diff --git a/packages/driver/package.json b/packages/driver/package.json
index 7032befebd..3160aa56ee 100644
--- a/packages/driver/package.json
+++ b/packages/driver/package.json
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@
     "clean-deps": "rm -rf node_modules",
     "test": "gulp test"
   },
+  "main": "index.js",
   "files": [
+    "index.js",
     "dist",
     "lib"
   ],
diff --git a/packages/driver/test/support/server/server.coffee b/packages/driver/test/support/server/server.coffee
index e60d70677e..49770d76f2 100644
--- a/packages/driver/test/support/server/server.coffee
+++ b/packages/driver/test/support/server/server.coffee
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ glob      = require("glob")
 coffee    = require("../../../../coffee")
 str       = require("string-to-stream")
 Promise   = require("bluebird")
-xhrs      = require("@packages/server/lib/controllers/xhrs")
+xhrs      = require("../../../../server/lib/controllers/xhrs")
 Runner    = require("./runner")
 
 args = require("minimist")(process.argv.slice(2))
diff --git a/packages/https-proxy/package.json b/packages/https-proxy/package.json
index a45957a91e..5b7a5fc215 100644
--- a/packages/https-proxy/package.json
+++ b/packages/https-proxy/package.json
@@ -29,7 +29,9 @@
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "bluebird": "^3.4.0",
+    "debug": "^2.6.8",
     "fs-extra": "^0.30.0",
+    "lodash": "^4.17.4",
     "node-forge": "^0.6.39",
     "semaphore": "^1.0.5",
     "server-destroy-vvo": "1.0.1",
diff --git a/packages/server/test/integration/http_requests_spec.coffee b/packages/server/test/integration/http_requests_spec.coffee
index d9b3e8abc6..0f4f188156 100644
--- a/packages/server/test/integration/http_requests_spec.coffee
+++ b/packages/server/test/integration/http_requests_spec.coffee
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ cjsxify       = require("cjsxify")
 streamToPromise = require("stream-to-promise")
 evilDns       = require("evil-dns")
 Promise       = require("bluebird")
-httpsServer   = require("@packages/https-proxy/test/helpers/https_server")
+httpsServer   = require("#{root}../https-proxy/test/helpers/https_server")
 pkg           = require("#{root}package.json")
 config        = require("#{root}lib/config")
 Server        = require("#{root}lib/server")
diff --git a/packages/server/test/integration/server_spec.coffee b/packages/server/test/integration/server_spec.coffee
index 4f4e003063..e7ee78ce5b 100644
--- a/packages/server/test/integration/server_spec.coffee
+++ b/packages/server/test/integration/server_spec.coffee
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ _             = require("lodash")
 rp            = require("request-promise")
 Promise       = require("bluebird")
 evilDns       = require("evil-dns")
-httpsServer   = require("@packages/https-proxy/test/helpers/https_server")
+httpsServer   = require("#{root}../https-proxy/test/helpers/https_server")
 buffers       = require("#{root}lib/util/buffers")
 config        = require("#{root}lib/config")
 Server        = require("#{root}lib/server")
diff --git a/packages/server/test/integration/websockets_spec.coffee b/packages/server/test/integration/websockets_spec.coffee
index 0d3580b589..1701992555 100644
--- a/packages/server/test/integration/websockets_spec.coffee
+++ b/packages/server/test/integration/websockets_spec.coffee
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ ws          = require("ws")
 httpsAgent  = require("https-proxy-agent")
 evilDns     = require("evil-dns")
 Promise     = require("bluebird")
-socketIo    = require("@packages/socket")
-httpsServer = require("@packages/https-proxy/test/helpers/https_server")
+socketIo    = require("#{root}../socket")
+httpsServer = require("#{root}../https-proxy/test/helpers/https_server")
 config      = require("#{root}lib/config")
 Server      = require("#{root}lib/server")
 Automation  = require("#{root}lib/automation")
diff --git a/scripts/binary/base.coffee b/scripts/binary/base.coffee
index 7d083001fa..6649172306 100644
--- a/scripts/binary/base.coffee
+++ b/scripts/binary/base.coffee
@@ -13,10 +13,13 @@ obfuscator   = require("obfuscator")
 cypressElectron = require("@packages/electron")
 log          = require("./log")
 meta         = require("./meta")
-pkg          = require("../../package.json")
-konfig       = require("@packages/server/lib/konfig")
-appData      = require("@packages/server/lib/util/app_data")
-Fixtures     = require("@packages/server/test/support/helpers/fixtures")
+
+root         = "../.."
+pkg          = require(path.join(root, "package.json"))
+fromPackages = _.partial(path.join, root, "packages")
+konfig       = require(fromPackages("server/lib/konfig"))
+appData      = require(fromPackages("server/lib/util/app_data"))
+Fixtures     = require(fromPackages("server/test/support/helpers/fixtures"))
 
