diff --git a/bin/sanitycheck.js b/bin/sanitycheck.js
index 2fe110180..afca569a0 100755
--- a/bin/sanitycheck.js
+++ b/bin/sanitycheck.js
@@ -10,18 +10,22 @@ apploader.init({
   DEVICEID : "BANGLEJS2"
 });*/
 
+var jsparse = (() => {
+  var acorn;
+  try {
+    acorn = require("acorn");
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.log("=====================================================");
+    console.log("  ACORN NOT FOUND");
+    console.log("  ---------------");
+    console.log("");
+    console.log("  This means we won't sanity-check uploaded JSON");
+    console.log("=====================================================");
+    return str => {throw new Error("no acorn")};
+  }
 
-var acorn;
-try {
-  acorn = require("acorn");
-} catch (e) {
-  console.log("=====================================================");
-  console.log("  ACORN NOT FOUND");
-  console.log("  ---------------");
-  console.log("");
-  console.log("  This means we won't sanity-check uploaded JSON");
-  console.log("=====================================================");
-}
+  return str => acorn.parse(str, { ecmaVersion: 2020 });
+})();
 
 var BASEDIR = __dirname+"/../";
 var APPSDIR_RELATIVE = "apps/";
@@ -399,7 +403,7 @@ apps.forEach((app,appIdx) => {
     if (file.supports && !Array.isArray(file.supports)) ERROR(`App ${app.id} file ${file.name} supports field is not an array`, {file:metadataFile});
     if (file.evaluate) {
       try {
-        acorn.parse("("+fileContents+")");
+        jsparse("("+fileContents+")");
       } catch(e) {
         console.log("=====================================================");
         console.log("  PARSE OF "+appDir+file.url+" failed.");
@@ -415,7 +419,7 @@ apps.forEach((app,appIdx) => {
       // TODO: actual lint?
       var ast;
       try {
-        ast = acorn.parse(fileContents);
+        ast = jsparse(fileContents);
       } catch(e) {
         console.log("=====================================================");
         console.log("  PARSE OF "+appDir+file.url+" failed.");
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 36589d9eb..162d9b373 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
       "version": "0.0.1",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
-        "acorn": "^7.2.0"
+        "acorn": "^8.0.0"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
         "@typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin": "^7.8.0",
@@ -444,9 +444,10 @@
       "dev": true
     },
     "node_modules/acorn": {
-      "version": "7.4.1",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/acorn/-/acorn-7.4.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-nQyp0o1/mNdbTO1PO6kHkwSrmgZ0MT/jCCpNiwbUjGoRN4dlBhqJtoQuCnEOKzgTVwg0ZWiCoQy6SxMebQVh8A==",
+      "version": "8.14.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/acorn/-/acorn-8.14.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-cl669nCJTZBsL97OF4kUQm5g5hC2uihk0NxY3WENAC0TYdILVkAyHymAntgxGkl7K+t0cXIrH5siy5S4XkFycA==",
+      "license": "MIT",
       "bin": {
         "acorn": "bin/acorn"
       },
@@ -1309,18 +1310,6 @@
         "url": "https://opencollective.com/eslint"
       }
     },
-    "node_modules/espree/node_modules/acorn": {
-      "version": "8.11.3",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/acorn/-/acorn-8.11.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-Y9rRfJG5jcKOE0CLisYbojUjIrIEE7AGMzA/Sm4BslANhbS+cDMpgBdcPT91oJ7OuJ9hYJBx59RjbhxVnrF8Xg==",
-      "dev": true,
-      "bin": {
-        "acorn": "bin/acorn"
-      },
-      "engines": {
-        "node": ">=0.4.0"
-      }
-    },
     "node_modules/esquery": {
       "version": "1.5.0",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/esquery/-/esquery-1.5.0.tgz",
@@ -3777,9 +3766,9 @@
       "dev": true
     },
     "acorn": {
-      "version": "7.4.1",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/acorn/-/acorn-7.4.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-nQyp0o1/mNdbTO1PO6kHkwSrmgZ0MT/jCCpNiwbUjGoRN4dlBhqJtoQuCnEOKzgTVwg0ZWiCoQy6SxMebQVh8A=="
+      "version": "8.14.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/acorn/-/acorn-8.14.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-cl669nCJTZBsL97OF4kUQm5g5hC2uihk0NxY3WENAC0TYdILVkAyHymAntgxGkl7K+t0cXIrH5siy5S4XkFycA=="
     },
     "acorn-jsx": {
       "version": "5.3.2",
@@ -4424,14 +4413,6 @@
         "acorn": "^8.9.0",
         "acorn-jsx": "^5.3.2",
         "eslint-visitor-keys": "^3.4.1"
-      },
-      "dependencies": {
-        "acorn": {
-          "version": "8.11.3",
-          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/acorn/-/acorn-8.11.3.tgz",
-          "integrity": "sha512-Y9rRfJG5jcKOE0CLisYbojUjIrIEE7AGMzA/Sm4BslANhbS+cDMpgBdcPT91oJ7OuJ9hYJBx59RjbhxVnrF8Xg==",
-          "dev": true
-        }
       }
     },
     "esquery": {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 57ecf5201..3b2d5fd42 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -27,6 +27,6 @@
     "update-local-apps": "apps/*/metadata.json"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "acorn": "^7.2.0"
+    "acorn": "^8.0.0"
   }
 }