diff --git a/src/freedombone-utils-nodejs b/src/freedombone-utils-nodejs
index 3c98dab1d7a273c4aa6c860dc40c66ae5fd0f503..185fb54b4571fc46780f3ca1139793a71b64b977 100755
--- a/src/freedombone-utils-nodejs
+++ b/src/freedombone-utils-nodejs
@@ -189,36 +189,26 @@ function mesh_install_nodejs {
         nodejs_fix_cpu_detection
         cp "$rootdir/root/npm" "$rootdir/usr/bin/npm"
         cp "$rootdir/root/npm" "$rootdir/usr/local/bin/npm"
-    fi
-
-    # deliberate second install of npm
-    $mesh_install_nodejs_prefix npm install --arch=$NPM_ARCH -g npm@${NPM_VERSION} --save
-    if [ -f "$rootdir/root/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm" ]; then
-        cp "$rootdir/root/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm" "$rootdir/usr/local/bin/npm"
-        cp "$rootdir/root/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm" "$rootdir/usr/bin/npm"
-    fi
-    if [ -f "$rootdir/usr/local/bin/npm" ]; then
-        cp "$rootdir/usr/local/bin/npm" "$rootdir/usr/bin/npm"
-    fi
-    cp "$rootdir/usr/bin/npm" "$rootdir/root/npm"
 
-    # deliberate second install of node
-    $mesh_install_nodejs_prefix PATH="/root/.npm-global/bin:$PATH" NPM_CONFIG_PREFIX=/root/.npm-global npm install --arch=$NPM_ARCH -g node@${NODEJS_VERSION} --save
-    if [ -f "$rootdir/root/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/node/bin/node" ]; then
-        cp "$rootdir/root/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/node/bin/node" "$rootdir/usr/local/bin/node"
-        cp "$rootdir/root/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/node/bin/node" "$rootdir/usr/bin/node"
-    fi
-    if [ -f "$rootdir/usr/local/bin/node" ]; then
-        cp "$rootdir/usr/local/bin/node" "$rootdir/usr/bin/node"
+        # deliberate second install of npm
+        $mesh_install_nodejs_prefix npm install --arch=$NPM_ARCH -g npm@${NPM_VERSION} --save
+        if [ -f "$rootdir/root/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm" ]; then
+            cp "$rootdir/root/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm" "$rootdir/usr/local/bin/npm"
+            cp "$rootdir/root/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm" "$rootdir/usr/bin/npm"
+        fi
+        if [ -f "$rootdir/usr/local/bin/npm" ]; then
+            cp "$rootdir/usr/local/bin/npm" "$rootdir/usr/bin/npm"
+        fi
+        cp "$rootdir/usr/bin/npm" "$rootdir/root/npm"
     fi
-    cp "$rootdir/usr/bin/node" "$rootdir/root/node"
 
     if [ -f "$rootdir/usr/bin/node" ]; then
         cp "$rootdir/usr/bin/node" "$rootdir/usr/local/bin/node"
     fi
 
-    # check the version numbers
-    cat <<EOF > "$rootdir/usr/bin/test_nodejs_install"
+    if [ ! "$rootdir" ]; then
+        # check the version numbers
+        cat <<EOF > "$rootdir/usr/bin/test_nodejs_install"
 #!/bin/bash
 node_version=\$(node -v)
 if [[ "\$node_version" != "v${NODEJS_VERSION}" ]]; then
@@ -233,13 +223,14 @@ if [[ "\$npm_version" != "${NPM_VERSION}" ]]; then
     exit 2
 fi
 EOF
-    chmod +x "$rootdir/usr/bin/test_nodejs_install"
-    if ! $mesh_install_nodejs_prefix /usr/bin/test_nodejs_install; then
-        echo $"nodejs version numbers did not match. Architecture is $NPM_ARCH."
-        NODE_UPGRADE=
-        exit 76835282
+        chmod +x "$rootdir/usr/bin/test_nodejs_install"
+        if ! $mesh_install_nodejs_prefix /usr/bin/test_nodejs_install; then
+            echo $"nodejs version numbers did not match. Architecture is $NPM_ARCH."
+            NODE_UPGRADE=
+            exit 76835282
+        fi
+        rm "$rootdir/usr/bin/test_nodejs_install"
     fi
-    rm "$rootdir/usr/bin/test_nodejs_install"
     NODE_UPGRADE=
 }