diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e49e8bb..99a2aff 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 0.2.3
+
+- fix: Failing install script (#22)
+
 ## 0.2.2
 
 - fix: when tracking threads, use a monotonic clock that ignores system suspension (#14)
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index caa44a0..1e83dec 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@
     "build:dev": "yarn clean && yarn build:bindings:configure && yarn build",
     "build:tarball": "npm pack",
     "clean": "node-gyp clean && rm -rf lib && rm -rf build",
-    "test": "node ./test/prepare.mjs && vitest run --silent=false --disable-console-intercept"
+    "test": "yarn test:install && node ./test/prepare.mjs && vitest run --silent=false --disable-console-intercept",
+    "test:install": "cross-env ALWAYS_THROW=true yarn install"
   },
   "engines": {
     "node": ">=18"
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@
     "@types/node": "^18.19.1",
     "@types/node-abi": "^3.0.3",
     "clang-format": "^1.8.0",
+    "cross-env": "^7.0.3",
     "eslint": "^7.0.0",
     "node-gyp": "^11.2.0",
     "typescript": "^5.8.3",
diff --git a/scripts/check-build.mjs b/scripts/check-build.mjs
index 687c990..811f3cc 100644
--- a/scripts/check-build.mjs
+++ b/scripts/check-build.mjs
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
-import fs from 'fs';
-import child_process from 'child_process';
+import * as child_process from 'node:child_process';
+import * as fs from 'node:fs';
+import { createRequire } from 'node:module';
 import * as binaries from './binaries.mjs';
 
+const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
+
 function clean(err) {
   return err.toString().trim();
 }
@@ -32,11 +35,15 @@ function recompileFromSource() {
 
 if (fs.existsSync(binaries.target)) {
   try {
-    await import(binaries.target);
+    require(binaries.target);
     console.log('Precompiled binary found, skipping build from source.');
   } catch (e) {
     console.log('Precompiled binary found but failed loading');
-    console.log(e);
+    if (process.env.ALWAYS_THROW) {
+      throw e;
+    } else {
+      console.log(e);
+    }
     try {
       recompileFromSource();
     } catch (e) {
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 3b5dba9..96a7d8a 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -952,7 +952,14 @@ concat-map@0.0.1:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/concat-map/-/concat-map-0.0.1.tgz#d8a96bd77fd68df7793a73036a3ba0d5405d477b"
   integrity sha512-/Srv4dswyQNBfohGpz9o6Yb3Gz3SrUDqBH5rTuhGR7ahtlbYKnVxw2bCFMRljaA7EXHaXZ8wsHdodFvbkhKmqg==
 
-cross-spawn@^7.0.2, cross-spawn@^7.0.6:
+cross-env@^7.0.3:
+  version "7.0.3"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/cross-env/-/cross-env-7.0.3.tgz#865264b29677dc015ba8418918965dd232fc54cf"
+  integrity sha512-+/HKd6EgcQCJGh2PSjZuUitQBQynKor4wrFbRg4DtAgS1aWO+gU52xpH7M9ScGgXSYmAVS9bIJ8EzuaGw0oNAw==
+  dependencies:
+    cross-spawn "^7.0.1"
+
+cross-spawn@^7.0.1, cross-spawn@^7.0.2, cross-spawn@^7.0.6:
   version "7.0.6"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/cross-spawn/-/cross-spawn-7.0.6.tgz#8a58fe78f00dcd70c370451759dfbfaf03e8ee9f"
   integrity sha512-uV2QOWP2nWzsy2aMp8aRibhi9dlzF5Hgh5SHaB9OiTGEyDTiJJyx0uy51QXdyWbtAHNua4XJzUKca3OzKUd3vA==