diff --git a/script/compile-coffee.py b/script/compile-coffee.py
index 179931a5db0a..c7eb3fccba66 100755
--- a/script/compile-coffee.py
+++ b/script/compile-coffee.py
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ import sys
 
 SOURCE_ROOT = os.path.dirname(os.path.dirname(__file__))
 WINDOWS_NODE_PATHs = [
-  'C:/Program Files/nodejs/node.exe',
-  'C:/Program Files (x86)/nodejs/node.exe',
-]
+  'C:/Program Files (x86)/nodejs',
+  'C:/Program Files/nodejs',
+] + os.environ['PATH'].split(os.pathsep)
 
 
 def main():
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ def main():
   if sys.platform in ['win32', 'cygwin']:
     node = find_node()
     if not node:
-      print 'Node.js is required for building atom-shell'
+      print 'Node.js not found in PATH for building atom-shell'
       return 1
     subprocess.check_call(['node', coffee, '-c', '-o', output_dir, input_file],
                           executable=node)
@@ -31,8 +31,9 @@ def main():
 
 def find_node():
   for path in WINDOWS_NODE_PATHs:
-    if os.path.exists(path):
-      return path
+    full_path = os.path.join(path, 'node.exe')
+    if os.path.exists(full_path):
+      return full_path
   return None