diff --git a/scripts/lib/devtool/__init__.py b/scripts/lib/devtool/__init__.py
index b432e3d44e..e675133f63 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/devtool/__init__.py
+++ b/scripts/lib/devtool/__init__.py
@@ -259,3 +259,32 @@ def get_bbclassextend_targets(recipefile, pn):
             elif variant in ['native', 'cross', 'crosssdk']:
                 targets.append('%s-%s' % (pn, variant))
     return targets
+
+def ensure_npm(config, basepath, fixed_setup=False):
+    """
+    Ensure that npm is available and either build it or show a
+    reasonable error message
+    """
+    tinfoil = setup_tinfoil(config_only=True, basepath=basepath)
+    try:
+        nativepath = tinfoil.config_data.getVar('STAGING_BINDIR_NATIVE', True)
+    finally:
+        tinfoil.shutdown()
+
+    npmpath = os.path.join(nativepath, 'npm')
+    if not os.path.exists(npmpath):
+        logger.info('Building nodejs-native')
+        try:
+            exec_build_env_command(config.init_path, basepath,
+                                'bitbake -q nodejs-native', watch=True)
+        except bb.process.ExecutionError as e:
+            if "Nothing PROVIDES 'nodejs-native'" in e.stdout:
+                if fixed_setup:
+                    msg = 'nodejs-native is required for npm but is not available within this SDK'
+                else:
+                    msg = 'nodejs-native is required for npm but is not available - you will likely need to add a layer that provides nodejs'
+                raise DevtoolError(msg)
+            else:
+                raise
+        if not os.path.exists(npmpath):
+            raise DevtoolError('Built nodejs-native but npm binary still could not be found at %s' % npmpath)
diff --git a/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py b/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py
index 02ed23574b..4b9b173156 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py
+++ b/scripts/lib/devtool/standard.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ import errno
 import glob
 import filecmp
 from collections import OrderedDict
-from devtool import exec_build_env_command, setup_tinfoil, check_workspace_recipe, use_external_build, setup_git_repo, recipe_to_append, get_bbclassextend_targets, DevtoolError
+from devtool import exec_build_env_command, setup_tinfoil, check_workspace_recipe, use_external_build, setup_git_repo, recipe_to_append, get_bbclassextend_targets, ensure_npm, DevtoolError
 from devtool import parse_recipe
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('devtool')
@@ -128,6 +128,9 @@ def add(args, config, basepath, workspace):
         color = args.color
     extracmdopts = ''
     if args.fetchuri:
+        if args.fetchuri.startswith('npm://'):
+            ensure_npm(config, basepath, args.fixed_setup)
+
         source = args.fetchuri
         if srctree:
             extracmdopts += ' -x %s' % srctree
@@ -150,13 +153,23 @@ def add(args, config, basepath, workspace):
 
     tempdir = tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix='devtool')
     try:
-        try:
-            stdout, _ = exec_build_env_command(config.init_path, basepath, 'recipetool --color=%s create -o %s "%s" %s' % (color, tempdir, source, extracmdopts))
-        except bb.process.ExecutionError as e:
-            if e.exitcode == 15:
-                raise DevtoolError('Could not auto-determine recipe name, please specify it on the command line')
-            else:
-                raise DevtoolError('Command \'%s\' failed:\n%s' % (e.command, e.stdout))
+        while True:
+            try:
+                stdout, _ = exec_build_env_command(config.init_path, basepath, 'recipetool --color=%s create -o %s "%s" %s' % (color, tempdir, source, extracmdopts))
+            except bb.process.ExecutionError as e:
+                if e.exitcode == 14:
+                    # FIXME this is a horrible hack that is unfortunately
+                    # necessary due to the fact that we can't run bitbake from
+                    # inside recipetool since recipetool keeps tinfoil active
+                    # with references to it throughout the code, so we have
+                    # to exit out and come back here to do it.
+                    ensure_npm(config, basepath, args.fixed_setup)
+                    continue
+                elif e.exitcode == 15:
+                    raise DevtoolError('Could not auto-determine recipe name, please specify it on the command line')
+                else:
+                    raise DevtoolError('Command \'%s\' failed:\n%s' % (e.command, e.stdout))
+            break
 
         recipes = glob.glob(os.path.join(tempdir, '*.bb'))
         if recipes:
@@ -1567,7 +1580,7 @@ def register_commands(subparsers, context):
     parser_add.add_argument('--binary', '-b', help='Treat the source tree as something that should be installed verbatim (no compilation, same directory structure). Useful with binary packages e.g. RPMs.', action='store_true')
     parser_add.add_argument('--also-native', help='Also add native variant (i.e. support building recipe for the build host as well as the target machine)', action='store_true')
     parser_add.add_argument('--src-subdir', help='Specify subdirectory within source tree to use', metavar='SUBDIR')
-    parser_add.set_defaults(func=add)
+    parser_add.set_defaults(func=add, fixed_setup=context.fixed_setup)
 
     parser_modify = subparsers.add_parser('modify', help='Modify the source for an existing recipe',
                                        description='Sets up the build environment to modify the source for an existing recipe. The default behaviour is to extract the source being fetched by the recipe into a git tree so you can work on it; alternatively if you already have your own pre-prepared source tree you can specify -n/--no-extract.',
diff --git a/scripts/lib/recipetool/create.py b/scripts/lib/recipetool/create.py
index 9b31fe92d7..d427d32062 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/recipetool/create.py
+++ b/scripts/lib/recipetool/create.py
@@ -406,10 +406,7 @@ def create_recipe(args):
         srctree = tempsrc
         if fetchuri.startswith('npm://'):
             # Check if npm is available
-            npm = bb.utils.which(tinfoil.config_data.getVar('PATH', True), 'npm')
-            if not npm:
-                logger.error('npm:// URL requested but npm is not available - you need to either build nodejs-native or install npm using your package manager')
-                sys.exit(1)
+            check_npm(tinfoil.config_data)
         logger.info('Fetching %s...' % srcuri)
         try:
             checksums = scriptutils.fetch_uri(tinfoil.config_data, fetchuri, srctree, srcrev)
@@ -1076,6 +1073,11 @@ def convert_rpm_xml(xmlfile):
     return values
 
 
+def check_npm(d):
+    if not os.path.exists(os.path.join(d.getVar('STAGING_BINDIR_NATIVE', True), 'npm')):
+        logger.error('npm required to process specified source, but npm is not available - you need to build nodejs-native first')
+        sys.exit(14)
+
 def register_commands(subparsers):
     parser_create = subparsers.add_parser('create',
                                           help='Create a new recipe',
diff --git a/scripts/lib/recipetool/create_npm.py b/scripts/lib/recipetool/create_npm.py
index e794614978..7bb844cb0c 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/recipetool/create_npm.py
+++ b/scripts/lib/recipetool/create_npm.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import subprocess
 import tempfile
 import shutil
 import json
-from recipetool.create import RecipeHandler, split_pkg_licenses, handle_license_vars
+from recipetool.create import RecipeHandler, split_pkg_licenses, handle_license_vars, check_npm
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('recipetool')
 
@@ -157,6 +157,8 @@ class NpmRecipeHandler(RecipeHandler):
 
         files = RecipeHandler.checkfiles(srctree, ['package.json'])
         if files:
+            check_npm(tinfoil.config_data)
+
             data = read_package_json(files[0])
             if 'name' in data and 'version' in data:
                 extravalues['PN'] = data['name']