 # pkgr     = Promise.promisify(pkgr)
 fs       = Promise.promisifyAll(fs)
diff --git a/scripts/binary/build.coffee b/scripts/binary/build.coffee
index 356dcad9d7..332fedb527 100644
--- a/scripts/binary/build.coffee
+++ b/scripts/binary/build.coffee
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 _ = require("lodash")
-fs = require("fs-extra")
+fse = require("fs-extra")
 del = require("del")
 path = require("path")
 gulp = require("gulp")
@@ -13,12 +13,13 @@ vinylPaths = require("vinyl-paths")
 coffee = require("@packages/coffee")
 electron = require("@packages/electron")
 
+linkPackages = require('../link-packages')
 meta = require("./meta")
 packages = require("./util/packages")
 Darwin = require("./darwin")
 Linux = require("./linux")
 
-fs = Promise.promisifyAll(fs)
+fs = Promise.promisifyAll(fse)
 
 logger = (msg, platform) ->
   console.log(chalk.yellow(msg), chalk.bgWhite(chalk.black(platform)))
@@ -94,10 +95,16 @@ module.exports = (platform, version, options = {}) ->
 
       fs.outputFileAsync(distDir("index.js"), str)
 
-  symlinkPackages = ->
-    log("#symlinkPackages")
-
-    packages.symlinkAll(distDir("packages", "*", "package.json"), distDir)
+  copyPackageProxies = (destinationFolder) ->
+    () ->
+      log("#copyPackageProxies")
+      dest = destinationFolder("node_modules", "@packages")
+      source = path.join(process.cwd(), "node_modules", "@packages")
+      fs.unlinkAsync(dest).catch(_.noop)
+      .then(() ->
+        console.log("Copying #{source} to #{dest}")
+        fs.copyAsync(source, dest)
+      )
 
   removeTypeScript = ->
     ## remove the .ts files in our packages
@@ -117,23 +124,6 @@ module.exports = (platform, version, options = {}) ->
       )
       console.log(paths)
 
-  symlinkBuildPackages = ->
-    log("#symlinkBuildPackages")
-    wildCard = buildAppDir("packages", "*", "package.json")
-    console.log("packages", wildCard)
-    packages.symlinkAll(
-      wildCard,
-      buildAppDir
-    )
-
-  symlinkDistPackages = ->
-    log("#symlinkDistPackages")
-
-    packages.symlinkAll(
-      distDir("packages", "*", "package.json"),
-      distDir
-    )
-
   cleanJs = ->
     log("#cleanJs")
 
@@ -187,13 +177,12 @@ module.exports = (platform, version, options = {}) ->
   .then(copyPackages)
   .then(npmInstallPackages)
   .then(createRootPackage)
-  .then(symlinkPackages)
+  .then(copyPackageProxies(distDir))
   .then(convertCoffeeToJs)
   .then(removeTypeScript)
   .then(cleanJs)
-  .then(symlinkDistPackages)
   .then(elBuilder)
-  .then(symlinkBuildPackages)
+  .then(copyPackageProxies(buildAppDir))
   .then(runSmokeTest)
 
