[BUG] Passing CLI arguments via a Node scripts no longer works

Is there an existing issue for this?

I have searched the existing issues

This issue exists in the latest npm version

I am using the latest npm

Current Behavior

With the following index.js NodeJS file in the root of a new clean NodeJS project:

console.log(process.argv.slice(2));

I get the following output when I run node ./index.js -test-arg test-arg-value:

[ '-test-arg', 'test-arg-value' ]

When I add an NPM script with:

  ...
  "scripts": {
    "arg-test": "node ./index.js",
    ...

and then run it with either of the following:

npm run arg-test -- -test-arg test-arg-value,
npm run arg-test -test-arg test-arg-value,
I simply get:

[ 'test-arg-value' ]

This leaves me unable to run CLI tools, such as Yargs, via NPM scripts like we used to be able to.

Expected Behavior

When using NPM to compose reusable scripts, CLI arguments should still be supported - which enables the use of CLI tools such as Yargs

Steps To Reproduce

Using the latest NodeJS (20.12.0) and the latest NPM (10.5.2)
With an index.js file in the root of a new NodeJS project containing the following:
- index.js:
```
console.log(process.argv.slice(2));
```
Run the file with node ./index.js -test-arg test-arg-value
See the expected output: [ '-test-arg', 'test-arg-value' ]

Add an NPM script to the package.json file to run the file:

package.json:

"type": "module",
"scripts": {
  "arg-test": "node ./index.js"
}

Run the file with either of the following:
- npm run arg-test -- -test-arg test-arg-value,
- npm run arg-test -test-arg test-arg-value,
See the incorrect output [ 'test-arg-value' ]

Notes:

I'm using module type Node with "type": "module", in the package.json file.
I've tried with Bash terminal but did not experience this issues. Only PowerShell and Command had this error.

Environment

npm: 10.5.2
Node.js: 20.12.0
OS Name: Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (22631.3447)
System Model Name: Dell G15 5510
npm config:

; "user" config from C:\Users\jp.strydom\.npmrc

//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken = (protected) 

; node bin location = C:\Program Files\nodejs\node.exe
; node version = v20.12.0
; npm local prefix = C:\Data\Development\XXX\XXX
; npm version = 10.5.2
; cwd = C:\Data\Development\XXX\XXX
; HOME = C:\Users\XXX
; Run `npm config ls -l` to show all defaults.

It seems like adding another argument delimiter (--) fixes the issue.

i.e. running with npm run arg-test -- -- -test-arg test-arg-value causes the correct behavior. Not sure when Microsoft changes this, because only using on delimiter definitely used to work.

I'm also affected by this issue. It appears to be a shenanigan of both PowerShell and NPM working together. Node.js is not involved. A proof:

package.json:

{
  "name": "cli-test",
  "scripts": {
    "showcli": "echo",
    "showbatcli": "test.cmd"
  }
}

test.cmd:

@echo %*

Running the following from PowerShell fails (--arg=value is lost):

PS C:\temp\cli-test> npm run showcli -- command --arg=value

> cli-test@1.0.0 showcli
> echo command

command

This also fails:

PS C:\temp\cli-test2> npm run showbatcli -- command --arg=value

> showbatcli
> test.cmd command

command

Via CMD.exe, it works:

PS C:\temp\cli-test> cmd /c npm run showcli -- command --arg=value

> cli-test@1.0.0 showcli
> echo command --arg=value

command --arg=value

Running test.cmd without NPM also works:

PS C:\temp\cli-test2> ./test.cmd -- command --arg=value
-- command --arg=value

Digging more into this, the problem appears to be with "C:\Program Files\nodejs\npm.ps1", which gets invoked when we type npm from a PowerShell prompt on Windows.

OTOH, running the npm.cmd ("C:\Program Files\nodejs\npm.cmd") explicitly works ok, a workaround I'm settling on for now:

PS C:\temp\cli-test2> npm.cmd run showbatcli -- command --arg=value

> showbatcli
> test.cmd command --arg=value

command --arg=value

@noseratio

~~@noseratio Can you test with the latest branch which now includes new Powershell scripts as of 5230647?~~

Confirmed this does not fix the issue.

fix(powershell): pass args verbatim to npm/npx

fix(powershell): pass args verbatim to npm

npm recently shipped this .ps1 script in addition to the existing .cmd script.

Looking at Powershell docs it appears that there are different semantics to get it to stop argument parsing. Can you try npm run showbatcli --% command --arg=value and see if it works as expected? AFAIK there isn't a good way to get Powershell to do this in our npm.ps1 script and it comes down to using a different shell and the specifics of escaping, etc within that shell.

At this point it might be a better idea for npm to revert the addition of the npm.ps1 and npx.ps1 scripts, but this would also need to land as a change to the Node.js installer.

work around npm/cli#7375

fix: use splatting to pass arguments from a powershell scope

Still an issue with npm version 11.2.0!

Found solution:

PS C:\tmp\hello-ts> npm run tsc "--" --version <<<<===== need to specify "--" instead of --

hello-ts@1.0.0 tsc
tsc --version

Version 5.6.3

It works, thank you

I am facing this issue on my mac with zsh.... :(

Thanks for sharing the alternatives!
I'm facing the same issue here on WIndows, using Node v22.14.0. 😅

The workarounds that worked for me were;

Using a Git bash terminal instead of PowerShell
Replacing the command with npm run serve "--" --env url=localhost (seems compatible with all operating systems)
Replacing the command with npm run serve -- -- --env url=localhost (only works for PowerShell)
Using Node 22's new node --run serve -- --env url=localhost

Hopefully this issue will get resolved 👍

ci: use bash as default shell

@noseratio

This here is the best solution (thanks @noseratio)

my PR (which just landed) #8278 fixes this

@alexsch01

Hey @alexsch01, thanks for all the hard work! Do you know if your patch has landed in Node.js v24.2.0?
I just installed this latest ver, and I still had to go to C:\Program Files\nodejs and patch npm.ps1, before I was able to run my app.

not yet. node 24 contains npm 11.3.0. waiting for nodejs/node#58696

@noseratio

@noseratio NodeJS 24.3.0 includes all patches from #8343 (backport PR for npm10/node22)

When using node 22.18.0 and npm 10.9.3 its down from -- -- to -- again, while i love the change doing this kind of buggfix in a none major release seems like a bad idea, minor updates should not break pipelines...

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[BUG] Passing CLI arguments via a Node scripts no longer works #7375

Is there an existing issue for this?

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[BUG] Passing CLI arguments via a Node scripts no longer works #7375

Description

Is there an existing issue for this?

This issue exists in the latest npm version

Current Behavior

Expected Behavior

Steps To Reproduce

Environment

Activity

JPStrydom commented on Apr 15, 2024

noseratio commented on Apr 30, 2024

noseratio commented on Apr 30, 2024

lukekarrys commented on Apr 30, 2024

lukekarrys commented on Apr 30, 2024

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trapgar commented on Mar 23, 2025

cgize commented on Mar 24, 2025

siddrcrelias commented on Apr 17, 2025

MartinaeyNL commented on Apr 23, 2025

mbtools commented on Apr 29, 2025

alexsch01 commented on May 12, 2025

noseratio commented on Jun 13, 2025

mbtools commented on Jun 13, 2025

alexsch01 commented on Jun 25, 2025

AnderssonPeter commented on Aug 19, 2025

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