diff --git a/cli/lib/tasks/verify.js b/cli/lib/tasks/verify.js
index 619ce4a9b6eb..826c35e1654f 100644
--- a/cli/lib/tasks/verify.js
+++ b/cli/lib/tasks/verify.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ const logger = require('../logger')
 const xvfb = require('../exec/xvfb')
 const state = require('./state')
 
-const VERIFY_TEST_RUNNER_TIMEOUT_MS = +process.env.CYPRESS_VERIFY_TIMEOUT || 30000
+const VERIFY_TEST_RUNNER_TIMEOUT_MS = +util.getEnv('CYPRESS_VERIFY_TIMEOUT') || 30000
 
 const checkExecutable = (binaryDir) => {
   const executable = state.getPathToExecutable(binaryDir)
diff --git a/cli/test/lib/tasks/verify_spec.js b/cli/test/lib/tasks/verify_spec.js
index f1b314ff1de7..3865b44463c2 100644
--- a/cli/test/lib/tasks/verify_spec.js
+++ b/cli/test/lib/tasks/verify_spec.js
@@ -81,6 +81,14 @@ context('lib/tasks/verify', () => {
     expect(newVerifyInstance.VERIFY_TEST_RUNNER_TIMEOUT_MS).to.eql(500000)
   })
 
+  it('accepts custom verify task timeout from npm', () => {
+    process.env.npm_config_CYPRESS_VERIFY_TIMEOUT = '500000'
+    delete require.cache[require.resolve(`${lib}/tasks/verify`)]
+    const newVerifyInstance = require(`${lib}/tasks/verify`)
+
+    expect(newVerifyInstance.VERIFY_TEST_RUNNER_TIMEOUT_MS).to.eql(500000)
+  })
+
   it('falls back to default verify task timeout if custom value is invalid', () => {
     process.env.CYPRESS_VERIFY_TIMEOUT = 'foobar'
     delete require.cache[require.resolve(`${lib}/tasks/verify`)]