diff --git a/addon.gypi b/addon.gypi
index 9327b0d722..1ba5ffa65a 100644
--- a/addon.gypi
+++ b/addon.gypi
@@ -169,6 +169,14 @@
           # clients of class 'node::ObjectWrap'
           4251
         ],
+        'configurations': {
+          'Debug_x64': {
+            'inherit_from': ['Debug'],
+          },
+          'Release_x64': {
+            'inherit_from': ['Release'],
+          }
+        }
       }, {
         # OS!="win"
         'defines': [
diff --git a/lib/build.js b/lib/build.js
index c2388fb348..61352ace70 100644
--- a/lib/build.js
+++ b/lib/build.js
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@ function build (gyp, argv, callback) {
     })
   }
 
-  var makeCommand = gyp.opts.make || process.env.MAKE || platformMake
-  var command = win ? 'msbuild' : makeCommand
   var jobs = gyp.opts.jobs || process.env.JOBS
   var buildType
   var config
@@ -28,6 +26,13 @@ function build (gyp, argv, callback) {
   var nodeDir
   var guessedSolution
 
+  const makeCommand = gyp.opts.make || process.env.MAKE || platformMake
+  let command = win ? 'msbuild' : makeCommand
+  if (gyp.opts.ninja) {
+    const ninjaPath = gyp.opts['ninja-path'] || path.resolve(gyp.devDir, 'ninja')
+    command = path.resolve(ninjaPath, 'ninja')
+  }
+
   loadConfigGypi()
 
   /**
@@ -127,8 +132,12 @@ function build (gyp, argv, callback) {
     var verbose = log.levels[log.level] <= log.levels.verbose
     var j
 
-    if (!win && verbose) {
-      argv.push('V=1')
+    if (verbose) {
+      if (gyp.opts.ninja) {
+        argv.push('-v')
+      } else if (!win) {
+        argv.push('V=1')
+      }
     }
 
     if (win && !verbose) {
@@ -141,7 +150,10 @@ function build (gyp, argv, callback) {
     }
 
     // Specify the build type, Release by default
-    if (win) {
+    if (gyp.opts.ninja) {
+      argv.push('-C')
+      argv.push(path.join('build', buildType))
+    } else if (win) {
       // Convert .gypi config target_arch to MSBuild /Platform
       // Since there are many ways to state '32-bit Intel', default to it.
       // N.B. msbuild's Condition string equality tests are case-insensitive.
diff --git a/lib/configure.js b/lib/configure.js
index d4342b9d76..8bb60ca066 100644
--- a/lib/configure.js
+++ b/lib/configure.js
@@ -225,7 +225,9 @@ function configure (gyp, argv, callback) {
       return callback(err)
     }
 
-    if (!~argv.indexOf('-f') && !~argv.indexOf('--format')) {
+    if (!gyp.opts.ninja) {
+      argv.push('-f', 'ninja')
+    } else if (!~argv.indexOf('-f') && !~argv.indexOf('--format')) {
       if (win) {
         log.verbose('gyp', 'gyp format was not specified; forcing "msvs"')
         // force the 'make' target for non-Windows
diff --git a/lib/install.js b/lib/install.js
index f9fa2b34bd..35e6d2a008 100644
--- a/lib/install.js
+++ b/lib/install.js
@@ -11,10 +11,14 @@ const request = require('request')
 const processRelease = require('./process-release')
 const win = process.platform === 'win32'
 const getProxyFromURI = require('./proxy')
+const { spawn } = require('child_process')
 
 function install (fs, gyp, argv, callback) {
   var release = processRelease(argv, gyp, process.version, process.release)
 
+  const ninjaPath = gyp.opts['ninja-path'] || path.resolve(gyp.devDir, 'ninja')
+  const ninjaUrl = 'https://github.com/ninja-build/ninja/archive/v1.10.0.tar.gz'
+
   // ensure no double-callbacks happen
   function cb (err) {
     if (cb.done) {
@@ -62,42 +66,62 @@ function install (fs, gyp, argv, callback) {
   // the directory where the dev files will be installed
   var devDir = path.resolve(gyp.devDir, release.versionDir)
 
