diff --git a/lib/rebuild.js b/lib/rebuild.js
index e02c89bd79f2..ab34b7f3dfb5 100644
--- a/lib/rebuild.js
+++ b/lib/rebuild.js
@@ -39,16 +39,25 @@ const getFilterFn = args => {
     const spec = npa(arg)
     if (spec.type === 'tag' && spec.rawSpec === '')
       return spec
-    if (spec.type !== 'range' && spec.type !== 'version')
+
+    if (spec.type !== 'range' && spec.type !== 'version' && spec.type !== 'directory')
       throw new Error('`npm rebuild` only supports SemVer version/range specifiers')
+
     return spec
   })
+
   return node => specs.some(spec => {
-    const { version } = node.package
+    if (spec.type === 'directory')
+      return node.path === spec.fetchSpec
+
     if (spec.name !== node.name)
       return false
+
     if (spec.rawSpec === '' || spec.rawSpec === '*')
       return true
+
+    const { version } = node.package
+    // TODO: add tests for a package with missing version
     return semver.satisfies(version, spec.fetchSpec)
   })
 }
diff --git a/test/lib/rebuild.js b/test/lib/rebuild.js
index dbc37d57af56..d9df048d9057 100644
--- a/test/lib/rebuild.js
+++ b/test/lib/rebuild.js
@@ -174,8 +174,48 @@ t.test('filter by pkg@<range>', t => {
   })
 })
 
-t.test('filter must be a semver version/range', t => {
-  rebuild(['b:git+ssh://github.com/npm/arborist'], err => {
+t.test('filter by directory', t => {
+  const path = t.testdir({
+    node_modules: {
+      a: {
+        'index.js': '',
+        'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+          name: 'a',
+          version: '1.0.0',
+          bin: 'index.js',
+        }),
+      },
+      b: {
+        'index.js': '',
+        'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+          name: 'b',
+          version: '1.0.0',
+          bin: 'index.js',
+        }),
+      },
+    },
+  })
+
+  npm.prefix = path
+
+  const aBinFile = resolve(path, 'node_modules/.bin/a')
+  const bBinFile = resolve(path, 'node_modules/.bin/b')
+  t.throws(() => fs.statSync(aBinFile))
+  t.throws(() => fs.statSync(bBinFile))
+
+  rebuild(['file:node_modules/b'], err => {
+    if (err)
+      throw err
+
+    t.throws(() => fs.statSync(aBinFile), 'should not link a bin')
+    t.ok(() => fs.statSync(bBinFile), 'should link filtered pkg bin')
+
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('filter must be a semver version/range, or directory', t => {
+  rebuild(['git+ssh://github.com/npm/arborist'], err => {
     t.match(
       err,
       /Error: `npm rebuild` only supports SemVer version\/range specifiers/,