diff --git a/npm/install.js b/npm/install.js
index f49189d4c3d1..3a93295f35db 100755
--- a/npm/install.js
+++ b/npm/install.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ download({
   platform: process.env.npm_config_platform,
   arch: process.env.npm_config_arch,
   strictSSL: process.env.npm_config_strict_ssl === 'true',
-  force: process.env.force_no_cache || false,
+  force: process.env.force_no_cache === 'true',
   quiet: ['info', 'verbose', 'silly', 'http'].indexOf(process.env.npm_config_loglevel) === -1
 }, extractFile)