diff --git a/bin/node-build b/bin/node-build
index 7d2b9f009..e9c141fe8 100755
--- a/bin/node-build
+++ b/bin/node-build
@@ -605,37 +605,27 @@ fetch_git() {
 
   echo "Cloning ${git_url}..." >&2
 
-  if type git &>/dev/null; then
-    if [ -n "$NODE_BUILD_CACHE_PATH" ]; then
-      # shellcheck disable=SC2164
-      pushd "$NODE_BUILD_CACHE_PATH" >&4
-      local clone_name
-      clone_name="$(sanitize "$git_url")"
-      if [ -e "$clone_name" ]; then
-        { # shellcheck disable=SC2164
-          cd "$clone_name"
-          git fetch --force "$git_url" "+${git_ref}:${git_ref}"
-        } >&4 2>&1
-      else
-        git clone --bare --branch "$git_ref" "$git_url" "${clone_name}" >&4 2>&1
-      fi
-      git_url="$NODE_BUILD_CACHE_PATH/${clone_name}"
-      # shellcheck disable=SC2164
-      popd >&4
-    fi
+  if ! type git &>/dev/null; then
+    echo "error: please install \`git\` and try again" >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
 
-    if [ -e "${package_name}" ]; then
-      ( # shellcheck disable=SC2164
-        cd "${package_name}"
-        git fetch --depth 1 origin "+${git_ref}"
-        git checkout -q -B "$git_ref" "origin/${git_ref}"
-      ) >&4 2>&1
+  if [ -n "$NODE_BUILD_CACHE_PATH" ]; then
+    local cache_dir
+    cache_dir="$NODE_BUILD_CACHE_PATH/$(sanitize "$git_url")"
+    if [ -e "$cache_dir" ]; then
+      git -C "$cache_dir" fetch --force "$git_url" "+${git_ref}:${git_ref}" >&4 2>&1
     else
-      git clone --depth 1 --branch "$git_ref" "$git_url" "${package_name}" >&4 2>&1
+      git clone --bare --branch "$git_ref" "$git_url" "$cache_dir" >&4 2>&1
     fi
+    git_url="$cache_dir"
+  fi
+
+  if [ -e "${package_name}" ]; then
+    git -C "$package_name" fetch --depth 1 origin "+${git_ref}" >&4 2>&1
+    git -C "$package_name" checkout -q -B "$git_ref" "origin/${git_ref}" >&4 2>&1
   else
-    echo "error: please install \`git\` and try again" >&2
-    exit 1
+    git clone --depth 1 --branch "$git_ref" "$git_url" "${package_name}" >&4 2>&1
   fi
 }
 
@@ -750,14 +740,9 @@ build_package_autoconf() {
   } >&4 2>&1
 }
 
-build_package_copy_to() {
-  to="$1"
-  mkdir -p "$to"
-  cp -fR . "$to"
-}
-
 build_package_copy() {
-  build_package_copy_to "$PREFIX_PATH"
+  mkdir -p "$PREFIX_PATH"
+  cp -fR . "$PREFIX_PATH"
 }
 
 build_package_jxcore_v8_328() {
@@ -832,25 +817,13 @@ require_llvm() {
   :
 }
 
-# Ensure that directories listed in LDFLAGS exist
+# Kept for backward compatibility with 3rd-party definitions.
 build_package_ldflags_dirs() {
-  local ldflags
-  read -d '' -r -a ldflags <<<"$LDFLAGS" || true
-  local index=0
-  local dir
-  while [ "$index" -lt "${#ldflags[@]}" ]; do
-    dir=""
-    case "${ldflags[index]}" in
-    -L  ) dir="${ldflags[index+1]}" ;;
-    -L* ) dir="${ldflags[index]#-L}" ;;
-    esac
-    [ -z "$dir" ] || mkdir -p "$dir"
-    index=$((index+1))
-  done
+  true
 }
 
 build_package_enable_shared() {
-  if [[ " ${NODE_CONFIGURE_OPTS} " != *" --disable-shared"* ]]; then
+  if [[ " ${NODE_CONFIGURE_OPTS} ${NODE_CONFIGURE_OPTS_ARRAY[*]}" != *" --disable-shared"* ]]; then
     package_option node configure --enable-shared
   fi
 }
@@ -1122,9 +1095,6 @@ else
   fi
 fi
 
