diff --git a/lib/doctor.js b/lib/doctor.js
index 95ede1bc87242..96094e6346d05 100644
--- a/lib/doctor.js
+++ b/lib/doctor.js
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ function makePretty (p) {
   const cacheStatus = p[8] ? `verified ${p[8].verifiedContent} tarballs` : 'notOk'
   const npmV = npm.version
   const nodeV = process.version.replace('v', '')
-  const registry = npm.config.get('registry')
+  const registry = npm.config.get('registry') || ''
   const list = [
     ['npm ping', ping],
     ['npm -v', 'v' + npmV],
diff --git a/lib/install/inflate-shrinkwrap.js b/lib/install/inflate-shrinkwrap.js
index 395cc11191309..5da9418bbdb7a 100644
--- a/lib/install/inflate-shrinkwrap.js
+++ b/lib/install/inflate-shrinkwrap.js
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ function quotemeta (str) {
 }
 
 function tarballToVersion (name, tb) {
-  const registry = quotemeta(npm.config.get('registry'))
+  const registry = quotemeta(npm.config.get('registry') || '')
     .replace(/https?:/, 'https?:')
     .replace(/([^/])$/, '$1/')
   let matchRegTarball
diff --git a/test/tap/doctor.js b/test/tap/doctor.js
index 7b07e0f39b7d8..9285518c2e10e 100644
--- a/test/tap/doctor.js
+++ b/test/tap/doctor.js
@@ -5,9 +5,8 @@ const http = require('http')
 const mr = require('npm-registry-mock')
 const npm = require('../../lib/npm.js')
 const path = require('path')
-const rimraf = require('rimraf')
 const Tacks = require('tacks')
-const test = require('tap').test
+const t = require('tap')
 const which = require('which')
 
 const Dir = Tacks.Dir
@@ -44,12 +43,23 @@ const npmResponse = {
   }
 }
 
-test('setup', (t) => {
+let nodeServer
+
+t.teardown(() => {
+  if (server) {
+    server.close()
+  }
+  if (nodeServer) {
+    nodeServer.close()
+  }
+})
+
+t.test('setup', (t) => {
   const port = common.port + 1
-  http.createServer(function (q, s) {
+  nodeServer = http.createServer(function (q, s) {
     s.end(JSON.stringify([{lts: true, version: '0.0.0'}]))
-    this.close()
-  }).listen(port, () => {
+  })
+  nodeServer.listen(port, () => {
     node_url = 'http://localhost:' + port
     mr({port: common.port}, (err, s) => {
       t.ifError(err, 'registry mocked successfully')
@@ -78,7 +88,7 @@ test('setup', (t) => {
   })
 })
 
-test('npm doctor', function (t) {
+t.test('npm doctor', function (t) {
   npm.commands.doctor({'node-url': node_url}, true, function (e, list) {
     t.ifError(e, 'npm loaded successfully')
     t.same(list.length, 9, 'list should have 9 prop')
@@ -93,13 +103,29 @@ test('npm doctor', function (t) {
     which('git', function (e, resolvedPath) {
       t.ifError(e, 'git command is installed')
       t.same(list[4][1], resolvedPath, 'which git')
-      server.close()
       t.done()
     })
   })
 })
 
-test('cleanup', (t) => {
-  rimraf.sync(ROOT)
-  t.done()
+t.test('npm doctor works without registry', function (t) {
+  npm.config.set('registry', false)
+  npm.commands.doctor({'node-url': node_url}, true, function (e, list) {
+    t.ifError(e, 'npm loaded successfully')
+    t.same(list.length, 9, 'list should have 9 prop')
+    t.same(list[0][1], 'OK', 'npm ping')
+    t.same(list[1][1], 'v' + npm.version, 'npm -v')
+    t.same(list[2][1], process.version, 'node -v')
+    t.same(list[3][1], '', 'no registry, but no crash')
+    t.same(list[5][1], 'ok', 'Perms check on cached files')
+    t.same(list[6][1], 'ok', 'Perms check on global node_modules')
+    t.same(list[7][1], 'ok', 'Perms check on local node_modules')
+    t.match(list[8][1], /^verified \d+ tarballs?$/, 'Cache verified')
+    which('git', function (e, resolvedPath) {
+      t.ifError(e, 'git command is installed')
+      t.same(list[4][1], resolvedPath, 'which git')
+      server.close()
+      t.done()
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/test/tap/install-without-registry-config.js b/test/tap/install-without-registry-config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..852bd777ced5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tap/install-without-registry-config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+const t = require('tap')
+const { pkg, npm } = require('../common-tap.js')
+const { writeFileSync, statSync, readFileSync } = require('fs')
+const mkdirp = require('mkdirp')
+const proj = pkg + '/project'
+const dep = pkg + '/dep'
+mkdirp.sync(proj)
+mkdirp.sync(dep)
+writeFileSync(dep + '/package.json', JSON.stringify({
+  name: 'dependency',
+  version: '1.2.3'
+}))
+writeFileSync(proj + '/package.json', JSON.stringify({
+  name: 'project',
+  version: '4.2.0'
+}))
+
+const runTest = t => npm([
+  'install',
+  '../dep',
+  '--no-registry'
+], { cwd: proj }).then(([code, out, err]) => {
+  t.equal(code, 0)
+  t.match(out, /^\+ dependency@1\.2\.3\n.* 1 package in [0-9.]+m?s\n$/)
+  t.equal(err, '')
+  const data = readFileSync(proj + '/node_modules/dependency/package.json', 'utf8')
+  t.same(JSON.parse(data), {
+    name: 'dependency',
+    version: '1.2.3'
+  }, 'dep got installed')
+  t.ok(statSync(proj + '/package-lock.json').isFile(), 'package-lock exists')
+})
+
+t.test('install without a registry, no package lock', t => runTest(t))
+t.test('install without a registry, with package lock', t => runTest(t))