LTS version.
       MARKDOWN
 
-      def node_version
+      def set_node_version
         template "node-version", ".node-version"
       end
     end
diff --git a/lib/generators/templates/prerequisites/node-version.tt b/lib/generators/templates/prerequisites/node-version.tt
index 934c88064..e31b5f423 100644
--- a/lib/generators/templates/prerequisites/node-version.tt
+++ b/lib/generators/templates/prerequisites/node-version.tt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-<%= Suspenders::NODE_LTS_VERSION %>
+<%= node_version %>
diff --git a/lib/suspenders/cleanup/generate_readme.rb b/lib/suspenders/cleanup/generate_readme.rb
index d6de5fee7..13ae6e04e 100644
--- a/lib/suspenders/cleanup/generate_readme.rb
+++ b/lib/suspenders/cleanup/generate_readme.rb
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 module Suspenders
   module Cleanup
     class GenerateReadme
+      include Suspenders::Generators::Helpers
+
       def self.perform(readme, app_name)
         new(readme, app_name).perform
       end
@@ -153,7 +155,7 @@ def prerequisites
 
         @file.write <<~MARKDOWN
           Ruby: `#{Suspenders::MINIMUM_RUBY_VERSION}`
-          Node: `#{Suspenders::NODE_LTS_VERSION}`
+          Node: `#{node_version}`
         MARKDOWN
 
         new_line
diff --git a/lib/suspenders/generators.rb b/lib/suspenders/generators.rb
index 6343f75ff..1588d42e8 100644
--- a/lib/suspenders/generators.rb
+++ b/lib/suspenders/generators.rb
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ def default_test_helper_present?
       def rspec_test_helper_present?
         File.exist? Rails.root.join("spec/rails_helper.rb")
       end
+
+      def node_version
+        ENV["NODE_VERSION"] || `node --version`[/\d+\.\d+\.\d+/]
+      end
     end
 
     module APIAppUnsupported
@@ -46,6 +50,8 @@ def api_only_app?
     end
 
     module DatabaseUnsupported
+      include Helpers
+
       class Error < StandardError
         def message
           "This generator requires PostgreSQL"
@@ -72,5 +78,26 @@ def database_unsupported?
         end
       end
     end
+
+    module NodeNotInstalled
+      class Error < StandardError
+      end
+
+      extend ActiveSupport::Concern
+
+      included do
+        def raise_if_node_not_installed
+          if node_not_installed?
+            raise Suspenders::Generators::NodeNotInstalled::Error
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
+      private
+
+      def node_not_installed?
+        !node_version.present?
+      end
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/suspenders/version.rb b/lib/suspenders/version.rb
index bad1e5174..8f46d901c 100644
--- a/lib/suspenders/version.rb
+++ b/lib/suspenders/version.rb
@@ -2,5 +2,4 @@ module Suspenders
   VERSION = "3.0.0".freeze
   RAILS_VERSION = "~> 7.0".freeze
   MINIMUM_RUBY_VERSION = ">= 3.1".freeze
-  NODE_LTS_VERSION = "20.11.1".freeze
 end
diff --git a/suspenders.gemspec b/suspenders.gemspec
index c0588195f..c6fc589fa 100644
--- a/suspenders.gemspec
+++ b/suspenders.gemspec
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
 
   spec.add_dependency "rails", Suspenders::RAILS_VERSION
 
+  spec.add_development_dependency "climate_control"
   spec.add_development_dependency "mocha"
   spec.add_development_dependency "standard"
 end
diff --git a/test/generators/suspenders/install/web_generator_test.rb b/test/generators/suspenders/install/web_generator_test.rb
index 5c7ff4be1..b5c777448 100644
--- a/test/generators/suspenders/install/web_generator_test.rb
+++ b/test/generators/suspenders/install/web_generator_test.rb
@@ -28,6 +28,16 @@ class WebGeneratorTest < Rails::Generators::TestCase
           end
         end
 
+        test "raises if Node is not installed" do
+          Object.any_instance.stubs(:`).returns("")
+
+          with_database "postgresql" do
+            assert_raises Suspenders::Generators::NodeNotInstalled::Error do
+              run_generator
+            end
+          end
+        end
+
         private
 
         def prepare_destination
diff --git a/test/generators/suspenders/prerequisites_generator_test.rb b/test/generators/suspenders/prerequisites_generator_test.rb
index 70d065dd5..99910867b 100644
--- a/test/generators/suspenders/prerequisites_generator_test.rb
+++ b/test/generators/suspenders/prerequisites_generator_test.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 require "test_helper"
+require "climate_control"
 require "generators/suspenders/prerequisites_generator"
 
 module Suspenders
@@ -10,14 +11,36 @@ class PrerequisitesGeneratorTest < Rails::Generators::TestCase
       destination Rails.root
       teardown :restore_destination
 
-      test "generates .node-version file" do
+      test "generates .node-version file (from ENV)" do
+        ClimateControl.modify NODE_VERSION: "1.2.3" do
+          run_generator
+
+          assert_file app_root(".node-version") do |file|
+            assert_match(/1\.2\.3/, file)
+          end
+        end
+      end
+
+      test "generates .node-version file (from system)" do
+        Object.any_instance.stubs(:`).returns("v1.2.3\n")
+
         run_generator
 
         assert_file app_root(".node-version") do |file|
-          assert_match(/20\.11\.1/, file)
+          assert_match(/1\.2\.3/, file)
         end
       end
 
+      test "raises if Node is not installed" do
+        Object.any_instance.stubs(:`).returns("")
+
+        assert_raises Suspenders::Generators::NodeNotInstalled::Error do
+          run_generator
+        end
+
+        assert_no_file app_root(".node-version")
+      end
+
       private
 
       def restore_destination
diff --git a/test/suspenders/cleanup/generate_readme_test.rb b/test/suspenders/cleanup/generate_readme_test.rb
index 1c54efeb6..1dc8899a8 100644
--- a/test/suspenders/cleanup/generate_readme_test.rb
+++ b/test/suspenders/cleanup/generate_readme_test.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ module Suspenders
   module Cleanup
     class GenerateReadmeTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
       test "generates README using generator descriptions" do
+        Object.any_instance.stubs(:`).returns("v1.2.3\n")
+
         Tempfile.create "README.md" do |readme|
           path = readme.path
 
@@ -18,7 +20,7 @@ class GenerateReadmeTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
           assert_match "## Prerequisites", readme
           assert_match Suspenders::MINIMUM_RUBY_VERSION, readme
-          assert_match Suspenders::NODE_LTS_VERSION, readme
+          assert_match "Node: `1.2.3`", readme
 
           assert_match "## Configuration", readme
           assert_match "### Test", readme
diff --git a/test/suspenders_test.rb b/test/suspenders_test.rb
index cf14b1478..948ef5022 100644
--- a/test/suspenders_test.rb
+++ b/test/suspenders_test.rb
@@ -12,8 +12,4 @@ class SuspendersTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   test "it has a Minimum Ruby version number" do
     assert Suspenders::MINIMUM_RUBY_VERSION
   end
-
-  test "it has a Node LTS version number" do
-    assert Suspenders::NODE_LTS_VERSION
-  end
 end