diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 744437e79f..8e03a180b9 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -90,12 +90,16 @@ mock:
 	mockgen -source=pkg/handlers/interface.go -destination=pkg/handlers/mock/mock.go
 	mockgen -source=pkg/operator/client/client_interface.go -destination=pkg/operator/client/mock/mock.go
 
+.PHONY: dev-deps
+dev-deps:
+	@dev/scripts/dev-deps.sh
+
 .PHONY: dev
-dev:
+dev: dev-deps
 	@dev/scripts/dev.sh
 
 .PHONY: %-up
-%-up:
+%-up: dev-deps
 	@dev/scripts/up.sh $*
 
 .PHONY: %-down
@@ -103,7 +107,7 @@ dev:
 	@dev/scripts/down.sh $*
 
 .PHONY: %-up-ec
-%-up-ec:
+%-up-ec: dev-deps
 	@dev/scripts/up-ec.sh $*
 
 .PHONY: %-down-ec
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1fcfae0d99..33a5da6a72 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ cosign verify-blob --key sbom/key.pub --signature sbom/kots-sbom.tgz.sig sbom/ko
 
 - MacOS
 - Docker Desktop with Kubernetes enabled
-- jq
+- Homebrew
 
 ### Running the Development Environment
 
diff --git a/dev/patches/kotsadm-up.yaml b/dev/patches/kotsadm-up.yaml
index ea0958a1e7..167c7c417e 100644
--- a/dev/patches/kotsadm-up.yaml
+++ b/dev/patches/kotsadm-up.yaml
@@ -4,8 +4,19 @@ spec:
       volumes:
       - name: dev
         hostPath:
-          path: __PROJECT_DIR__
+          path: {{ .Env.PROJECT_DIR }}
           type: Directory
+{{- if .Env.EC_NODE  }}
+      affinity:
+        nodeAffinity:
+          requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution:
+            nodeSelectorTerms:
+            - matchExpressions:
+              - key: kubernetes.io/hostname
+                operator: In
+                values:
+                - {{ .Env.EC_NODE }}
+{{- end  }}
       containers:
       - name: kotsadm
         image: kotsadm-api-dev
diff --git a/dev/patches/kotsadm-web-up.yaml b/dev/patches/kotsadm-web-up.yaml
index 0595d2f135..b1c28eb971 100644
--- a/dev/patches/kotsadm-web-up.yaml
+++ b/dev/patches/kotsadm-web-up.yaml
@@ -1,14 +1,25 @@
 spec:
   template:
     spec:
+{{- if .Env.EC_NODE  }}
+      affinity:
+        nodeAffinity:
+          requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution:
+            nodeSelectorTerms:
+            - matchExpressions:
+              - key: kubernetes.io/hostname
+                operator: In
+                values:
+                - {{ .Env.EC_NODE }}
+{{- end  }}
       volumes:
       - name: dev
         hostPath:
-          path: __PROJECT_DIR__/web
+          path: {{ .Env.PROJECT_DIR }}/web
           type: Directory
       - name: yarncache
         hostPath:
-          path: __PROJECT_DIR__/dev/.yarncache
+          path: {{ .Env.PROJECT_DIR }}/dev/.yarncache
           type: Directory
       containers:
       - name: kotsadm-web
diff --git a/dev/patches/kurl-proxy-up.yaml b/dev/patches/kurl-proxy-up.yaml
index c924d4fb0c..1d2bd1659a 100644
--- a/dev/patches/kurl-proxy-up.yaml
+++ b/dev/patches/kurl-proxy-up.yaml
@@ -4,12 +4,23 @@ spec:
       volumes:
       - name: dev
         hostPath:
-          path: __PROJECT_DIR__
+          path: {{ .Env.PROJECT_DIR }}
           type: Directory
       - name: assets
         hostPath:
-          path: __PROJECT_DIR__/kurl_proxy/assets
+          path: {{ .Env.PROJECT_DIR }}/kurl_proxy/assets
           type: Directory
+{{- if .Env.EC_NODE  }}
+      affinity:
+        nodeAffinity:
+          requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution:
+            nodeSelectorTerms:
+            - matchExpressions:
+              - key: kubernetes.io/hostname
+                operator: In
+                values:
+                - {{ .Env.EC_NODE }}
+{{- end  }}
       containers:
       - name: proxy
         image: kurl-proxy-dev
diff --git a/dev/scripts/common.sh b/dev/scripts/common.sh
index 700790fb1d..77649b2fe3 100644
--- a/dev/scripts/common.sh
+++ b/dev/scripts/common.sh
@@ -68,12 +68,12 @@ function restart() {
 # the mounted directories from the macOS host filesystem into the Docker Desktop VM.
 # This is required for using HostPath volumes in Kubernetes.
 function render() {
-  sed "s|__PROJECT_DIR__|/host_mnt$(pwd)|g" "$1"
+  PROJECT_DIR="/host_mnt$(pwd)" gomplate --missing-key zero -f "$1"
 }
 
 # The embedded-cluster container mounts the KOTS project at /replicatedhq/kots
 function ec_render() {
-  sed "s|__PROJECT_DIR__|/replicatedhq/kots|g" "$1"
+  EC_NODE=$(ec_node) PROJECT_DIR="/replicatedhq/kots" gomplate --missing-key zero -f "$1"
 }
 
 # Get the embedded cluster node name
diff --git a/dev/scripts/dev-deps.sh b/dev/scripts/dev-deps.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..2a66c83ad4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev/scripts/dev-deps.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+
+function is_not_in_path() {
+  if ! command -v "$1" > /dev/null; then
+    echo "$1 is not installed"
+    return 0
+  fi
+  return 1
+}
+
+function check_gomplate() {
+  if is_not_in_path gomplate; then
+    echo "gomplate is not installed. Installing it now."
+    go install github.com/hairyhenderson/gomplate/v4/cmd/gomplate@latest
+  fi
+}
+
+function check_jq() {
+  if is_not_in_path jq; then
+    echo "jq is not installed. Attempting to install it using brew."
+    if is_not_in_path brew; then
+      echo "brew is not installed. Please install jq manually."
+      return
+    fi
+    brew install jq
+  fi
+}
+
+check_gomplate
+check_jq