diff --git a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/GradleNodeModule.kt b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/GradleNodeModule.kt
index a296b8d3f4d..cdc8183c7b5 100644
--- a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/GradleNodeModule.kt
+++ b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/GradleNodeModule.kt
@@ -10,4 +10,4 @@ import java.io.File
 /**
  * Fake NodeJS module directory created from Gradle external module
  */
-class GradleNodeModule(val name: String, val version: String, val path: File)
\ No newline at end of file
+data class GradleNodeModule(val name: String, val version: String, val path: File)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/NpmProjectPackage.kt b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/NpmProjectPackage.kt
index b72f0e2c4fd..12149b4d6b7 100644
--- a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/NpmProjectPackage.kt
+++ b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/NpmProjectPackage.kt
@@ -15,5 +15,6 @@ class NpmProjectPackage(
     val npmProject: NpmProject,
     val npmDependencies: Collection<NpmDependency>,
     val gradleDependencies: NpmGradleDependencies,
-    val packageJson: PackageJson
+    val packageJson: PackageJson,
+    val hasNodeModulesDependentTasks: Boolean
 )
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/NpmProjectVisitor.kt b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/NpmProjectVisitor.kt
index 7320db7334f..c5dfe5ca3ed 100644
--- a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/NpmProjectVisitor.kt
+++ b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/NpmProjectVisitor.kt
@@ -28,17 +28,16 @@ internal class NpmProjectVisitor(val resolver: NpmResolver, val project: Project
     private val byCompilation = mutableMapOf<KotlinJsCompilation, NpmProjectPackage>()
     private val byNpmDependency = mutableMapOf<NpmDependency, NpmProjectPackage>()
     private val taskRequirements = mutableMapOf<RequiresNpmDependencies, Collection<RequiredKotlinJsDependency>>()
-    private val requiredFromTasksByCompilation = mutableMapOf<KotlinJsCompilation, MutableList<Dependency>>()
+    private val requiredFromTasksByCompilation = mutableMapOf<KotlinJsCompilation, MutableList<RequiresNpmDependencies>>()
 
     private fun addTaskRequirements(task: RequiresNpmDependencies) {
         val requirements = task.requiredNpmDependencies.toList()
 
         taskRequirements[task] = requirements
 
-        val requiredDependenciesList = requiredFromTasksByCompilation.getOrPut(task.compilation) { mutableListOf() }
-        requirements.forEach { requiredDependency ->
-            requiredDependenciesList.add(requiredDependency.createDependency(project))
-        }
+        requiredFromTasksByCompilation
+            .getOrPut(task.compilation) { mutableListOf() }
+            .add(task)
     }
 
     private fun addNpmProject(resolved: NpmProjectPackage) {
@@ -111,10 +110,14 @@ internal class NpmProjectVisitor(val resolver: NpmResolver, val project: Project
         packageJson.main = npmProject.main
 
         val requiredByTasks = requiredFromTasksByCompilation[compilation]
+        var nodeModulesRequired = false
         if (requiredByTasks != null && requiredByTasks.isNotEmpty()) {
             val configuration = project.configurations.create("$name-jsTools")
             requiredByTasks.forEach {
-                configuration.dependencies.add(it)
+                if (it.nodeModulesRequired) nodeModulesRequired = true
+                it.requiredNpmDependencies.forEach { requirement ->
+                    configuration.dependencies.add(requirement.createDependency(project))
+                }
             }
             configuration.resolve()
             visitConfiguration(configuration, npmDependencies, gradleDeps)
@@ -139,7 +142,7 @@ internal class NpmProjectVisitor(val resolver: NpmResolver, val project: Project
             it(packageJson)
         }
 
-        val npmPackage = NpmProjectPackage(project, npmProject, npmDependencies, gradleDeps, packageJson)
+        val npmPackage = NpmProjectPackage(project, npmProject, npmDependencies, gradleDeps, packageJson, nodeModulesRequired)
         npmPackage.packageJson.saveTo(npmProject.packageJsonFile)
 
         resolver.packageManager.resolveProject(npmPackage)
diff --git a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/NpmResolver.kt b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/NpmResolver.kt
index d9be1965253..4efff3f126e 100644
--- a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/NpmResolver.kt
+++ b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/NpmResolver.kt
@@ -9,7 +9,9 @@ import org.gradle.api.Project
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.plugin.KotlinCompilation
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.targets.js.nodejs.NodeJsPlugin
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.targets.js.nodejs.NodeJsRootExtension
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.targets.js.nodejs.nodeJs
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.targets.js.npm.NpmResolver.ResolutionCallResult.*
+import java.nio.file.Files
 
