diff --git a/MODULE.bazel b/MODULE.bazel
index 9d66bbe5ae..495911fc28 100644
--- a/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/MODULE.bazel
@@ -71,9 +71,9 @@ bazel_dep(name = "tcmalloc", version = "0.0.0-20250927-12f2552")
 bazel_dep(name = "yaml-cpp", version = "0.9.0")
 bazel_dep(name = "zlib", version = "1.3.1.bcr.5")
 
-# JavaScript / web UI (src/web uses @npm for bundled assets)
-bazel_dep(name = "aspect_rules_js", version = "3.0.2")
-bazel_dep(name = "rules_nodejs", version = "6.7.3")
+# JavaScript / web UI — only used for JS unit tests in src/web/test
+bazel_dep(name = "aspect_rules_js", version = "3.0.2", dev_dependency = True)
+bazel_dep(name = "rules_nodejs", version = "6.7.3", dev_dependency = True)
 
 # A from source build of QT that allows it to link into OpenROAD.
 # Building like any other bazel project. scripts in the docker folder
@@ -171,17 +171,18 @@ use_repo(pip, "openroad-pip")
 node = use_extension(
     "@rules_nodejs//nodejs:extensions.bzl",
     "node",
+    dev_dependency = True,
 )
 node.toolchain(node_version = "22.14.0")
 
 npm = use_extension(
     "@aspect_rules_js//npm:extensions.bzl",
     "npm",
-    isolate = True,
+    dev_dependency = True,
 )
 npm.npm_translate_lock(
     name = "npm",
-    pnpm_lock = "//src/web:pnpm-lock.yaml",
+    pnpm_lock = "//src/web/test:pnpm-lock.yaml",
 )
 use_repo(npm, "npm")
 
diff --git a/MODULE.bazel.lock b/MODULE.bazel.lock
index e5387605fb..006d550152 100644
--- a/MODULE.bazel.lock
+++ b/MODULE.bazel.lock
@@ -1826,7 +1826,7 @@
     "@@rules_nodejs+//nodejs:extensions.bzl%node": {
       "general": {
         "bzlTransitiveDigest": "4pUxCNc22K4I+6+4Nxu52Hur12tFRfa1JMsN5mdDv60=",
-        "usagesDigest": "XgjGMMVhkRNv0fH22CXQccYVXE+qXDnSDWsfaLvKd4o=",
+        "usagesDigest": "2/WrxRCEcTRlp/R9YNdf2FCycgT32EsVVJqIe9crUIg=",
         "recordedFileInputs": {},
         "recordedDirentsInputs": {},
         "envVariables": {},
diff --git a/src/web/.gitignore b/src/web/.gitignore
index f5ed9f7c4f..8dbedfd910 100644
--- a/src/web/.gitignore
+++ b/src/web/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 *~
 test/results
+test/node_modules
 TAGS
-node_modules
diff --git a/src/web/BUILD b/src/web/BUILD
index b01fcc4b73..cda586fe27 100644
--- a/src/web/BUILD
+++ b/src/web/BUILD
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 # Copyright (c) 2026, The OpenROAD Authors
 
-load("@aspect_rules_js//js:defs.bzl", "js_library")
-load("@npm//:defs.bzl", "npm_link_all_packages")
 load("@rules_cc//cc:cc_library.bzl", "cc_library")
 load("//bazel:tcl_encode_or.bzl", "tcl_encode")
 load("//bazel:tcl_wrap_cc.bzl", "tcl_wrap_cc")
@@ -12,8 +10,6 @@ package(
     features = ["layering_check"],
 )
 
-npm_link_all_packages(name = "node_modules")
-
 cc_library(
     name = "web",
     srcs = [
@@ -92,6 +88,11 @@ tcl_encode(
     namespace = "web",
 )
 
+filegroup(
+    name = "js_files",
+    srcs = glob(["src/*.js"]),
+)
+
 tcl_wrap_cc(
     name = "swig",
     srcs = [
@@ -108,9 +109,3 @@ tcl_wrap_cc(
         "//src/odb:swig",
     ],
 )
-
-js_library(
-    name = "js_sources",
-    srcs = glob(["src/*.js"]),
-    visibility = ["//src/web:__subpackages__"],
-)
diff --git a/src/web/test/BUILD b/src/web/test/BUILD
index 7972d6f27d..ff0c92de54 100644
--- a/src/web/test/BUILD
+++ b/src/web/test/BUILD
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 load("@aspect_rules_js//js:defs.bzl", "js_test")
+load("@npm//:defs.bzl", "npm_link_all_packages")
 
