diff --git a/lib/travis/build/script/node_js.rb b/lib/travis/build/script/node_js.rb
index 0635c92f89..708d41f378 100644
--- a/lib/travis/build/script/node_js.rb
+++ b/lib/travis/build/script/node_js.rb
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ class NodeJs < Script
 
         NPM_QUIET_TREE_VERSION = '5'
 
+        DEFAULTS = {
+          node_modules: true
+        }
+
         def export
           super
           if node_js_given_in_config?
@@ -17,7 +21,7 @@ def export
 
         def setup
           super
-          prepend_path './node_modules/.bin'
+          prepend_path './node_modules/.bin' if config[:node_modules]
           convert_legacy_nodejs_config
           update_nvm
           nvm_install
diff --git a/spec/build/script/node_js_spec.rb b/spec/build/script/node_js_spec.rb
index 46c389234d..a66df157d8 100644
--- a/spec/build/script/node_js_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/build/script/node_js_spec.rb
@@ -68,6 +68,27 @@
           expect(sexp).to include_sexp [:export, ['TRAVIS_NODE_VERSION', '0.10']]
         end
       end
+
+    end
+  end
+
+  describe 'PATH manipulation' do
+    let(:sexp) { sexp_find(subject, [:if, "$(echo :$PATH: | grep -v :./node_modules/.bin:)"]) }
+
+    context "when node_modules option is not set" do
+      it 'does adds "./node_modules/.bin" to PATH' do
+        expect(sexp).to include_sexp [:export, ['PATH', "./node_modules/.bin:$PATH"], echo: true]
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "when node_modules option is set to false" do
+      before :each do
+        data[:config][:node_modules] = false
+      end
+
+      it 'does not add "./node_modules/.bin" to PATH' do
+        expect(sexp).not_to include_sexp [:export, ['PATH', "./node_modules/.bin:$PATH"], echo: true]
+      end
     end
   end