-export LDFLAGS="-L${PREFIX_PATH}/lib ${LDFLAGS}"
-export CPPFLAGS="-I${PREFIX_PATH}/include ${CPPFLAGS}"
-
 unset NODEOPT
 unset NODELIB
 
diff --git a/test/arguments.bats b/test/arguments.bats
index c1d6053ad..003c810cc 100755
--- a/test/arguments.bats
+++ b/test/arguments.bats
@@ -3,23 +3,19 @@
 load test_helper
 
 @test "not enough arguments for node-build" {
+  mkdir -p "$TMP"
   # use empty inline definition so nothing gets built anyway
-  local definition="${BATS_TMPDIR}/build-definition"
-  echo '' > "$definition"
-
-  run node-build "$definition"
-
+  touch "${TMP}/empty-definition"
+  run node-build "${TMP}/empty-definition"
   assert_failure
   assert_output --partial 'Usage: node-build'
 }
 
 @test "extra arguments for node-build" {
+  mkdir -p "$TMP"
   # use empty inline definition so nothing gets built anyway
-  local definition="${BATS_TMPDIR}/build-definition"
-  echo '' > "$definition"
-
-  run node-build "$definition" "${BATS_TMPDIR}/install" ""
-
+  touch "${TMP}/empty-definition"
+  run node-build "${TMP}/empty-definition" "${TMP}/install" ""
   assert_failure
   assert_output --partial 'Usage: node-build'
 }
diff --git a/test/build.bats b/test/build.bats
index a4787be2a..364699c38 100755
--- a/test/build.bats
+++ b/test/build.bats
@@ -21,36 +21,69 @@ executable() {
 }
 
 cached_tarball() {
-  mkdir -p "$NODE_BUILD_CACHE_PATH"
-  pushd "$NODE_BUILD_CACHE_PATH" >/dev/null
-  tarball "$@"
-  popd >/dev/null
+  local save_to_fixtures
+  case "$*" in
+  "node-v4.0.0 configure" )
+    save_to_fixtures=1
+    ;;
+  esac
+
+  local tarball="${1}.tar.gz"
+  local fixture_tarball="${FIXTURE_ROOT}/${tarball}"
+  local cached_tarball="${NODE_BUILD_CACHE_PATH}/${tarball}"
+  shift 1
+  
+  if [ -n "$save_to_fixtures" ] && [ -e "$fixture_tarball" ]; then
+    mkdir -p "$(dirname "$cached_tarball")"
+    cp "$fixture_tarball" "$cached_tarball"
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  generate_tarball "$cached_tarball" "$@"
+  [ -z "$save_to_fixtures" ] || cp "$cached_tarball" "$fixture_tarball"
 }
 
-tarball() {
-  local name="$1"
-  local path="$PWD/$name"
-  local configure="$path/configure"
+generate_tarball() {
+  local tarfile="$1"
   shift 1
+  local name path
+  name="$(basename "${tarfile%.tar.gz}")"
+  path="$(mktemp -d "$TMP/tarball.XXXXX")/${name}"
 
-  executable "$configure" <<OUT
+  local file target
+  for file; do
+    case "$file" in
+    config | configure )
+      mkdir -p "$(dirname "${path}/${file}")"
+      cat > "${path}/${file}" <<OUT
 #!$BASH
 IFS=,
 echo "$name: [\$*]" \${NODEOPT:+NODEOPT=\$NODEOPT} >> build.log
 OUT
-
-  for file; do
-    mkdir -p "$(dirname "${path}/${file}")"
-    touch "${path}/${file}"
+      chmod +x "${path}/${file}"
+      ;;
+    *:* )
+      target="${file#*:}"
+      file="${file%:*}"
+      mkdir -p "$(dirname "${path}/${file}")"
+      cp "$target" "${path}/${file}"
+      ;;
+    * )
+      mkdir -p "$(dirname "${path}/${file}")"
+      touch "${path}/${file}"
+      ;;
+    esac
   done
 
