diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e0d756fea3ac35..9c01f8f244ee19 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ $(NODE_EXE) $(NODE_G_EXE): config.gypi out/Makefile
 	  ln -fs out/${build_type}/$(NODE_EXE) $@; fi
 else
 ifeq ($(BUILD_WITH), ninja)
+NINJA ?= ninja
 ifeq ($(V),1)
 	NINJA_ARGS := $(NINJA_ARGS) -v
 endif
@@ -124,11 +125,11 @@ else
 	NINJA_ARGS := $(NINJA_ARGS) $(filter -j%,$(MAKEFLAGS))
 endif
 $(NODE_EXE): config.gypi out/Release/build.ninja
-	ninja -C out/Release $(NINJA_ARGS)
+	$(NINJA) -C out/Release $(NINJA_ARGS)
 	if [ ! -r $@ ] || [ ! -L $@ ]; then ln -fs out/Release/$(NODE_EXE) $@; fi
 
 $(NODE_G_EXE): config.gypi out/Debug/build.ninja
-	ninja -C out/Debug $(NINJA_ARGS)
+	$(NINJA) -C out/Debug $(NINJA_ARGS)
 	if [ ! -r $@ ] || [ ! -L $@ ]; then ln -fs out/Debug/$(NODE_EXE) $@; fi
 else
 $(NODE_EXE) $(NODE_G_EXE):
diff --git a/doc/contributing/building-node-with-ninja.md b/doc/contributing/building-node-with-ninja.md
index 8aae340e227034..01a04c3c2cfbe2 100644
--- a/doc/contributing/building-node-with-ninja.md
+++ b/doc/contributing/building-node-with-ninja.md
@@ -40,4 +40,13 @@ To create a debug build rather than a release build:
 ./configure --ninja --debug && make
 ```
 
+## Customizing `ninja` path
+
+On some systems (such as RHEL7 and below), the Ninja binary might be installed
+with a different name. For these systems use the `NINJA` env var:
+
+```bash
+./configure --ninja && NINJA="ninja-build" make
+```
+
 [Ninja]: https://ninja-build.org/