diff --git a/cli/pbjs.js b/cli/pbjs.js
index 63b4a543d..e04900712 100644
--- a/cli/pbjs.js
+++ b/cli/pbjs.js
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 "use strict";
 var path     = require("path"),
     fs       = require("fs"),
-    pkg      = require("./package.json"),
-    util     = require("./util");
-
-var protobuf = require(util.pathToProtobufJs),
     minimist = require("minimist"),
     chalk    = require("chalk"),
-    glob     = require("glob");
+    glob     = require("glob"),
+    pkg      = require("./package.json"),
+    util     = require("./util"),
+    requireProtobufjs = require("./resolve-protobufjs");
+
+var protobuf = requireProtobufjs();
 
 var targets  = util.requireAll("./targets");
 
diff --git a/cli/resolve-protobufjs.js b/cli/resolve-protobufjs.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7f950a968
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/resolve-protobufjs.js
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+"use strict";
+
+exports.requireProtobufjs = function requireProtobufjs() {
+	try {
+	    // local development, i.e. forked from github
+    	require.resolve("..");
+    	return require("..");
+	} catch (e) {
+	    // installed as a peer dependency
+	    try {
+		    require.resolve("protobufjs");
+		    return require("protobufjs");
+	    } catch (e) {
+	    	// we should only ever hit this case when the developer installs protobufjs-cli
+	    	// but forgets to install protobufjs with npm/yarn.
+	    	throw new Error("protobufjs could not be resolved. Make sure that it is installed.");
+	    }
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cli/targets/json-module.js b/cli/targets/json-module.js
index 5255cd99c..744f16451 100644
--- a/cli/targets/json-module.js
+++ b/cli/targets/json-module.js
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ module.exports = json_module;
 
 var util = require("../util");
 
-var protobuf = require("../..");
+var requireProtobufjs = require("../resolve-protobufjs");
+var protobuf = requireProtobufjs();
 
 json_module.description = "JSON representation as a module";
 
diff --git a/cli/targets/proto.js b/cli/targets/proto.js
index d633f1688..64d48c8b9 100644
--- a/cli/targets/proto.js
+++ b/cli/targets/proto.js
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ module.exports = proto_target;
 
 proto_target.private = true;
 
-var protobuf = require("../..");
+var requireProtobufjs = require("../resolve-protobufjs");
+var protobuf = requireProtobufjs();
 
 var Namespace  = protobuf.Namespace,
     Enum       = protobuf.Enum,
diff --git a/cli/targets/proto2.js b/cli/targets/proto2.js
index 09521e061..2e6380a56 100644
--- a/cli/targets/proto2.js
+++ b/cli/targets/proto2.js
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 "use strict";
 module.exports = proto2_target;
 
-var protobuf = require("../..");
+var requireProtobufjs = require("../resolve-protobufjs");
+var protobuf = requireProtobufjs();
 
 proto2_target.description = "Protocol Buffers, Version 2";
 
diff --git a/cli/targets/proto3.js b/cli/targets/proto3.js
index 661c916bd..8cf94dc13 100644
--- a/cli/targets/proto3.js
+++ b/cli/targets/proto3.js
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 "use strict";
 module.exports = proto3_target;
 
-var protobuf = require("../..");
+var requireProtobufjs = require("../resolve-protobufjs");
+var protobuf = requireProtobufjs();
 
 proto3_target.description = "Protocol Buffers, Version 3";
 
diff --git a/cli/targets/static-module.js b/cli/targets/static-module.js
index b56194768..edf8658a6 100644
--- a/cli/targets/static-module.js
+++ b/cli/targets/static-module.js
@@ -6,9 +6,10 @@ module.exports = static_module_target;
 // - CommonJS modules depend on the minimal build for reduced package size with browserify.
 // - AMD and global scope depend on the full library for now.
 
-var util = require("../util");
+var util          = require("../util"),
+    requireProtobufjs = require("../resolve-protobufjs");
 
-var protobuf = require("../..");
+var protobuf = requireProtobufjs();
 
 static_module_target.description = "Static code without reflection as a module";
 
diff --git a/cli/targets/static.js b/cli/targets/static.js
index 0c938b0ab..9c6f7c735 100644
--- a/cli/targets/static.js
+++ b/cli/targets/static.js
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 "use strict";
 module.exports = static_target;
 
-var protobuf   = require("../.."),
-    UglifyJS   = require("uglify-js"),
-    espree     = require("espree"),
-    escodegen  = require("escodegen"),
-    estraverse = require("estraverse");
+var UglifyJS      = require("uglify-js"),
+    espree        = require("espree"),
+    escodegen     = require("escodegen"),
+    estraverse    = require("estraverse"),
+    requireProtobufjs = require("../resolve-protobufjs");
+
+var protobuf = requireProtobufjs();
 
 var Type      = protobuf.Type,
     Service   = protobuf.Service,
diff --git a/cli/util.js b/cli/util.js
index 52202370c..89d41a91c 100644
--- a/cli/util.js
+++ b/cli/util.js
@@ -1,17 +1,9 @@
 "use strict";
 var fs            = require("fs"),
-    path          = require("path");
+    path          = require("path"),
+    requireProtobufjs = require("./resolve-protobufjs");
 
-try {
-    // installed as a peer dependency
-    require.resolve("protobufjs");
-    exports.pathToProtobufJs = "protobufjs";
-} catch (e) {
-    // local development, i.e. forked from github
-    exports.pathToProtobufJs = "..";
-}
-
-var protobuf = require(exports.pathToProtobufJs);
+var protobuf = requireProtobufjs();
 
 function basenameCompare(a, b) {
     var aa = String(a).replace(/\.\w+$/, "").split(/(-?\d*\.?\d+)/g),