diff --git a/bin/node-gyp.js b/bin/node-gyp.js
index f8317b47b3..ee0ad6d93c 100755
--- a/bin/node-gyp.js
+++ b/bin/node-gyp.js
@@ -4,71 +4,124 @@
 
 process.title = 'node-gyp'
 
-const envPaths = require('env-paths')
 const gyp = require('../')
 const log = require('../lib/log')
 const os = require('os')
 
 /**
- * Process and execute the selected commands.
+ * Create node-gyp instance and global state
  */
-
 const prog = gyp()
 let completed = false
-prog.parseArgv(process.argv)
-prog.devDir = prog.opts.devdir
-
-const homeDir = os.homedir()
-if (prog.devDir) {
-  prog.devDir = prog.devDir.replace(/^~/, homeDir)
-} else if (homeDir) {
-  prog.devDir = envPaths('node-gyp', { suffix: '' }).cache
-} else {
-  throw new Error(
-    "node-gyp requires that the user's home directory is specified " +
-    'in either of the environmental variables HOME or USERPROFILE. ' +
-    'Overide with: --devdir /path/to/.node-gyp')
+let init = false
+
+function errorMessage () {
+  // copied from npm's lib/utils/error-handler.js
+  log.error('System', os.type() + ' ' + os.release())
+  log.error('command', process.argv.map(JSON.stringify).join(' '))
+  log.error('cwd', process.cwd())
+  log.error('node -v', process.version)
+  log.error('node-gyp -v', 'v' + prog.package.version)
 }
 
-if (prog.todo.length === 0) {
-  if (~process.argv.indexOf('-v') || ~process.argv.indexOf('--version')) {
-    log.stdout('v%s', prog.version)
-  } else {
-    log.stdout('%s', prog.usage())
+function issueMessage () {
+  log.error('', [
+    'Node-gyp failed to build your package.',
+    'Try to update npm and/or node-gyp and if it does not help file an issue with the package author.'
+  ].join('\n'))
+}
+
+process.on('exit', function (code) {
+  if (!completed && !code) {
+    log.error('Completion callback never invoked!')
+    errorMessage()
+    issueMessage()
+    process.exit(6)
   }
-  process.exit(0)
+})
+
+process.on('uncaughtException', function (err) {
+  log.error('UNCAUGHT EXCEPTION')
+  log.error('stack', err.stack)
+  errorMessage()
+  issueMessage()
+  process.exit(7)
+})
+
+function exitError (err) {
+  log.error('stack', err.stack)
+  errorMessage()
+  log.error('not ok')
+  process.exit(1)
 }
 
-log.info('it worked if it ends with', 'ok')
-log.verbose('cli', process.argv)
-log.info('using', 'node-gyp@%s', prog.version)
-log.info('using', 'node@%s | %s | %s', process.versions.node, process.platform, process.arch)
+async function runInit () {
+  prog.parseArgv(process.argv)
+  prog.devDir = prog.opts.devdir
 
-/**
- * Change dir if -C/--directory was passed.
- */
+  const homeDir = os.homedir()
+  if (prog.devDir) {
+    prog.devDir = prog.devDir.replace(/^~/, homeDir)
+  } else if (homeDir) {
+    const { default: envPaths } = await import('env-paths')
+    prog.devDir = envPaths('node-gyp', { suffix: '' }).cache
+  } else {
+    throw new Error(
+      "node-gyp requires that the user's home directory is specified " +
+        'in either of the environmental variables HOME or USERPROFILE. ' +
+        'Overide with: --devdir /path/to/.node-gyp'
+    )
+  }
 
