diff --git a/lib/make-spawn-args.js b/lib/make-spawn-args.js
index 8a32d71..1c9f02c 100644
--- a/lib/make-spawn-args.js
+++ b/lib/make-spawn-args.js
@@ -1,21 +1,34 @@
 /* eslint camelcase: "off" */
 const setPATH = require('./set-path.js')
 const { resolve } = require('path')
-const npm_config_node_gyp = require.resolve('node-gyp/bin/node-gyp.js')
+
+let npm_config_node_gyp
 
 const makeSpawnArgs = options => {
   const {
+    args,
+    binPaths,
+    cmd,
+    env,
     event,
+    nodeGyp,
     path,
     scriptShell = true,
-    binPaths,
-    env,
     stdio,
-    cmd,
-    args,
     stdioString,
   } = options
 
+  if (nodeGyp) {
+    // npm already pulled this from env and passes it in to options
+    npm_config_node_gyp = nodeGyp
+  } else if (env.npm_config_node_gyp) {
+    // legacy mode for standalone user
+    npm_config_node_gyp = env.npm_config_node_gyp
+  } else {
+    // default
+    npm_config_node_gyp = require.resolve('node-gyp/bin/node-gyp.js')
+  }
+
   const spawnEnv = setPATH(path, binPaths, {
     // we need to at least save the PATH environment var
     ...process.env,
diff --git a/lib/run-script-pkg.js b/lib/run-script-pkg.js
index 9900c96..161caeb 100644
--- a/lib/run-script-pkg.js
+++ b/lib/run-script-pkg.js
@@ -7,18 +7,19 @@ const isServerPackage = require('./is-server-package.js')
 
 const runScriptPkg = async options => {
   const {
-    event,
-    path,
-    scriptShell,
+    args = [],
     binPaths = false,
     env = {},
-    stdio = 'pipe',
+    event,
+    nodeGyp,
+    path,
     pkg,
-    args = [],
-    stdioString,
+    scriptShell,
     // how long to wait for a process.kill signal
     // only exposed here so that we can make the test go a bit faster.
     signalTimeout = 500,
+    stdio = 'pipe',
+    stdioString,
   } = options
 
   const { scripts = {}, gypfile } = pkg
@@ -63,14 +64,15 @@ const runScriptPkg = async options => {
   }
 
   const [spawnShell, spawnArgs, spawnOpts] = makeSpawnArgs({
+    args,
+    binPaths,
+    cmd,
+    env: { ...env, ...packageEnvs(pkg) },
     event,
+    nodeGyp,
     path,
     scriptShell,
-    binPaths,
-    env: { ...env, ...packageEnvs(pkg) },
     stdio,
-    cmd,
-    args,
     stdioString,
   })
 
diff --git a/test/make-spawn-args.js b/test/make-spawn-args.js
index 83e90a0..110f28f 100644
--- a/test/make-spawn-args.js
+++ b/test/make-spawn-args.js
@@ -62,13 +62,15 @@ t.test('spawn args', async t => {
       /.*/,
       a => a.includes('echo test'),
       e => {
-        return e.env.test_fixture === 'a string'
+        return e.env.test_fixture === 'a string' &&
+          e.env.npm_config_node_gyp === '/test/path.js'
       }
     )
     await t.resolves(() => runScript({
       pkg,
       path: testdir,
       env: {
+        npm_config_node_gyp: '/test/path.js',
         test_fixture: 'a string',
       },
       event: 'test',
@@ -76,6 +78,23 @@ t.test('spawn args', async t => {
     t.ok(spawk.done())
   })
 
+  await t.test('provided options.nodeGyp', async t => {
+    spawk.spawn(
+      /.*/,
+      a => a.includes('echo test'),
+      e => {
+        return e.env.npm_config_node_gyp === '/test/path.js'
+      }
+    )
+    await t.resolves(() => runScript({
+      pkg,
+      path: testdir,
+      nodeGyp: '/test/path.js',
+      event: 'test',
+    }))
+    t.ok(spawk.done())
+  })
+
   await t.test('provided args', async t => {
     spawk.spawn(
       /.*/,