-  // If '--ensure' was passed, then don't *always* install the version;
-  // check if it is already installed, and only install when needed
-  if (gyp.opts.ensure) {
-    log.verbose('install', '--ensure was passed, so won\'t reinstall if already installed')
-    fs.stat(devDir, function (err) {
-      if (err) {
-        if (err.code === 'ENOENT') {
-          log.verbose('install', 'version not already installed, continuing with install', release.version)
-          go()
-        } else if (err.code === 'EACCES') {
-          eaccesFallback(err)
-        } else {
-          cb(err)
-        }
-        return
-      }
-      log.verbose('install', 'version is already installed, need to check "installVersion"')
-      var installVersionFile = path.resolve(devDir, 'installVersion')
-      fs.readFile(installVersionFile, 'ascii', function (err, ver) {
-        if (err && err.code !== 'ENOENT') {
-          return cb(err)
-        }
-        var installVersion = parseInt(ver, 10) || 0
-        log.verbose('got "installVersion"', installVersion)
-        log.verbose('needs "installVersion"', gyp.package.installVersion)
-        if (installVersion < gyp.package.installVersion) {
-          log.verbose('install', 'version is no good; reinstalling')
-          go()
-        } else {
-          log.verbose('install', 'version is good')
-          cb()
+  function handleInstall (err) {
+    if (err) cb(err)
+
+    // If '--ensure' was passed, then don't *always* install the version;
+    // check if it is already installed, and only install when needed
+    if (gyp.opts.ensure) {
+      log.verbose('install', '--ensure was passed, so won\'t reinstall if already installed')
+      fs.stat(devDir, function (err) {
+        if (err) {
+          if (err.code === 'ENOENT') {
+            log.verbose('install', 'version not already installed, continuing with install', release.version)
+            go()
+          } else if (err.code === 'EACCES') {
+            eaccesFallback(err)
+          } else {
+            cb(err)
+          }
+          return
         }
+        log.verbose('install', 'version is already installed, need to check "installVersion"')
+        var installVersionFile = path.resolve(devDir, 'installVersion')
+        fs.readFile(installVersionFile, 'ascii', function (err, ver) {
+          if (err && err.code !== 'ENOENT') {
+            return cb(err)
+          }
+          var installVersion = parseInt(ver, 10) || 0
+          log.verbose('got "installVersion"', installVersion)
+          log.verbose('needs "installVersion"', gyp.package.installVersion)
+          if (installVersion < gyp.package.installVersion) {
+            log.verbose('install', 'version is no good; reinstalling')
+            go()
+          } else {
+            log.verbose('install', 'version is good')
+            cb()
+          }
+        })
       })
+    } else {
+      go()
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (gyp.opts.ninja) {
+    downloadNinja((err, alreadyExists) => {
+      if (err) return cb(err)
+
+      if (alreadyExists) {
+        log.verbose('ninja', 'appears to be previously installed')
+        handleInstall()
+      } else {
+        log.verbose('ninja', 'building...')
+        buildNinja(handleInstall)
+      }
     })
   } else {
-    go()
+    handleInstall()
   }
 
   function getContentSha (res, callback) {
@@ -297,7 +321,7 @@ function install (fs, gyp, argv, callback) {
       }
 
       function downloadNodeLib (done) {
-        log.verbose('on Windows; need to download `' + release.name + '.lib`...')
+        log.verbose('on Windows need to download `' + release.name + '.lib`...')
         var archs = ['ia32', 'x64', 'arm64']
         var async = archs.length
         archs.forEach(function (arch) {
@@ -352,6 +376,60 @@ function install (fs, gyp, argv, callback) {
     }) // mkdir()
   } // go()
 
+  function downloadNinja (done) {
+    if (fs.existsSync(ninjaPath) && gyp.opts.ensure) {
+      return done(null, true)
+    }
+
+    log.verbose('ninja', `url: ${ninjaUrl}`)
+    log.verbose('ninja', 'downloading...')
+
+    request({ strictSSL: false, url: ninjaUrl })
+      .on('response', (res) => {
+        if (res.statusCode !== 200) {
+          const error = new Error(`Ninja failed downloading tarball: ${res.statusCode}`)
+          return done(error)
+        }
+
+        log.verbose('ninja', `http status: ${res.statusCode}`)
+        function logger (path) {
+          const name = path.substring(ninjaPath.length + 1).replace(/[.]+?\//, '')
+          if (name.length > 0) {
+            log.verbose('ninja extracting: ', name)
+          }
+          return true
+        }
+
+        fs.mkdirSync(ninjaPath)
+        res.pipe(tar.extract({
+          cwd: ninjaPath,
+          strip: 1,
+          filter: logger
+        }).on('end', done).on('error', done))
+      })
+      .on('error', done)
+  }
+
+  function buildNinja (done) {
+    const bootstrap = spawn('python', ['configure.py', '--bootstrap'], {
+      cwd: ninjaPath,
+      env: process.env
+    })
+
+    bootstrap.on('close', (code) => {
+      const error = 'Failed to build Ninja'
+      if (code !== 0) done(error)
+      done()
+    })
+
+    const dataFn = (data) => {
+      log.verbose('ninja bootstrap', data.toString().trim())
+    }
+
+    bootstrap.stdout.on('data', dataFn)
+    bootstrap.stderr.on('data', dataFn)
+  }
+
   /**
    * Checks if a given filename is "valid" for this installation.
    */
diff --git a/lib/node-gyp.js b/lib/node-gyp.js
index 81fc590919..547f1b72ee 100644
--- a/lib/node-gyp.js
+++ b/lib/node-gyp.js
@@ -75,7 +75,9 @@ proto.configDefs = {
   'dist-url': String, // 'install'
   tarball: String, // 'install'
   jobs: String, // 'build'
-  thin: String // 'configure'
+  thin: String, // 'configure'
+  ninja: String, // 'everywhere
+  'ninja-path': String
 }
 
 /**