diff --git a/bin/installbfa.sh b/bin/installbfa.sh
index 2ab7a0966621ff946ccf192f9ef936ba16a58d7a..8a59158d013893184dd53e6856d6be10f9cd675b 100755
--- a/bin/installbfa.sh
+++ b/bin/installbfa.sh
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ function    yesno
 function nodejs_pre
 {
     info nodejs
-    pkgs="$pkgs nodejs"
     # Nodejs software repository PGP key
     if [ `apt-key export ${NODEJSPGP} 2>&1 | wc -l` -le 50 ]
     then
@@ -65,6 +64,7 @@ function nodejs_pre
         info And now updating the software package list.
         apt update
     fi
+    aptinstall nodejs npm
 }
 
 function nodejs_post
@@ -154,14 +154,12 @@ function geth_post
 
 function aptinstall
 {
-    local inst=
-    for pkg in $pkgs
+    for pkg in $*
     do
+        # consider apt install --install-suggests if you are masochist
         dpkg --verify $pkg 2>/dev/null ||
-            inst="$inst $pkg"
-    done
-    test -n "$inst"     &&
-        apt --install-suggests -y install $inst || true
+        info Installing $pkg &&
+        apt -y install $pkg
 }
 
 function usersetup
@@ -215,9 +213,8 @@ function welcome
 
 
 # development tools
-pkgs="$pkgs curl build-essential git"
+aptinstall dirmngr apt-transport-https curl git curl build-essential
 nodejs_pre
-aptinstall
 usersetup
 nodejs_post
 golang_pre