-  tar czf "${path}.tar.gz" -C "${path%/*}" "$name"
+  mkdir -p "$(dirname "$tarfile")"
+  tar czf "$tarfile" -C "${path%/*}" "$name"
+  rm -rf "$path"
 }
 
 stub_make_install() {
   stub "$MAKE" \
     " : echo \"$MAKE \$(inspect_args \"\$@\")\" >> build.log" \
-    "install : echo \"$MAKE \$(inspect_args \"\$@\")\" >> build.log && cat build.log >> '$INSTALL_ROOT/build.log'"
+    "install* : echo \"$MAKE \$(inspect_args \"\$@\")\" >> build.log && cat build.log >> '$INSTALL_ROOT/build.log'"
 }
 
 assert_build_log() {
@@ -59,8 +92,10 @@ assert_build_log() {
 }
 
 @test "apply node patch before building" {
-  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0"
+  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0" configure
 
+  stub_repeated uname '-s : echo Linux'
+  stub_repeated brew false
   stub_make_install
   stub patch ' : echo patch "$@" | sed -E "s/\.[[:alnum:]]+$/.XXX/" >> build.log'
 
@@ -83,7 +118,7 @@ OUT
 }
 
 @test "striplevel node patch before building" {
-  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0"
+  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0" configure
 
   stub_make_install
   stub patch ' : echo patch "$@" | sed -E "s/\.[[:alnum:]]+$/.XXX/" >> build.log'
@@ -107,7 +142,7 @@ OUT
 }
 
 @test "apply node patch from git diff before building" {
-  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0"
+  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0" configure
 
   stub_make_install
   stub patch ' : echo patch "$@" | sed -E "s/\.[[:alnum:]]+$/.XXX/" >> build.log'
@@ -132,7 +167,7 @@ OUT
 }
 
 @test "forward extra command-line arguments as configure flags" {
-  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0"
+  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0" configure
 
   stub_make_install
 
@@ -141,20 +176,20 @@ install_package "node-v4.0.0" "http://nodejs.org/dist/v4.0.0/node-v4.0.0.tar.gz"
 DEF
 
   # TODO: use configure flags meaningful to node
-  NODE_CONFIGURE_OPTS='--with-readline-dir=/custom' run node-build "$BATS_TMPDIR/build-definition" "$INSTALL_ROOT" -- cppflags="-DYJIT_FORCE_ENABLE -DRUBY_PATCHLEVEL_NAME=test" --with-openssl-dir=/path/to/openssl
+  NODE_CONFIGURE_OPTS='--with-readline-dir=/custom' run node-build "$BATS_TMPDIR/build-definition" "$INSTALL_ROOT" -- cppflags="-DYJIT_FORCE_ENABLE -DNODE_PATCHLEVEL_NAME=test" --with-openssl-dir=/path/to/openssl
   assert_success
 
   unstub make
 
   assert_build_log <<OUT
-node-v4.0.0: [--prefix=$INSTALL_ROOT,cppflags=-DYJIT_FORCE_ENABLE -DRUBY_PATCHLEVEL_NAME=test,--with-openssl-dir=/path/to/openssl,--with-readline-dir=/custom]
+node-v4.0.0: [--prefix=$INSTALL_ROOT,cppflags=-DYJIT_FORCE_ENABLE -DNODE_PATCHLEVEL_NAME=test,--with-openssl-dir=/path/to/openssl,--with-readline-dir=/custom]
 make -j 2
 make install
 OUT
 }
 
