diff --git a/gatsby-node.js b/gatsby-node.js
index 234dd1c443d..2c8337ebd1c 100644
--- a/gatsby-node.js
+++ b/gatsby-node.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ const { createFilePath } = require(`gatsby-source-filesystem`);
 const { exec, execSync } = require("child_process");
 const util = require("node:util");
 const execAsync = util.promisify(exec);
+const asyncFs = require("node:fs/promises");
 
 const {
   replacePathVersion,
@@ -111,6 +112,8 @@ exports.onCreateNode = async ({
       });
     }
 
+    // these are a template of sorts, used to generate a function index for a reference section
+    // see tools/automation/generators/refbuilder/refbuilder.js for details
     if (node.absolutePath.endsWith("index.mdx.src")) {
       const indexBasePath = path.dirname(node.absolutePath);
       const referenceIndexNodeDef = {
@@ -268,42 +271,7 @@ exports.createPages = async ({ actions, graphql, reporter }) => {
 
   processFileNodes(result.data.allPublicFile.nodes, productVersions, actions);
 
-  // reference indexer - generate an index page for reference material
-  // triggered by the presence of index.mdx.src in a directory. When found,
-  // - scans pages (recursive into subdirectories)
-  // - identifies reference sections matching specific pattern
-  // - (re)generates index.json
-  // - (re)generates index.mdx
-  // THESE GENERATED FILES MUST BE COMMITTED ALONG WITH THE CHANGED
-  // PAGES - we do not want them to be out of sync in the repo
-  // To emphasize this, generation will only happen locally; CI builds
-  //  (identified by the presence of GITHUB_REF in the environment) will skip this step.
-  // For more information, see:
-  // - tools/automation/generators/refbuilder/refbuilder.js
-  if (!process.env.GITHUB_REF) {
-    const activity = reporter.createProgress(
-      "Generating reference indexes",
-      result.data.allReferenceIndex.nodes.length,
-    );
-    activity.start();
-
-    for (let indexBasePath of result.data.allReferenceIndex.nodes.map(
-      (node) => node.indexBasePath,
-    )) {
-      const command = `node ${path.join(
-        referenceIndexerToolPath,
-        "refbuilder.js",
-      )} --source ${indexBasePath}`;
-      try {
-        await execAsync(command);
-      } catch (err) {
-        reporter.panicOnBuild(`Failed to generate index for reference docs in ${indexBasePath}:
-  ${err}`);
-      }
-      activity.tick();
-    }
-    activity.done();
-  }
+  await processReferenceIndexes(result.data.allReferenceIndex.nodes, reporter);
 
   // perform depth first preorder traversal
   const treeRoot = mdxNodesToTree(nodes);
@@ -462,6 +430,54 @@ const createAdvocacy = (navTree, prevNext, doc, productVersions, actions) => {
   });
 };
 
