diff --git a/lib/nodejs/Makefile.am b/lib/nodejs/Makefile.am
index a3424d0..9a7b4eb 100755
--- a/lib/nodejs/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/nodejs/Makefile.am
@@ -15,12 +15,13 @@
 # specific language governing permissions and limitations
 # under the License.
 
+# We call npm twice to work around npm issues
 
 stubs: $(top_srcdir)/test/ThriftTest.thrift
 	$(THRIFT) --gen js:node -o test/ $(top_srcdir)/test/ThriftTest.thrift
 
 deps: $(top_srcdir)/package.json
-	$(NPM) install --no-bin-links $(top_srcdir)/
+	$(NPM) install $(top_srcdir)/ || $(NPM) install $(top_srcdir)/
 
 all-local: deps