 /**
  * Generates `package.json` file for [NpmProject] with npm or js dependencies and
@@ -92,9 +94,12 @@ internal class NpmResolver private constructor(val rootProject: Project) : AutoC
 
     fun resolve() {
         resolve(rootProject)
-        if (allNpmPackages.isNotEmpty()) {
-            removeOutdatedPackages()
+        removeOutdatedPackages()
+
+        if (allNpmPackages.any { it.npmDependencies.isNotEmpty() }) {
             packageManager.resolveRootProject(rootProject, allNpmPackages)
+        } else if (allNpmPackages.any { it.hasNodeModulesDependentTasks }) {
+            NpmSimpleLinker(rootProject).link(allNpmPackages)
         }
 
         close()
diff --git a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/NpmSimpleLinker.kt b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/NpmSimpleLinker.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a31f29af514
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/NpmSimpleLinker.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2010-2019 JetBrains s.r.o. and Kotlin Programming Language contributors.
+ * Use of this source code is governed by the Apache 2.0 license that can be found in the license/LICENSE.txt file.
+ */
+
+package org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.targets.js.npm
+
+import org.gradle.api.Project
+import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.targets.js.nodejs.nodeJs
+import java.nio.file.Files
+
+/**
+ * Handles simple case, when there are no npm depenencies required, but some tasks steel needs
+ * node_modules with symlinked packages and packages_imported
+ */
+class NpmSimpleLinker(rootProject: Project) {
+    private val rootProjectNodeModules = rootProject.nodeJs.root.rootPackageDir.resolve(NpmProject.NODE_MODULES)
+
+    fun link(projects: Collection<NpmProjectPackage>) {
+        rootProjectNodeModules.listFiles()?.forEach {
+            val path = it.toPath()
+            when {
+                Files.isSymbolicLink(path) ->
+                    Files.delete(path)
+                else -> it.deleteRecursively()
+            }
+
+        }
+
+        rootProjectNodeModules.mkdirs()
+
+        // packages
+        projects.forEach {
+            Files.createSymbolicLink(getNodeModulePath(it.npmProject.name), it.npmProject.dir.canonicalFile.toPath())
+        }
+
+        // packages_imported
+        projects.flatMapTo(mutableSetOf()) {
+            it.gradleDependencies.externalModules.map { gradleNodeModule -> gradleNodeModule }
+        }.forEach {
+            Files.createSymbolicLink(getNodeModulePath(it.name), it.path.canonicalFile.toPath())
+        }
+    }
+
+    private fun getNodeModulePath(name: String) =
+        rootProjectNodeModules.resolve(name).canonicalFile.toPath()
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/RequiresNpmDependencies.kt b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/RequiresNpmDependencies.kt
index 7f487e663aa..0cf81575e23 100644
--- a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/RequiresNpmDependencies.kt
+++ b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/npm/RequiresNpmDependencies.kt
@@ -10,5 +10,6 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.targets.js.RequiredKotlinJsDependency
 
 interface RequiresNpmDependencies {
     val compilation: KotlinJsCompilation
+    val nodeModulesRequired: Boolean
     val requiredNpmDependencies: Collection<RequiredKotlinJsDependency>
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/testing/KotlinJsTest.kt b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/testing/KotlinJsTest.kt
index 9b6fc27f062..6e226a3350a 100644
--- a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/testing/KotlinJsTest.kt
+++ b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/testing/KotlinJsTest.kt
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ open class KotlinJsTest : KotlinTest(), RequiresNpmDependencies {
     val nodeModulesToLoad: List<String>
         @Internal get() = listOf("./" + compilation.npmProject.main)
 
+    override val nodeModulesRequired: Boolean
+        @Internal get() = testFramework!!.nodeModulesRequired
+
     override val requiredNpmDependencies: Collection<RequiredKotlinJsDependency>
         @Internal get() = testFramework!!.requiredNpmDependencies
 
diff --git a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/testing/KotlinJsTestFramework.kt b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/testing/KotlinJsTestFramework.kt
index 12b2085eac7..810cbbb9bd8 100644
--- a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/testing/KotlinJsTestFramework.kt
+++ b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/testing/KotlinJsTestFramework.kt
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ package org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.targets.js.testing
 
 import org.gradle.process.ProcessForkOptions
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.internal.testing.TCServiceMessagesTestExecutionSpec
-import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.plugin.HasKotlinDependencies
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.targets.js.npm.RequiresNpmDependencies
 
 interface KotlinJsTestFramework : RequiresNpmDependencies {
@@ -18,4 +17,7 @@ interface KotlinJsTestFramework : RequiresNpmDependencies {
         forkOptions: ProcessForkOptions,
         nodeJsArgs: MutableList<String>
     ): TCServiceMessagesTestExecutionSpec
+
+    override val nodeModulesRequired: Boolean
+        get() = true
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/webpack/KotlinWebpack.kt b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/webpack/KotlinWebpack.kt
index 2d571aecf57..cbf08b1158a 100644
--- a/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/webpack/KotlinWebpack.kt
+++ b/libraries/tools/kotlin-gradle-plugin/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/kotlin/gradle/targets/js/webpack/KotlinWebpack.kt
@@ -95,6 +95,9 @@ open class KotlinWebpack : DefaultTask(), RequiresNpmDependencies {
         )
     )
 
+    override val nodeModulesRequired: Boolean
+        @Internal get() = true
+
     override val requiredNpmDependencies: Collection<NpmPackageVersion>
         @Internal get() = mutableListOf<NpmPackageVersion>().also {
             it.add(versions.webpack)