diff --git a/internal/npm_install/npm_install.bzl b/internal/npm_install/npm_install.bzl
index c12c6248..cf5365f5 100755
--- a/internal/npm_install/npm_install.bzl
+++ b/internal/npm_install/npm_install.bzl
@@ -805,6 +805,10 @@ def _yarn_install_impl(repository_ctx):
 set -e
 export YARN_IGNORE_PATH=1
 (cd "{root}"; "{yarn}" {yarn_args})
+if ! [[ -d "{root}/node_modules" ]]; then
+    echo "node_modules directory not found after yarn install, finished in $SECONDS seconds"
+    exit 1
+fi
 """.format(
                 root = root,
                 yarn = repository_ctx.path(yarn),