diff --git a/bin/npm.js b/bin/npm.js
index b508757346ca5..32d74b34e5161 100755
--- a/bin/npm.js
+++ b/bin/npm.js
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ var fs = require("../lib/utils/graceful-fs")
   , types = configDefs.types
   , nopt = require("nopt")
 
+// if npm is called as "npmg" or "npm_g", then
+// run in global mode.
+if(path.basename(process.argv[1]).slice(-1)  === "g") {
+  process.argv.splice(1, 1, "npm", "-g")
+}
+
 log.verbose(process.argv, "cli")
 
 var conf = nopt(types, shorthands)
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 04cc45a409e72..9f71636e9dea9 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@
                   , "bin" : "./bin"
                   }
 , "main" : "npm"
-, "bin" : "./bin/npm.js"
+, "bin" : { "npm" : "./bin/npm.js"
+          , "npm_g" : "./bin/npm.js"
+          , "npm-g" : "./bin/npm.js" }
 , "dependencies" :
   { "semver" : "1"
   , "abbrev" : "1"