diff --git a/cmake/macros/FindNPM.cmake b/cmake/macros/FindNPM.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c66114f878
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/macros/FindNPM.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#
+#  FindNPM.cmake
+#  cmake/macros
+#
+#  Created by Thijs Wenker on 01/23/18.
+#  Copyright 2018 High Fidelity, Inc.
+#
+#  Distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
+#  See the accompanying file LICENSE or http:#www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
+#
+
+macro(find_npm)
+  find_program(NPM_EXECUTABLE "npm")
+endmacro()
diff --git a/interface/CMakeLists.txt b/interface/CMakeLists.txt
index 130848fc08..b03a4637d0 100644
--- a/interface/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/interface/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ endif()
 file(GLOB_RECURSE INTERFACE_SRCS "src/*.cpp" "src/*.h")
 GroupSources("src")
 
+find_npm()
+
 # Add SpeechRecognizer if on Windows or OS X, otherwise remove
 if (WIN32)
   # Use .cpp and .h files as is.
@@ -297,22 +299,38 @@ if (APPLE)
 
   set(SCRIPTS_INSTALL_DIR "${INTERFACE_INSTALL_APP_PATH}/Contents/Resources")
 
+  if (NPM_EXECUTABLE)
+    set(EXTRA_COPY_COMMANDS
+      COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E make_directory
+      "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${TARGET_NAME}>/../Resources/auto-complete"
+      COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy
+      "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/jsdoc/out/hifiJSDoc.json"
+      "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${TARGET_NAME}>/../Resources/auto-complete"
+    )
+  endif()
+
   # copy script files beside the executable
   add_custom_command(TARGET ${TARGET_NAME} POST_BUILD
     COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy_directory
     "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts"
     "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${TARGET_NAME}>/../Resources/scripts"
-    COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E make_directory
-    "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${TARGET_NAME}>/../Resources/auto-complete"
-    COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy
-    "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/jsdoc/out/hifiJSDoc.json"
-    "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${TARGET_NAME}>/../Resources/auto-complete"
+
+    ${EXTRA_COPY_COMMANDS}
   )
 
   # call the fixup_interface macro to add required bundling commands for installation
   fixup_interface()
 
 else (APPLE)
+  if (NPM_EXECUTABLE)
+    set(EXTRA_COPY_COMMANDS
+      COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E make_directory
+      "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${TARGET_NAME}>/resources/auto-complete"
+      COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy
+      "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/jsdoc/out/hifiJSDoc.json"
+      "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${TARGET_NAME}>/resources/auto-complete"
+    )
+  endif()
   # copy the resources files beside the executable
   add_custom_command(TARGET ${TARGET_NAME} POST_BUILD
     COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy_directory
@@ -321,11 +339,8 @@ else (APPLE)
     COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy_directory
     "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/scripts"
     "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${TARGET_NAME}>/scripts"
-    COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E make_directory
-    "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${TARGET_NAME}>/resources/auto-complete"
-    COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy
-    "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/jsdoc/out/hifiJSDoc.json"
-    "$<TARGET_FILE_DIR:${TARGET_NAME}>/resources/auto-complete"
+
+    ${EXTRA_COPY_COMMANDS}
   )
 
   # link target to external libraries
diff --git a/tools/CMakeLists.txt b/tools/CMakeLists.txt
index ac920d930d..53d7fc2836 100644
--- a/tools/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tools/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@
 add_subdirectory(scribe)
 set_target_properties(scribe PROPERTIES FOLDER "Tools")
 
-add_subdirectory(jsdoc)
-set_target_properties(jsdoc PROPERTIES FOLDER "Tools")
+find_npm()
+if (NPM_EXECUTABLE)
+  add_subdirectory(jsdoc)
+  set_target_properties(jsdoc PROPERTIES FOLDER "Tools")
+endif()
 
 if (BUILD_TOOLS)
   add_subdirectory(udt-test)
diff --git a/tools/jsdoc/CMakeLists.txt b/tools/jsdoc/CMakeLists.txt
index 36c2af4265..b52d229130 100644
--- a/tools/jsdoc/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tools/jsdoc/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ set(TARGET_NAME jsdoc)
 
 add_custom_target(${TARGET_NAME})
 
+find_npm()
+
 SET(JSDOC_WORKING_DIR ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/tools/jsdoc)
 file(TO_NATIVE_PATH ${JSDOC_WORKING_DIR}/node_modules/.bin/jsdoc JSDOC_PATH)
 file(TO_NATIVE_PATH ${JSDOC_WORKING_DIR}/config.json JSDOC_CONFIG_PATH)
@@ -9,7 +11,7 @@ file(TO_NATIVE_PATH ${JSDOC_WORKING_DIR}/out OUTPUT_DIR)
 file(TO_NATIVE_PATH ${JSDOC_WORKING_DIR} NATIVE_JSDOC_WORKING_DIR)
 
 add_custom_command(TARGET ${TARGET_NAME}
-  COMMAND (npm --no-progress install) && (${JSDOC_PATH} ${NATIVE_JSDOC_WORKING_DIR} -c ${JSDOC_CONFIG_PATH} -d ${OUTPUT_DIR})
+  COMMAND (${NPM_EXECUTABLE} --no-progress install) && (${JSDOC_PATH} ${NATIVE_JSDOC_WORKING_DIR} -c ${JSDOC_CONFIG_PATH} -d ${OUTPUT_DIR})
   WORKING_DIRECTORY ${JSDOC_WORKING_DIR}
   COMMENT "generate the JSDoc JSON for the JSConsole auto-completer"
 )