diff --git a/node-gyp/lib/configure.js b/node-gyp/lib/configure.js

index 564564e..8de336c 100644

--- a/node-gyp/lib/configure.js

+++ b/node-gyp/lib/configure.js

@@ -56,6 +56,15 @@ function configure (gyp, argv, callback) {

         return callback(new Error('Invalid version number: ' + release.version))

       }

+      if (!gyp.opts.tarball) {

+        // use system nodeDir

+        gyp.opts.ensure = true

+        nodeDir = '/usr'

+        log.verbose('get node dir', 'use system node dir: %s', nodeDir)

+        createBuildDir()

+        return

+      }

+

       // If the tarball option is set, always remove and reinstall the headers

       // into devdir. Otherwise only install if they're not already there.

       gyp.opts.ensure = !gyp.opts.tarball