diff --git a/kotlin-frontend/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/frontend/npm/NpmExtension.kt b/kotlin-frontend/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/frontend/npm/NpmExtension.kt
index 2495e88..25a7989 100644
--- a/kotlin-frontend/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/frontend/npm/NpmExtension.kt
+++ b/kotlin-frontend/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/frontend/npm/NpmExtension.kt
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.frontend.npm
 
-import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.frontend.*
+import org.gradle.api.tasks.Input
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.frontend.Dependency
 import java.util.*
 
 /**
@@ -13,6 +14,12 @@ open class NpmExtension {
 
     val developmentDependencies: MutableList<Dependency> = ArrayList()
 
+    /**
+     * When [Boolean.false] npm install will avoid symlinks on binaries.
+     */
+    @Input
+    var binLinks: Boolean = true
+
     @JvmOverloads
     fun dependency(name: String, version: String = "*") {
         dependencies.add(Dependency(name, version, Dependency.RuntimeScope))
diff --git a/kotlin-frontend/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/frontend/npm/NpmInstallTask.kt b/kotlin-frontend/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/frontend/npm/NpmInstallTask.kt
index 59b0fec..b74ca30 100644
--- a/kotlin-frontend/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/frontend/npm/NpmInstallTask.kt
+++ b/kotlin-frontend/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/frontend/npm/NpmInstallTask.kt
@@ -1,12 +1,18 @@
 package org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.frontend.npm
 
-import org.gradle.api.*
-import org.gradle.api.tasks.*
-import org.gradle.process.*
-import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.frontend.*
-import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.frontend.util.*
-import java.io.*
-import java.net.*
+import org.gradle.api.DefaultTask
+import org.gradle.api.tasks.InputFile
+import org.gradle.api.tasks.Internal
+import org.gradle.api.tasks.OutputDirectory
+import org.gradle.api.tasks.TaskAction
+import org.gradle.process.ExecSpec
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.frontend.Dependency
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.frontend.util.NodeJsDownloadTask
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.frontend.util.nodePath
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.frontend.util.readLinesOrEmpty
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.frontend.util.startWithRedirectOnFail
+import java.io.File
+import java.net.URI
 import java.nio.file.*
 
 /**
@@ -16,6 +22,9 @@ open class NpmInstallTask : DefaultTask() {
     @InputFile
     lateinit var packageJsonFile: File
 
+    @Internal
+    private val npmExt = project.extensions.getByType(NpmExtension::class.java)!!
+
     @Internal
     private val npmDirFile =  project.tasks
             .filterIsInstance<NodeJsDownloadTask>()
@@ -50,7 +59,13 @@ open class NpmInstallTask : DefaultTask() {
             ensureSymbolicLink(linkPath, target)
         }
 
-        ProcessBuilder(npmPath, "install")
+        val command = if (npmExt.binLinks) {
+            arrayOf("install")
+        } else {
+            arrayOf("install", "--no-bin-links")
+        }
+
+        ProcessBuilder(npmPath, *command)
                 .directory(project.buildDir)
                 .apply { ensurePath(environment(), npm.parentFile.absolutePath) }
                 .redirectErrorStream(true)