diff --git a/.nvmrc b/.nvmrc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e51b34301
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.nvmrc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+8.12.0
diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 4f9f31888..849491796 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ defaults_go: &DEFAULTS_GO
 
 defaults_js: &DEFAULTS_JS
   language: node_js
-  node_js: "8.12.0"
   # we run make to install everything
   install: []
   cache:
@@ -63,6 +62,10 @@ jobs:
       cache:
         # disable cache so we always build from scratch
         directories: []
+      before_script:
+        # this stage needs to build everything including assets file and that
+        # requires running webpack, so we need nodejs here
+        - nvm install $(< .nvmrc)
       script:
         # compile assets via webpack and build those into bindata_assetfs.go file
         - make bindata_assetfs.go