diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index cf0b9249f4..ae8657fe87 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
     "prebuildifier": "bazel build --noshow_progress @com_github_bazelbuild_buildtools//buildifier",
     "buildifier": "find . -type f \\( -name BUILD -or -name BUILD.bazel \\) ! -path \"*/node_modules/*\" | xargs $(bazel info bazel-bin)/external/com_github_bazelbuild_buildtools/buildifier/buildifier",
     "preinstall": "node tools/yarn/check-yarn.js",
-    "postinstall": "yarn update-webdriver",
+    "postinstall": "yarn update-webdriver; node ./tools/postinstall-patches.js",
     "update-webdriver": "webdriver-manager update --gecko false $CHROMEDRIVER_VERSION_ARG",
     "check-env": "gulp check-env"
   },
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@
     "rollup-plugin-sourcemaps": "0.4.2",
     "selenium-webdriver": "3.5.0",
     "semver": "5.4.1",
-    "shelljs": "^0.7.8",
+    "shelljs": "^0.8.1",
     "source-map": "0.5.7",
     "source-map-support": "0.4.18",
     "systemjs": "0.18.10",
diff --git a/scripts/ci/install.sh b/scripts/ci/install.sh
index 024f20ec5f..1490cb0efa 100755
--- a/scripts/ci/install.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci/install.sh
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ travisFoldEnd "install-yarn"
 
 # Install all npm dependencies according to yarn.lock
 travisFoldStart "yarn-install"
-  (node tools/npm/check-node-modules --purge && yarn update-webdriver) || yarn install --frozen-lockfile --non-interactive
+  (node tools/npm/check-node-modules --purge && yarn postinstall) || yarn install --frozen-lockfile --non-interactive
 travisFoldEnd "yarn-install"
 
 
diff --git a/tools/postinstall-patches.js b/tools/postinstall-patches.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4638fff435
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/postinstall-patches.js
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+const {set, cd, sed} = require('shelljs');
+const path = require('path');
+
+console.log('===== about to run the postinstall.js script     =====');
+// fail on first error
+set('-e');
+// print commands as being executed
+set('-v');
+// jump to project root
+cd(path.join(__dirname, '../'));
+
+
+console.log('===== finished running the postinstall.js script =====');
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 3f58f8a07b..506c26b20e 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -6420,9 +6420,9 @@ shell-quote@1.6.1:
     array-reduce "~0.0.0"
     jsonify "~0.0.0"
 
-shelljs@^0.7.8:
-  version "0.7.8"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/shelljs/-/shelljs-0.7.8.tgz#decbcf874b0d1e5fb72e14b164a9683048e9acb3"
+shelljs@^0.8.1:
+  version "0.8.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/shelljs/-/shelljs-0.8.1.tgz#729e038c413a2254c4078b95ed46e0397154a9f1"
   dependencies:
     glob "^7.0.0"
     interpret "^1.0.0"