diff --git a/packages/hardhat-plugin/package.json b/packages/hardhat-plugin/package.json
index 59685230b472..daaf06e08bf3 100644
--- a/packages/hardhat-plugin/package.json
+++ b/packages/hardhat-plugin/package.json
@@ -19,11 +19,10 @@
     "lint": "eslint --resolve-plugins-relative-to ../eslint-config --ext .tsx,.ts,.js src/ test/",
     "test": "ts-mocha --exit --recursive 'test/**/*.ts'",
     "ci": "yarn build && yarn lint && yarn test",
-    "build": "yarn networks && tsc",
+    "build": "tsc",
     "watch": "tsc -w",
     "clean": "rm -rf dist test/fixture-projects/hardhat-project/.openzeppelin test/fixture-projects/hardhat-project/artifacts test/fixture-projects/hardhat-project/cache test/fixture-projects/hardhat-project/contracts",
-    "prepublishOnly": "yarn clean && yarn build",
-    "networks": "node scripts/parseNetworks.js"
+    "prepublishOnly": "yarn clean && yarn build"
   },
   "files": [
     "dist/src/**/*",
@@ -36,8 +35,7 @@
     "directory": "packages/hardhat-plugin"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
-    "@types/chai": "4.3.14",
-    "@types/fs-extra": "11.0.4",
+    "@types/chai": "4.3.12",
     "@types/mocha": "10.0.6",
     "@types/node": "20.10.1",
     "@unlock-protocol/contracts": "workspace:^",
diff --git a/packages/hardhat-plugin/scripts/parseNetworks.js b/packages/hardhat-plugin/scripts/parseNetworks.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 0ae9998ef0cb..000000000000
--- a/packages/hardhat-plugin/scripts/parseNetworks.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-const { networks } = require('@unlock-protocol/networks')
-const fs = require('fs-extra')
-
-const keysToIgnore = ['publicProvider', 'provider']
-
-const filePath = './src/networks.json'
-const filtered = {}
-
-Object.keys(networks).forEach((chainId) => {
-  if (chainId === 'networks') return
-  const net = networks[chainId]
-  keysToIgnore.forEach((k) => delete net[k])
-  filtered[chainId] = net
-})
-
-fs.outputJSONSync(filePath, filtered, { spaces: 2 })
-
-console.log(`networks saved to ${filePath}.`)
diff --git a/packages/hardhat-plugin/src/index.ts b/packages/hardhat-plugin/src/index.ts
index 164be28a012d..5fdcf9349a59 100644
--- a/packages/hardhat-plugin/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/hardhat-plugin/src/index.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import './type-extensions'
 import { TASK_CREATE_LOCK } from './constants'
 
 import { deployLockTask } from './tasks'
-import networks from './networks.json'
+import { networks as defaultNetworks } from '@unlock-protocol/networks'
 
 // types
 import { UnlockNetworkConfigs } from './types'
@@ -31,6 +31,15 @@ export interface HardhatUnlockPlugin {
   networks: UnlockNetworkConfigs
 }
 
+// parse networks to remove providers
+const networks = Object.keys(defaultNetworks).reduce((parsed, chainId) => {
+  const { publicProvider, provider, ...network } = defaultNetworks[chainId]
+  return {
+    ...parsed,
+    [chainId]: network,
+  }
+}, {})
+
 extendEnvironment((hre) => {
   hre.unlock = lazyObject(() => {
     const { createLock } = require('./createLock')
diff --git a/packages/hardhat-plugin/src/utils.ts b/packages/hardhat-plugin/src/utils.ts
index c2011828f7df..55bbf1938ace 100644
--- a/packages/hardhat-plugin/src/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/hardhat-plugin/src/utils.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 import { contracts } from '@unlock-protocol/contracts'
 import { HardhatRuntimeEnvironment } from 'hardhat/types'
 import type { Signer, Contract, ContractFactory } from 'ethers'
-
-import fs from 'fs-extra'
-import path from 'path'
+import {
+  bytecode as proxyBytecode,
+  abi as proxyAbi,
+} from './abis/ERC1967Proxy.json'
 
 export const contractExists = (contractName: string, versionNumber: number) => {
   // make sure contract exists
@@ -58,9 +59,6 @@ export async function deployUpgreadableContract(
   const data = impl.interface.encodeFunctionData(fragment, initializerArguments)
 
   // deploy proxy
-  const { bytecode: proxyBytecode, abi: proxyAbi } = await fs.readJSON(
-    path.join(__dirname, 'abis', 'ERC1967Proxy.json')
-  )
   const ERC1967Proxy = await hre.ethers.getContractFactory(
     proxyAbi,
     proxyBytecode,
diff --git a/packages/hardhat-plugin/test/fixture-projects/hardhat-project/hardhat.config.ts b/packages/hardhat-plugin/test/fixture-projects/hardhat-project/hardhat.config.ts
index 703918d9c94e..989396591745 100644
--- a/packages/hardhat-plugin/test/fixture-projects/hardhat-project/hardhat.config.ts
+++ b/packages/hardhat-plugin/test/fixture-projects/hardhat-project/hardhat.config.ts
@@ -17,8 +17,9 @@ const config: HardhatUserConfig = {
   },
   defaultNetwork: 'hardhat',
   unlock: {
-    31337: {
-      name: 'Custom Localhost Name',
+    // extend an existing network
+    100: {
+      name: 'Custom Polygon Name',
       subgraph: {
         endpoint: 'here goes a subgraph URI',
       },
diff --git a/packages/hardhat-plugin/test/index.test.ts b/packages/hardhat-plugin/test/index.test.ts
index aaa8e9ef1a45..f72b310af4e6 100644
--- a/packages/hardhat-plugin/test/index.test.ts
+++ b/packages/hardhat-plugin/test/index.test.ts
@@ -41,13 +41,11 @@ describe('Unlock Hardhat plugin', function () {
       assert.equal(this.hre.unlock.networks['1'].unlockAddress, 'newAddress')
     })
     it('should store additional networks info', function () {
-      assert.isTrue(Object.keys(this.hre.unlock.networks).includes('31337'))
+      assert.isTrue(Object.keys(this.hre.unlock.networks).includes('100'))
+      assert.isTrue(Object.keys(this.hre.unlock.networks).includes('12345'))
+      assert.equal(this.hre.unlock.networks['100'].name, 'Custom Polygon Name')
       assert.equal(
-        this.hre.unlock.networks['31337'].name,
-        'Custom Localhost Name'
-      )
-      assert.equal(
-        this.hre.unlock.networks['31337'].subgraph?.endpoint,
+        this.hre.unlock.networks['100'].subgraph?.endpoint,
         'here goes a subgraph URI'
       )
     })
@@ -218,12 +216,12 @@ describe('HardhatConfig unlock extension', function () {
     assert.isTrue(Object.keys(this.hre.config).includes('unlock'))
     assert.deepEqual(
       Object.keys(this.hre.config.unlock).sort(),
-      [...Object.keys(networks), '12345', '31337'].sort()
+      [...Object.keys(networks), '12345'].sort()
     )
   })
 
   it('Should allow user to configure exsiting network', function () {
-    assert.equal(this.hre.config.unlock['31337'].name, 'Custom Localhost Name')
+    assert.equal(this.hre.config.unlock['100'].name, 'Custom Polygon Name')
   })
 
   it('Should allow user to pass a new network', function () {