diff --git a/.buildkite/scripts/bootstrap.sh b/.buildkite/scripts/bootstrap.sh
index 76e6352d7cee..dbba709d883d 100755
--- a/.buildkite/scripts/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/.buildkite/scripts/bootstrap.sh
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ if ! yarn kbn bootstrap; then
   rm -rf node_modules
 
   echo "--- yarn install and bootstrap, attempt 2"
-  yarn kbn bootstrap
+  yarn kbn bootstrap --force-install
 fi
 
 if [[ "$DISABLE_BOOTSTRAP_VALIDATION" != "true" ]]; then
diff --git a/packages/kbn-pm/dist/index.js b/packages/kbn-pm/dist/index.js
index f836dff911c9..4ff6cedfbc09 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-pm/dist/index.js
+++ b/packages/kbn-pm/dist/index.js
@@ -8910,10 +8910,9 @@ const BootstrapCommand = {
     const kibanaProjectPath = ((_projects$get = projects.get('kibana')) === null || _projects$get === void 0 ? void 0 : _projects$get.path) || '';
     const runOffline = (options === null || options === void 0 ? void 0 : options.offline) === true;
     const reporter = _kbn_dev_utils_ci_stats_reporter__WEBPACK_IMPORTED_MODULE_1__["CiStatsReporter"].fromEnv(_utils_log__WEBPACK_IMPORTED_MODULE_2__["log"]);
-    const timings = []; // Force install is set in case a flag is passed into yarn kbn bootstrap or if the `.yarn-integrity`
-    // file is not found which will be indicated by the return of yarnIntegrityFileExists.
+    const timings = []; // Force install is set in case a flag is passed into yarn kbn bootstrap
 
-    const forceInstall = !!options && options['force-install'] === true || !(await Object(_utils_bazel__WEBPACK_IMPORTED_MODULE_9__["yarnIntegrityFileExists"])(Object(path__WEBPACK_IMPORTED_MODULE_0__["resolve"])(kibanaProjectPath, 'node_modules'))); // Install bazel machinery tools if needed
+    const forceInstall = !!options && options['force-install'] === true; // Install bazel machinery tools if needed
 
     await Object(_utils_bazel__WEBPACK_IMPORTED_MODULE_9__["installBazelTools"])(rootPath); // Setup remote cache settings in .bazelrc.cache if needed
 
@@ -52575,8 +52574,6 @@ __webpack_require__.r(__webpack_exports__);
 /* harmony import */ var _yarn_integrity__WEBPACK_IMPORTED_MODULE_3__ = __webpack_require__(526);
 /* harmony reexport (safe) */ __webpack_require__.d(__webpack_exports__, "removeYarnIntegrityFileIfExists", function() { return _yarn_integrity__WEBPACK_IMPORTED_MODULE_3__["removeYarnIntegrityFileIfExists"]; });
 
-/* harmony reexport (safe) */ __webpack_require__.d(__webpack_exports__, "yarnIntegrityFileExists", function() { return _yarn_integrity__WEBPACK_IMPORTED_MODULE_3__["yarnIntegrityFileExists"]; });
-
 /*
  * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
  * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License
@@ -52802,6 +52799,7 @@ async function runBazelCommandWithRunner(bazelCommandRunner, bazelArgs, offline
   try {
     await bazelProc;
   } catch {
+    _log__WEBPACK_IMPORTED_MODULE_5__["log"].error('HINT: If experiencing problems with node_modules try `yarn kbn bootstrap --force-install` or as last resort `yarn kbn reset && yarn kbn bootstrap`');
     throw new _errors__WEBPACK_IMPORTED_MODULE_6__["CliError"](`The bazel command that was running failed to complete.`);
   }
 