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
 # Copyright (c) 2022-2026, The OpenROAD Authors
@@ -7,6 +8,8 @@ load("//test:regression.bzl", "regression_test")
 
 package(features = ["layering_check"])
 
+npm_link_all_packages(name = "node_modules")
+
 TESTS = [
 ]
 
@@ -33,86 +36,81 @@ filegroup(
     data = [":test_resources"],
 ) for test_name in TESTS]
 
+JS_FILES = ["//src/web:js_files"]
+
+DOM_TEST_DATA = [
+    "js/setup-dom.js",
+    ":node_modules/jsdom",
+] + JS_FILES
+
 js_test(
     name = "coordinates_test",
-    data = ["//src/web:js_sources"],
+    data = JS_FILES,
     entry_point = "js/test-coordinates.js",
-    no_copy_to_bin = ["//src/web:js_sources"],
+    no_copy_to_bin = JS_FILES,
 )
 
 js_test(
     name = "vis_tree_test",
-    data = [
-        "js/setup-dom.js",
-        "//src/web:js_sources",
-        "//src/web:node_modules/jsdom",
-    ],
+    data = DOM_TEST_DATA,
     entry_point = "js/test-vis-tree.js",
-    no_copy_to_bin = ["//src/web:js_sources"],
+    no_copy_to_bin = JS_FILES,
 )
 
 js_test(
     name = "websocket_manager_test",
-    data = ["//src/web:js_sources"],
+    data = JS_FILES,
     entry_point = "js/test-websocket-manager.js",
-    no_copy_to_bin = ["//src/web:js_sources"],
+    no_copy_to_bin = JS_FILES,
 )
 
 js_test(
     name = "checkbox_tree_model_test",
-    data = ["//src/web:js_sources"],
+    data = JS_FILES,
     entry_point = "js/test-checkbox-tree-model.js",
-    no_copy_to_bin = ["//src/web:js_sources"],
+    no_copy_to_bin = JS_FILES,
 )
 
 js_test(
     name = "display_controls_test",
-    data = ["//src/web:js_sources"],
+    data = JS_FILES,
     entry_point = "js/test-display-controls.js",
-    no_copy_to_bin = ["//src/web:js_sources"],
+    no_copy_to_bin = JS_FILES,
 )
 
 js_test(
     name = "clock_tree_widget_test",
-    data = ["//src/web:js_sources"],
+    data = JS_FILES,
     entry_point = "js/test-clock-tree-widget.js",
-    no_copy_to_bin = ["//src/web:js_sources"],
+    no_copy_to_bin = JS_FILES,
 )
 
 js_test(
     name = "charts_widget_test",
-    data = ["//src/web:js_sources"],
+    data = JS_FILES,
     entry_point = "js/test-charts-widget.js",
-    no_copy_to_bin = ["//src/web:js_sources"],
+    no_copy_to_bin = JS_FILES,
 )
 
 js_test(
     name = "inspector_test",
-    data = [
-        "js/setup-dom.js",
-        "//src/web:js_sources",
-        "//src/web:node_modules/jsdom",
-    ],
+    data = DOM_TEST_DATA,
     entry_point = "js/test-inspector.js",
-    no_copy_to_bin = ["//src/web:js_sources"],
+    no_copy_to_bin = JS_FILES,
 )
 
 js_test(
     name = "ruler_test",
-    data = ["//src/web:js_sources"],
+    data = JS_FILES,
     entry_point = "js/test-ruler.js",
-    no_copy_to_bin = ["//src/web:js_sources"],
+    no_copy_to_bin = JS_FILES,
 )
 
 js_test(
     name = "tcl_completer_test",
-    data = [
-        "js/setup-dom.js",
-        "//src/web:js_sources",
-        "//src/web:node_modules/jsdom",
-    ],
+    data = DOM_TEST_DATA,
     entry_point = "js/test-tcl-completer.js",
-    no_copy_to_bin = ["//src/web:js_sources"],
+    no_copy_to_bin = JS_FILES,
 )
 
 cc_test(
diff --git a/src/web/package.json b/src/web/test/package.json
similarity index 100%
rename from src/web/package.json
rename to src/web/test/package.json
diff --git a/src/web/pnpm-lock.yaml b/src/web/test/pnpm-lock.yaml
similarity index 100%
rename from src/web/pnpm-lock.yaml
rename to src/web/test/pnpm-lock.yaml