diff --git a/.github/workflows/license-checks.yml b/.github/workflows/license-checks.yml
index 08f93726..aefe6a98 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/license-checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/license-checks.yml
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ jobs:
         key: check-license-${{ runner.os }}
 
     - name: Install cargo-about
-      run: cargo install cargo-about
+      run: cargo install cargo-about --features=cli
 
     - name: Generate licenses
       run: make licenses
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 624a65d1..77d04df7 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ internalapi/
 # Files generated by tests
 results.xml
 logs/
+THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.html
 
 # clangd and compilation database
 .cache/
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index fb47f6cb..55f58098 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ image:
 licenses:THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.html
 
 THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.html:Cargo.lock
-	cargo install cargo-about
+	$(if $(shell command -v cargo-about),,$(error cargo-about not found, you can install it with 'cargo install cargo-about --features=cli'))
 	cargo about generate --format handlebars -o THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.html about_html.hbs
 
 integration-tests:
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ performance-tests:
 
 clean:
 	make -C tests clean
+	rm -f THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.html
 
 format-check:
 	cargo fmt --check