diff --git a/tools/isobuild/package-source.js b/tools/isobuild/package-source.js
index 210f6d03e8..ec0998d9fc 100644
--- a/tools/isobuild/package-source.js
+++ b/tools/isobuild/package-source.js
@@ -860,6 +860,9 @@ _.extend(PackageSource.prototype, {
     const testModulesByArch =
       projectContext.meteorConfig.getTestModulesByArch();
 
+    const nodeModulesToRecompileByArch =
+      projectContext.meteorConfig.getNodeModulesToRecompileByArch();
+
     projectWatchSet.merge(projectContext.meteorConfig.watchSet);
 
     _.each(compiler.ALL_ARCHES, function (arch) {
@@ -871,10 +874,13 @@ _.extend(PackageSource.prototype, {
       }
 
       const mainModule = projectContext.meteorConfig
-        .getMainModuleForArch(arch, mainModulesByArch);
+        .getMainModule(arch, mainModulesByArch);
 
       const testModule = projectContext.meteorConfig
-        .getTestModuleForArch(arch, testModulesByArch);
+        .getTestModule(arch, testModulesByArch);
+
+      const nodeModulesToRecompile = projectContext.meteorConfig
+        .getNodeModulesToRecompile(arch, nodeModulesToRecompileByArch);
 
       // XXX what about /web.browser/* etc, these directories could also
       // be for specific client targets.
@@ -895,6 +901,7 @@ _.extend(PackageSource.prototype, {
             ignoreFiles,
             isApp: true,
             testModule,
+            nodeModulesToRecompile,
           };
 
           // If this architecture has a mainModule defined in
@@ -1094,6 +1101,7 @@ _.extend(PackageSource.prototype, {
     isApp,
     sourceArch,
     testModule,
+    nodeModulesToRecompile = new Set,
     loopChecker = new SymlinkLoopChecker(this.sourceRoot),
     ignoreFiles = []
   }) {
@@ -1254,7 +1262,7 @@ _.extend(PackageSource.prototype, {
 
       // If we're in a node_modules directory, cache the results of the
       // find function for the duration of the process.
-      const cacheKey = inNodeModules && makeCacheKey(dir);
+      let cacheKey = inNodeModules && makeCacheKey(dir);
       if (cacheKey &&
           cacheKey in self._findSourcesCache) {
         return self._findSourcesCache[cacheKey];
@@ -1273,14 +1281,22 @@ _.extend(PackageSource.prototype, {
         }
       }
 
-      const pkgJson = optimisticLookupPackageJson(self.sourceRoot, dir);
-      const hasModuleEntryPoint = pkgJson && (
-        isWeb ? typeof pkgJson.module === "string" : pkgJson.type === "module"
-      );
+      let readOptions = sourceReadOptions;
+      if (inNodeModules) {
+        const pkgJson = optimisticLookupPackageJson(self.sourceRoot, dir);
+        const shouldRecompile =
+          pkgJson && nodeModulesToRecompile.has(pkgJson.name);
+        const hasModuleEntryPoint = pkgJson && (
+          typeof pkgJson.module === "string" || pkgJson.type === "module"
+        );
 
-      const readOptions = inNodeModules && !hasModuleEntryPoint
-        ? nodeModulesReadOptions
-        : sourceReadOptions;
+        if (hasModuleEntryPoint || shouldRecompile) {
+          // Avoid caching node_modules code recompiled by Meteor.
+          cacheKey = false;
+        } else {
+          readOptions = nodeModulesReadOptions;
+        }
+      }
 
       const sources = _.difference(
         self._readAndWatchDirectory(dir, watchSet, readOptions),
diff --git a/tools/project-context.js b/tools/project-context.js
index 7806436baf..fdc136b9f2 100644
--- a/tools/project-context.js
+++ b/tools/project-context.js
@@ -1649,9 +1649,47 @@ export class MeteorConfig {
     }
   }
 
-  // Call this first if you plan to call getMainModuleForArch multiple
+  getNodeModulesToRecompileByArch() {
+    const packageNamesByArch = Object.create(null);
+    const recompile = this.get("nodeModules", "recompile");
+
+    if (recompile && typeof recompile === "object") {
+      const get = arch => packageNamesByArch[arch] || (
+        packageNamesByArch[arch] = new Set);
+
+      Object.keys(recompile).forEach(packageName => {
+        const info = recompile[packageName];
+        if (! info) return;
+        if (info === true) {
+          get("web").add(packageName);
+          get("os").add(packageName);
+        } else if (typeof info === "string") {
+          mapWhereToArches(info).forEach(arch => {
+            get(arch).add(packageName);
+          });
+        } else if (Array.isArray(info)) {
+          info.forEach(where => {
+            mapWhereToArches(where).forEach(arch => {
+              get(arch).add(packageName);
+            });
+          });
+        }
+      });
+    }
+
+    return packageNamesByArch;
+  }
+
+  getNodeModulesToRecompile(
+    arch,
+    packageNamesByArch = this.getNodeModulesToRecompileByArch(),
+  ) {
+    return packageNamesByArch[arch];
+  }
+
+  // Call this first if you plan to call getMainModule multiple
   // times, so that you can avoid repeating this work each time.
-  getMainModulesByArch(arch) {
+  getMainModulesByArch() {
     return this._getEntryModulesByArch("mainModule");
   }
 
@@ -1659,24 +1697,24 @@ export class MeteorConfig {
   // that architecture. For example, if this.config.mainModule.client is
   // defined, then because mapWhereToArch("client") === "web", and "web"
   // matches web.browser, return this.config.mainModule.client.
-  getMainModuleForArch(
+  getMainModule(
     arch,
     mainModulesByArch = this.getMainModulesByArch(),
   ) {
-    return this._getEntryModuleForArch(arch, mainModulesByArch);
+    return this._getEntryModule(arch, mainModulesByArch);
   }
 
   // Analogous to getMainModulesByArch, except for this.config.testModule.
-  getTestModulesByArch(arch) {
+  getTestModulesByArch() {
     return this._getEntryModulesByArch("testModule");
   }
 
-  // Analogous to getMainModuleForArch, except for this.config.testModule.
-  getTestModuleForArch(
+  // Analogous to getMainModule, except for this.config.testModule.
+  getTestModule(
     arch,
     testModulesByArch = this.getTestModulesByArch(),
   ) {
-    return this._getEntryModuleForArch(arch, testModulesByArch);
+    return this._getEntryModule(arch, testModulesByArch);
   }
 
   _getEntryModulesByArch(...keys) {
@@ -1703,7 +1741,7 @@ export class MeteorConfig {
     return entryModulesByArch;
   }
 
-  _getEntryModuleForArch(
+  _getEntryModule(
     arch,
     entryModulesByArch,
   ) {