 @test "number of CPU cores defaults to 2" {
-  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0"
+  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0" configure
 
   stub_repeated uname '-s : echo Darwin'
   stub sysctl false
@@ -177,7 +212,7 @@ OUT
 }
 
 @test "number of CPU cores is detected on Mac" {
-  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0"
+  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0" configure
 
   stub_repeated uname '-s : echo Darwin'
   stub sysctl '-n hw.ncpu : echo 4'
@@ -201,7 +236,7 @@ OUT
 }
 
 @test "number of CPU cores is detected on FreeBSD" {
-  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0"
+  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0" configure
 
   stub_repeated uname '-s : echo FreeBSD'
   stub sysctl '-n hw.ncpu : echo 1'
@@ -226,7 +261,7 @@ OUT
 }
 
 @test "using MAKE_INSTALL_OPTS" {
-  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0"
+  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0" configure
 
   stub_repeated uname '-s : echo Linux'
   stub_make_install
@@ -243,7 +278,7 @@ DEF
   assert_build_log <<OUT
 node-v4.0.0: --prefix=$INSTALL_ROOT
 make -j 2
-make install --globalmake RUBYMAKE=true with spaces
+make install --globalmake NODEMAKE=true with spaces
 OUT
 }
 
@@ -257,7 +292,7 @@ OUT
 }
 
 @test "make on FreeBSD defaults to gmake" {
-  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0"
+  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0" configure
 
   stub_repeated uname "-s : echo FreeBSD"
   MAKE=gmake stub_make_install
@@ -270,7 +305,7 @@ OUT
 }
 
 @test "can use NODE_CONFIGURE to apply a patch" {
-  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0"
+  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0" configure
 
   executable "${BATS_TMPDIR}/custom-configure" <<CONF
 #!$BASH
@@ -336,8 +371,8 @@ OUT
   assert_output "node-build: TMPDIR=$TMPDIR is set to a non-accessible location"
 }
 
-@test "initializes LDFLAGS directories" {
-  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0"
+@test "does not initialize LDFLAGS directories" {
+  cached_tarball "node-v4.0.0" configure
 
   export LDFLAGS="-L ${BATS_TEST_DIRNAME}/what/evs"
   run_inline_definition <<DEF
@@ -345,8 +380,8 @@ install_package "node-v4.0.0" "http://nodejs.org/dist/v4.0.0/node-v4.0.0.tar.gz"
 DEF
   assert_success
 
-  assert [ -d "${INSTALL_ROOT}/lib" ]
-  assert [ -d "${BATS_TEST_DIRNAME}/what/evs" ]
+  assert [ ! -d "${INSTALL_ROOT}/lib" ]
+  assert [ ! -d "${BATS_TEST_DIRNAME}/what/evs" ]
 }
 
 @test "directory structure is fixed for jxcore source builds" {
diff --git a/test/cache.bats b/test/cache.bats
index 9aa3c5ba1..804309f64 100755
--- a/test/cache.bats
+++ b/test/cache.bats
@@ -4,14 +4,10 @@ load test_helper
 export NODE_BUILD_SKIP_MIRROR=1
 export NODE_BUILD_CACHE_PATH="$BATS_TMPDIR/cache"
 
-setup() {
-  mkdir -p "$NODE_BUILD_CACHE_PATH"
-}
-
-
 @test "packages are saved to download cache" {
   stub curl "-q -o * -*S* http://example.com/* : cp $FIXTURE_ROOT/\${5##*/} \$3"
 