+/**
+ *
+ * @param {ReferenceIndex} referenceIndexNodes Nodes to process
+ * @param {*} reporter Gatsby reporter
+ * @summary reference indexer - generate an index page for reference pages, triggered by a node corresponding to an index.mdx.src
+ * @description ReferenceIndex nodes are created when an index.mdx.src is found in a directory. This routine
+ * processes them by kicking off a subprocess, which...
+ * - scans pages (recursive into subdirectories)
+ * - identifies reference sections matching specific pattern
+ * - (re)generates index.json
+ * - (re)generates index.mdx
+ *
+ * THESE GENERATED FILES MUST BE COMMITTED ALONG WITH THE CHANGED
+ * PAGES - we do not want them to be out of sync in the repo
+ * To emphasize this, generation will only happen locally; CI builds
+ *  (identified by the presence of GITHUB_REF in the environment) will skip this step.
+ *
+ * For more information, see:
+ * - tools/automation/generators/refbuilder/refbuilder.js
+ * - {@link onCreateNode}
+ */
+const processReferenceIndexes = async (referenceIndexNodes, reporter) => {
+  if (process.env.GITHUB_REF) return;
+
+  const activity = reporter.createProgress(
+    "Generating reference indexes",
+    referenceIndexNodes.length,
+  );
+  activity.start();
+
+  for (let indexBasePath of referenceIndexNodes.map(
+    (node) => node.indexBasePath,
+  )) {
+    const command = `node ${path.join(
+      referenceIndexerToolPath,
+      "refbuilder.js",
+    )} --source ${indexBasePath}`;
+    try {
+      await execAsync(command);
+    } catch (err) {
+      reporter.panicOnBuild(`Failed to generate index for reference docs in ${indexBasePath}:
+${err}`);
+    }
+    activity.tick();
+  }
+  activity.done();
+};
+
 /**
  *
  * @param {PublicFile} fileNodes  Nodes to process
@@ -614,40 +630,7 @@ exports.onPostBuild = async ({ graphql, reporter, pathPrefix }) => {
   //
   // get rid of compilation hash - speeds up netlify deploys
   //
-  const hashTimer = reporter.createProgress("Removing compilation hashes");
-  hashTimer.start();
-
-  const { globby } = await import("globby");
-  const generatedHTML = await globby([
-    path.join(__dirname, "/public/**/*.html"),
-  ]);
-  hashTimer.total = generatedHTML.length;
-  for (
-    let i = 0, filename;
-    i < generatedHTML.length, (filename = generatedHTML[i]);
-    ++i
-  ) {
-    let file = await readFile(filename);
-    file = file.replace(
-      /window\.___webpackCompilationHash="[^"]+"/,
-      'window.___webpackCompilationHash=""',
-    );
-    await writeFile(filename, file);
-    hashTimer.tick();
-  }
-  const appDataFilename = path.join(
-    __dirname,
-    "/public/page-data/app-data.json",
-  );
-  const appData = await readFile(appDataFilename);
-  await writeFile(
-    appDataFilename,
-    appData.replace(
-      /"webpackCompilationHash":"[^"]+"/,
-      '"webpackCompilationHash":""',
-    ),
-  );
-  hashTimer.done();
+  await removeCompilationHashes(reporter);
 
   //
   // additional headers
@@ -782,3 +765,48 @@ exports.onPostBuild = async ({ graphql, reporter, pathPrefix }) => {
 ${pathPrefix}/*  /:splat  200`,
   );
 };
+
+/**
+ * Strip compilation hashes from generated HTML
+ * this speeds up Netlify deploys, as (otherwise unchanged) files don't change every build
+ * there probably should be a faster / more elegant way to do this, possibly by overriding one of the
+ * default webpack configs... But I've had no luck doing so up to now.
+ * @param {*} reporter Gatsby reporter
+ */
+async function removeCompilationHashes(reporter) {
+  const hashTimer = reporter.createProgress("Removing compilation hashes");
+  hashTimer.start();
+
+  const { globby } = await import("globby");
+  const generatedHTML = await globby([
+    path.join(__dirname, "/public/**/*.html"),
+  ]);
+  const hashPattern = /window\.___webpackCompilationHash="[^"]+"/;
+  const hashReplace = 'window.___webpackCompilationHash=""';
+  hashTimer.total = generatedHTML.length;
+  const chunkSize = 100;
+  for (let i = 0; i < generatedHTML.length; i += chunkSize) {
+    const hashPromises = generatedHTML
+      .slice(i, i + chunkSize)
+      .map(async (filename) => {
+        let file = await readFile(filename);
+        file = file.replace(hashPattern, hashReplace);
+        await writeFile(filename, file);
+        hashTimer.tick();
+      });
+    await Promise.all(hashPromises);
+  }
+  const appDataFilename = path.join(
+    __dirname,
+    "/public/page-data/app-data.json",
+  );
+  const appData = await readFile(appDataFilename);
+  await writeFile(
+    appDataFilename,
+    appData.replace(
+      /"webpackCompilationHash":"[^"]+"/,
+      '"webpackCompilationHash":""',
+    ),
+  );
+  hashTimer.done();
+}