   # older build steps
diff --git a/scripts/binary/upload.coffee b/scripts/binary/upload.coffee
index 7f5e7aa03e..900b8f7290 100644
--- a/scripts/binary/upload.coffee
+++ b/scripts/binary/upload.coffee
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ cp      = require("child_process")
 path    = require("path")
 gulp    = require("gulp")
 human   = require("human-interval")
-konfig  = require("@packages/server/lib/konfig")
+konfig  = require("../../packages/server/lib/konfig")
 Promise = require("bluebird")
 meta    = require("./meta")
 la      = require("lazy-ass")
diff --git a/scripts/link-packages.js b/scripts/link-packages.js
index 3f98966b2f..8359c9c2a7 100644
--- a/scripts/link-packages.js
+++ b/scripts/link-packages.js
@@ -4,20 +4,88 @@ const fse = require('fs-extra')
 const path = require('path')
 const globber = require('glob')
 const Promise = require('bluebird')
+const la = require('lazy-ass')
+const is = require('check-more-types')
+const debug = require('debug')('cypress:link')
+const _ = require('lodash')
 
 const fs = Promise.promisifyAll(fse)
 const glob = Promise.promisify(globber)
 
-const pathToPackages = path.join('node_modules', '@')
+const pathToPackages = path.join('node_modules', '@packages')
 
-// glob all of the names of packages
-glob('./packages/*')
-.map((folder) => {
-  // strip off the initial './'
-  // ./packages/foo -> node_modules/@packages/foo
-  const dest = pathToPackages + folder.slice(2)
+function deleteOutputFolder () {
+  const wildcard = `${pathToPackages}/*`
+  console.log('deleting all', wildcard)
+  return glob(wildcard)
+    .map((filename) => fs.unlinkAsync(filename))
+    .catch(_.noop)
+}
 
-  console.log('symlinking', folder, '->', dest)
+function proxyModule (name, pathToMain) {
+  la(is.unemptyString(name), 'missing name')
+  la(is.unemptyString(pathToMain), 'missing path to main', pathToMain)
+  la(!path.isAbsolute(pathToMain), 'path to main should be relative', pathToMain)
+  return {
+    name,
+    version: '0.0.0',
+    description: `fake proxy module to packages/${name}`,
+    main: pathToMain,
+  }
+}
 
-  return fs.ensureSymlinkAsync(folder, dest)
-})
+function proxyRegister (name) {
+  return `module.exports = require('../../../packages/${name}/register')`
+}
+
+function needsRegister (name) {
+  return name === '@packages/coffee' || name === '@packages/ts'
+}
+
+function makeProxies () {
+  return glob('./packages/*/package.json')
+  .map((filename) =>
+    fs.readJsonAsync(filename)
+    .then((json) => ({ filename, json }))
+  )
+  .map(({ filename, json }) => {
+    if (!json.main) {
+      throw new Error(`Package ${json.name} is missing main`)
+    }
+    const dirname = path.dirname(filename)
+    const bareName = json.name.split('/')[1]
+    debug(json.name, 'bare name', bareName, 'main', json.main)
+    const destinationFolder = path.join(pathToPackages, bareName)
+    const destPackageFilename = path.join(destinationFolder, 'package.json')
+    const registerPath = path.join(destinationFolder, 'register.js')
+    const fullMain = path.resolve(dirname, json.main)
+    debug('full name', fullMain)
+    const relativePathToMain = path.relative(destinationFolder, fullMain)
+    debug('relative path to main', relativePathToMain)
+
+    const proxy = proxyModule(json.name, relativePathToMain)
+    console.log(path.dirname(destPackageFilename), '->', relativePathToMain)
+
+    return fs.outputJsonAsync(destPackageFilename, proxy)
+      .then(() => {
+        if (needsRegister(json.name)) {
+          console.log('adding register file', registerPath)
+          return fs.outputFileAsync(registerPath, proxyRegister(bareName), 'utf8')
+        }
+      })
+  })
+}
+
+function linkPackages () {
+  return deleteOutputFolder()
+  .then(makeProxies)
+  .then(() => {
+    console.log('✅  require("@packages/<name>") should work now!')
+  })
+}
+
+module.exports = linkPackages
+
+if (!module.parent) {
+  linkPackages()
+}