diff --git a/admin/cmds/npm-skip-node8.js b/admin/cmds/npm-skip-node8.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c85950ef8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/admin/cmds/npm-skip-node8.js
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+"use strict";
+
+const { major } = require("semver");
+
+// This should be used like `node npm-skip-node8 || COMMAND`.
+// - If node 8, this script returns true, skipping COMMAND
+// - Otherwise, return false, running COMMAND
+
+if (major(process.version) > 8) {
+    // Node >8; return "false" (wrt to shell scripting)
+    process.exit(1);
+} else {
+    // Node 8; return "true" (wrt to shell scripting)
+    process.exit(0);
+}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 5df60b3c9..a6b2e1b6d 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@
     "_dist-ancillary": "node ./admin/cmds/set-option esm && rollup -c rollup-ancillary.config.js",
     "_dist-umd": "node ./admin/cmds/set-option cjs browser-lang-all && rollup -c && mv ./packages/ethers/dist/ethers.umd.min.js ./packages/ethers/dist/ethers-all.umd.min.js && node ./admin/cmds/set-option cjs && rollup -c",
     "_dist-esm": "node ./admin/cmds/set-option esm browser-lang-all && rollup -c --configModule && mv ./packages/ethers/dist/ethers.esm.min.js ./packages/ethers/dist/ethers-all.esm.min.js && node ./admin/cmds/set-option esm && rollup -c --configModule",
-    "_dist": "npm run _dist-esm && npm run _dist-ancillary && npm run _dist-umd",
+    "_dist-all": "npm run _dist-esm && npm run _dist-ancillary && npm run _dist-umd",
+    "_dist": "node admin/cmds/npm-skip-node8.js || npm run _dist-all",
     "clean": "node ./admin/cmds/reset-build.js && tsc --build --clean ./tsconfig.project.json",
     "_dist-test-esm": "rollup -c rollup-tests.config.js --configModule",
     "_dist-test-umd": "rollup -c rollup-tests.config.js",