+  mkdir -p "$NODE_BUILD_CACHE_PATH"
   install_fixture definitions/without-checksum
 
   assert_success
@@ -23,6 +19,8 @@ setup() {
 
 @test "cached package without checksum" {
   stub curl
+
+  mkdir -p "$NODE_BUILD_CACHE_PATH"
   cp "${FIXTURE_ROOT}/package-1.0.0.tar.gz" "$NODE_BUILD_CACHE_PATH"
 
   install_fixture definitions/without-checksum
@@ -37,6 +35,8 @@ setup() {
 @test "cached package with valid checksum" {
   stub shasum true "echo ba988b1bb4250dee0b9dd3d4d722f9c64b2bacfc805d1b6eba7426bda72dd3c5"
   stub curl
+
+  mkdir -p "$NODE_BUILD_CACHE_PATH"
   cp "${FIXTURE_ROOT}/package-1.0.0.tar.gz" "$NODE_BUILD_CACHE_PATH"
 
   install_fixture definitions/with-checksum
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ setup() {
   stub shasum true "echo invalid" "echo $checksum"
   stub curl "-q -o * -*S* http://example.com/* : cp $FIXTURE_ROOT/package-1.0.0.tar.gz \$3"
 
+  mkdir -p "$NODE_BUILD_CACHE_PATH"
   touch "${NODE_BUILD_CACHE_PATH}/package-1.0.0.tar.gz"
 
   install_fixture definitions/with-checksum
diff --git a/test/fetch.bats b/test/fetch.bats
index 25b3ac834..e843106a3 100755
--- a/test/fetch.bats
+++ b/test/fetch.bats
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ OUT
 @test "updating existing git repository" {
   mkdir -p "${NODE_BUILD_BUILD_PATH}/package-dev"
   stub git \
-    "fetch --depth 1 origin +main : true" \
-    "checkout -q -B main origin/main : true"
+    "-C package-dev fetch --depth 1 origin +main : true" \
+    "-C package-dev checkout -q -B main origin/main : true"
 
   run_inline_definition <<DEF
 install_git "package-dev" "http://example.com/packages/package.git" main copy
diff --git a/test/fixtures/node-4.0.0.tar.gz b/test/fixtures/node-4.0.0.tar.gz
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0263f58cd
Binary files /dev/null and b/test/fixtures/node-4.0.0.tar.gz differ
diff --git a/test/installer.bats b/test/installer.bats
index d019b57bf..056020850 100755
--- a/test/installer.bats
+++ b/test/installer.bats
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 load test_helper
 
 @test "installs node-build into PREFIX" {
-  cd "$BATS_TMPDIR"
+  mkdir -p "$TMP"
+  cd "$TMP"
   PREFIX="${PWD}/usr" run "${BATS_TEST_DIRNAME}/../install.sh"
   assert_success
   refute_output
@@ -19,7 +20,8 @@ load test_helper
 }
 
 @test "build definitions don't have the executable bit" {
-  cd "$BATS_TMPDIR"
+  mkdir -p "$TMP"
+  cd "$TMP"
   PREFIX="${PWD}/usr" run "${BATS_TEST_DIRNAME}/../install.sh"
   assert_success
   refute_output
@@ -32,7 +34,8 @@ OUT
 }
 
 @test "overwrites old installation" {
-  cd "$BATS_TMPDIR"
+  mkdir -p "$TMP"
+  cd "$TMP"
   mkdir -p bin share/node-build
   touch bin/node-build
   touch share/node-build/0.10.36
@@ -47,7 +50,8 @@ OUT
 }
 
 @test "unrelated files are untouched" {
-  cd "$BATS_TMPDIR"
+  mkdir -p "$TMP"
+  cd "$TMP"
   mkdir -p bin share/bananas
   chmod g-w bin
   touch bin/bananas
diff --git a/test/test_helper.bash b/test/test_helper.bash
index c7ace1aa9..36ebd4aa2 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.bash
+++ b/test/test_helper.bash
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # shellcheck shell=bash
 
 BATS_TMPDIR="$BATS_TEST_DIRNAME/tmp"
+export TMP="$BATS_TMPDIR"/node-build-test
 export NODE_BUILD_CURL_OPTS=
 export NODE_BUILD_HTTP_CLIENT="curl"
 export NODE_BUILD_TESTING=true
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ remove_commands_from_path() {
 }
 
 teardown() {
-  rm -fr "${BATS_TMPDIR:?}"/*
+  rm -fr "${TMP:?}"
 }
 
 stub_repeated() {