diff --git a/node/.config/npm/npmrc b/node/.config/npm/npmrc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc84b78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/node/.config/npm/npmrc
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+prefix=${XDG_DATA_HOME}/npm
+cache=${XDG_CACHE_HOME}/npm
+tmp=${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}/npm
+init-module=${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/npm/config/npm-init.js
diff --git a/node/.config/profile/env.d/node.env b/node/.config/profile/env.d/node.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..febb293
--- /dev/null
+++ b/node/.config/profile/env.d/node.env
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# shellcheck disable=SC2034
+NPM_CONFIG_USERCONFIG="${XDG_CONFIG_HOME}/npm/npmrc"
diff --git a/install-scripts/.local/bin/install-node-system b/node/.local/bin/install-node-system
similarity index 66%
rename from install-scripts/.local/bin/install-node-system
rename to node/.local/bin/install-node-system
index b3310af..dc2da43 100755
--- a/install-scripts/.local/bin/install-node-system
+++ b/node/.local/bin/install-node-system
@@ -1,42 +1,35 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
-set -e
+NODE_VERSION=${NODE_VERSION:-v14.15.3}
+PREFIX_DIR=${PREFIX_DIR:-/usr/local}
 
-NODE_VERSION=${NODE_VERSION:-v12.16.2}
-
-PREFIX_DIR=/usr/local
 BIN_DIR=${PREFIX_DIR}/bin
-
-NODE_PREFIX_DIR=${PREFIX_DIR}/node
+NODE_PREFIX_DIR=${PREFIX_DIR}/apps/node
 NODE_DEST_DIR=${NODE_PREFIX_DIR}/${NODE_VERSION}
 NODE_DEST_BIN_DIR=${NODE_DEST_DIR}/bin
 NODE_CURRENT=${NODE_PREFIX_DIR}/current
 
 OS=
-if [[ $OSTYPE =~ linux ]]; then
-    OS=linux
-elif [[  $OSTYPE =~ darwin ]]; then
-    OS=darwin
-else
-    echo unknown os: "$OSTYPE"
-    exit 1
-fi
-
 ARCH=
-if [[ $(uname -m) == x86_64 ]]; then
-    ARCH=x64
-else
-    echo arch not yet supported: "$(uname -m)"
-    exit 1
-fi
+case $(uname -s) in
+    Linux*)     OS=linux;;
+    Darwin*)    OS=darwin;;
+    *)          >&2 echo "unsupported os"; return;
+esac
+
+case $(uname -m) in
+    x86_64*)    ARCH=x64;;
+    *)          >&2 echo "unsupported architecture: $(uname -m)"; exit 1;;
+esac
 
 [[ -d "${NODE_DEST_DIR}" ]] || sudo mkdir -p "${NODE_DEST_DIR}"
 
+URL=https://nodejs.org/dist/${NODE_VERSION}/node-${NODE_VERSION}-${OS}-${ARCH}.tar.xz
+
 TMP_DIR=
 if [[ ! -d ${NODE_DEST_BIN_DIR} ]]; then
     TMP_DIR=$(mktemp --directory)
     DEST_FILE=$TMP_DIR/node.tar.xz
-    URL=https://nodejs.org/dist/${NODE_VERSION}/node-${NODE_VERSION}-${OS}-${ARCH}.tar.xz
     echo downloading node "$NODE_VERSION" to temp directory "${TMP_DIR}"
     curl --silent --output "${DEST_FILE}" "${URL}"
 
@@ -46,11 +39,11 @@ else
     echo node "$NODE_VERSION" already installed
 fi
 
-cd ${NODE_PREFIX_DIR}
+cd "${NODE_PREFIX_DIR}" || exit 1
 [[ -s current ]] && sudo unlink current
 sudo ln --symbolic "${NODE_VERSION}" current
 echo current version set to "${NODE_VERSION}"
-cd ${BIN_DIR}
+cd "${BIN_DIR}" || exit 1
 for bin in "${NODE_CURRENT}/bin/"*; do
     [[ -s $bin ]] || sudo ln --symbolic "${NODE_CURRENT}/bin/$bin"
 done