Fix for https://github.com/npm/npm/issues/8020

gistfile1.diff

diff --git a/lib/install.js b/lib/install.js
index 32d9b10..066638d 100644
--- a/lib/install.js
+++ b/lib/install.js
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ var rimraf = require('rimraf')
 var clone = require('lodash.clonedeep')
 var iferr = require('iferr')
 var validate = require('aproba')
+var mkdirp = require('mkdirp')
 
 // npm internal utils
 var npm = require('./npm.js')
@@ -248,10 +249,15 @@ Installer.prototype.finishTracker = function (tracker, cb) {
   cb()
 }
 
+Installer.prototype.prepareBaseDirectory = function (cb) {
+    mkdirp(this.where, cb);
+}
+
 Installer.prototype.loadCurrentTree = function (cb) {
   validate('F', arguments)
   log.silly('install', 'loadCurrentTree')
   chain([
+    [this, this.prepareBaseDirectory],
     [this, this.readLocalPackageData],
     [this, this.normalizeTree, log.newGroup('normalizeTree')]
   ], cb)