@@ -59009,7 +59007,6 @@ function observeReadable(readable) {
 "use strict";
 __webpack_require__.r(__webpack_exports__);
 /* harmony export (binding) */ __webpack_require__.d(__webpack_exports__, "removeYarnIntegrityFileIfExists", function() { return removeYarnIntegrityFileIfExists; });
-/* harmony export (binding) */ __webpack_require__.d(__webpack_exports__, "yarnIntegrityFileExists", function() { return yarnIntegrityFileExists; });
 /* harmony import */ var path__WEBPACK_IMPORTED_MODULE_0__ = __webpack_require__(4);
 /* harmony import */ var path__WEBPACK_IMPORTED_MODULE_0___default = /*#__PURE__*/__webpack_require__.n(path__WEBPACK_IMPORTED_MODULE_0__);
 /* harmony import */ var _fs__WEBPACK_IMPORTED_MODULE_1__ = __webpack_require__(231);
@@ -59033,19 +59030,6 @@ async function removeYarnIntegrityFileIfExists(nodeModulesPath) {
   } catch {// no-op
   }
 }
-async function yarnIntegrityFileExists(nodeModulesPath) {
-  try {
-    const nodeModulesRealPath = await Object(_fs__WEBPACK_IMPORTED_MODULE_1__["tryRealpath"])(nodeModulesPath);
-    const yarnIntegrityFilePath = Object(path__WEBPACK_IMPORTED_MODULE_0__["join"])(nodeModulesRealPath, '.yarn-integrity'); // check if the file already exists
-
-    if (await Object(_fs__WEBPACK_IMPORTED_MODULE_1__["isFile"])(yarnIntegrityFilePath)) {
-      return true;
-    }
-  } catch {// no-op
-  }
-
-  return false;
-}
 
 /***/ }),
 /* 527 */
diff --git a/packages/kbn-pm/src/commands/bootstrap.ts b/packages/kbn-pm/src/commands/bootstrap.ts
index cb5d5d88f84b..b5a9645047c0 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-pm/src/commands/bootstrap.ts
+++ b/packages/kbn-pm/src/commands/bootstrap.ts
@@ -17,12 +17,7 @@ import { ICommand } from './';
 import { readYarnLock } from '../utils/yarn_lock';
 import { sortPackageJson } from '../utils/sort_package_json';
 import { validateDependencies } from '../utils/validate_dependencies';
-import {
-  installBazelTools,
-  removeYarnIntegrityFileIfExists,
-  runBazel,
-  yarnIntegrityFileExists,
-} from '../utils/bazel';
+import { installBazelTools, removeYarnIntegrityFileIfExists, runBazel } from '../utils/bazel';
 import { setupRemoteCache } from '../utils/bazel/setup_remote_cache';
 
 export const BootstrapCommand: ICommand = {
@@ -42,11 +37,8 @@ export const BootstrapCommand: ICommand = {
     const reporter = CiStatsReporter.fromEnv(log);
     const timings = [];
 
-    // Force install is set in case a flag is passed into yarn kbn bootstrap or if the `.yarn-integrity`
-    // file is not found which will be indicated by the return of yarnIntegrityFileExists.
-    const forceInstall =
-      (!!options && options['force-install'] === true) ||
-      !(await yarnIntegrityFileExists(resolve(kibanaProjectPath, 'node_modules')));
+    // Force install is set in case a flag is passed into yarn kbn bootstrap
+    const forceInstall = !!options && options['force-install'] === true;
 
     // Install bazel machinery tools if needed
     await installBazelTools(rootPath);
diff --git a/packages/kbn-pm/src/utils/bazel/run.ts b/packages/kbn-pm/src/utils/bazel/run.ts
index c030081e53da..18a6cacdf6d2 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-pm/src/utils/bazel/run.ts
+++ b/packages/kbn-pm/src/utils/bazel/run.ts
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ async function runBazelCommandWithRunner(
   try {
     await bazelProc;
   } catch {
+    log.error(
+      'HINT: If experiencing problems with node_modules try `yarn kbn bootstrap --force-install` or as last resort `yarn kbn reset && yarn kbn bootstrap`'
+    );
     throw new CliError(`The bazel command that was running failed to complete.`);
   }
   await bazelLogs$.toPromise();
diff --git a/packages/kbn-pm/src/utils/bazel/yarn_integrity.ts b/packages/kbn-pm/src/utils/bazel/yarn_integrity.ts
index 76910786898a..1ac9bfeba1e3 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-pm/src/utils/bazel/yarn_integrity.ts
+++ b/packages/kbn-pm/src/utils/bazel/yarn_integrity.ts
@@ -22,19 +22,3 @@ export async function removeYarnIntegrityFileIfExists(nodeModulesPath: string) {
     // no-op
   }
 }
-
-export async function yarnIntegrityFileExists(nodeModulesPath: string) {
-  try {
-    const nodeModulesRealPath = await tryRealpath(nodeModulesPath);
-    const yarnIntegrityFilePath = join(nodeModulesRealPath, '.yarn-integrity');
-
-    // check if the file already exists
-    if (await isFile(yarnIntegrityFilePath)) {
-      return true;
-    }
-  } catch {
-    // no-op
-  }
-
-  return false;
-}