diff --git a/scripts/layered.sh b/scripts/layered.sh
index cee172e6cfe..696a25f582e 100755
--- a/scripts/layered.sh
+++ b/scripts/layered.sh
@@ -20,27 +20,21 @@ pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
 export PR_ORG=element-hq
 export PR_REPO=element-web
 
-# Set up the js-sdk first
-scripts/fetchdep.sh matrix-org matrix-js-sdk develop
-pushd matrix-js-sdk
-[ -n "$JS_SDK_GITHUB_BASE_REF" ] && git fetch --depth 1 origin $JS_SDK_GITHUB_BASE_REF && git checkout $JS_SDK_GITHUB_BASE_REF
-pnpm link
-pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
-popd
-
-# Also set up matrix-analytics-events for branch with matching name
-scripts/fetchdep.sh matrix-org matrix-analytics-events
-# We don't pass a default branch so cloning may fail when we are not in a PR
-# This is expected as this project does not share a release cycle but we still branch match it
-if [ -d matrix-analytics-events ]; then
-    pushd matrix-analytics-events
+js_sdk_dep=`jq -r '.dependencies["matrix-js-sdk"]' < package.json`
+
+# Set up the js-sdk first (unless package.json pins a specific version)
+if [ "$js_sdk_dep" = "github:matrix-org/matrix-js-sdk#develop" ]; then
+    scripts/fetchdep.sh matrix-org matrix-js-sdk develop
+    pushd matrix-js-sdk
+    [ -n "$JS_SDK_GITHUB_BASE_REF" ] && git fetch --depth 1 origin $JS_SDK_GITHUB_BASE_REF && git checkout $JS_SDK_GITHUB_BASE_REF
     pnpm link
     pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
-    pnpm build:ts
     popd
+
+    # Link into into element-web
+    pnpm link matrix-js-sdk
+else
+    echo "Skipping matrix-js-sdk fetch and link as package.json pins $js_sdk_dep"
 fi
 
-# Link the layers into element-web
-pnpm link matrix-js-sdk
-[ -d matrix-analytics-events ] && pnpm link @matrix-org/analytics-events
 pnpm install --frozen-lockfile $@