diff --git a/bin/tns b/bin/tns
index fb5b323617..4dc69af484 100755
--- a/bin/tns
+++ b/bin/tns
@@ -2,7 +2,14 @@
 
 "use strict";
 var path = require("path"),
-	pathToLib = path.join(__dirname, "..", "lib"),
+	fs = require("fs"),
+	// In the published package dist/ is the root, so lib/ already sits next to
+	// bin/. In a source checkout lib/ holds only TypeScript and the compiled
+	// output lives under dist/.
+	distLib = path.join(__dirname, "..", "dist", "lib"),
+	pathToLib = fs.existsSync(distLib)
+		? distLib
+		: path.join(__dirname, "..", "lib"),
 	pathToCommon = path.join(pathToLib, "common");
 
 require(path.join(pathToCommon, "verify-node-version")).verifyNodeVersion();
diff --git a/postinstall.js b/postinstall.js
index 5d3e0d3e25..1efef2b89e 100644
--- a/postinstall.js
+++ b/postinstall.js
@@ -2,9 +2,14 @@
 
 var child_process = require("child_process");
 var path = require("path");
-var constants = require(path.join(__dirname, "lib", "constants"));
+var fs = require("fs");
+// In the published package dist/ is the root; in a source checkout the compiled
+// output lives under dist/ while lib/ holds only TypeScript.
+var distLib = path.join(__dirname, "dist", "lib");
+var pathToLib = fs.existsSync(distLib) ? distLib : path.join(__dirname, "lib");
+var constants = require(path.join(pathToLib, "constants"));
 var commandArgs = [path.join(__dirname, "bin", "tns"), constants.POST_INSTALL_COMMAND_NAME];
-var helpers = require(path.join(__dirname, "lib", "common", "helpers"));
+var helpers = require(path.join(pathToLib, "common", "helpers"));
 if (helpers.isInstallingNativeScriptGlobally()) {
 	child_process.spawn(process.argv[0], commandArgs, { stdio: "inherit" });
 }