-const dir = prog.opts.directory
-if (dir) {
-  const fs = require('fs')
-  try {
-    const stat = fs.statSync(dir)
-    if (stat.isDirectory()) {
-      log.info('chdir', dir)
-      process.chdir(dir)
+  if (prog.todo.length === 0) {
+    if (~process.argv.indexOf('-v') || ~process.argv.indexOf('--version')) {
+      log.stdout('v%s', prog.version)
     } else {
-      log.warn('chdir', dir + ' is not a directory')
+      log.stdout('%s', prog.usage())
     }
-  } catch (e) {
-    if (e.code === 'ENOENT') {
-      log.warn('chdir', dir + ' is not a directory')
-    } else {
-      log.warn('chdir', 'error during chdir() "%s"', e.message)
+    process.exit(0)
+  }
+
+  log.info('it worked if it ends with', 'ok')
+  log.verbose('cli', process.argv)
+  log.info('using', 'node-gyp@%s', prog.version)
+  log.info('using', 'node@%s | %s | %s', process.versions.node, process.platform, process.arch)
+
+  /**
+   * Change dir if -C/--directory was passed.
+   */
+  const dir = prog.opts.directory
+  if (dir) {
+    const fs = require('fs/promises')
+    try {
+      const stat = await fs.stat(dir)
+      if (stat.isDirectory()) {
+        log.info('chdir', dir)
+        process.chdir(dir)
+      } else {
+        log.warn('chdir', dir + ' is not a directory')
+      }
+    } catch (e) {
+      if (e.code === 'ENOENT') {
+        log.warn('chdir', dir + ' is not a directory')
+      } else {
+        log.warn('chdir', 'error during chdir() "%s"', e.message)
+      }
     }
   }
 }
 
 async function run () {
+  if (!init) {
+    init = true
+    try {
+      await runInit()
+    } catch (err) {
+      exitError(err)
+      return
+    }
+  }
+
   const command = prog.todo.shift()
   if (!command) {
     // done!
@@ -91,48 +144,12 @@ async function run () {
     }
 
     // now run the next command in the queue
-    return run()
+    await run()
   } catch (err) {
     log.error(command.name + ' error')
-    log.error('stack', err.stack)
-    errorMessage()
-    log.error('not ok')
-    return process.exit(1)
+    exitError(err)
   }
 }
 
-process.on('exit', function (code) {
-  if (!completed && !code) {
-    log.error('Completion callback never invoked!')
-    issueMessage()
-    process.exit(6)
-  }
-})
-
-process.on('uncaughtException', function (err) {
-  log.error('UNCAUGHT EXCEPTION')
-  log.error('stack', err.stack)
-  issueMessage()
-  process.exit(7)
-})
-
-function errorMessage () {
-  // copied from npm's lib/utils/error-handler.js
-  const os = require('os')
-  log.error('System', os.type() + ' ' + os.release())
-  log.error('command', process.argv
-    .map(JSON.stringify).join(' '))
-  log.error('cwd', process.cwd())
-  log.error('node -v', process.version)
-  log.error('node-gyp -v', 'v' + prog.package.version)
-}
-
-function issueMessage () {
-  errorMessage()
-  log.error('', ['Node-gyp failed to build your package.',
-    'Try to update npm and/or node-gyp and if it does not help file an issue with the package author.'
-  ].join('\n'))
-}
-
 // start running the given commands!
 run()
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 80c63f2e72..b9bf27cc62 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
   "bin": "./bin/node-gyp.js",
   "main": "./lib/node-gyp.js",
   "dependencies": {
-    "env-paths": "^2.2.0",
+    "env-paths": "^3.0.0",
     "exponential-backoff": "^3.1.1",
     "glob": "^10.3.10",
     "graceful-fs": "^4.2.6",
diff --git a/test/common.js b/test/common.js
index 489502d4dd..f972191312 100644
--- a/test/common.js
+++ b/test/common.js
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
-const envPaths = require('env-paths')
 const semver = require('semver')
 
-module.exports.devDir = envPaths('node-gyp', { suffix: '' }).cache
+module.exports.devDir = async () => {
+  const { default: envPaths } = await import('env-paths')
+  return envPaths('node-gyp', { suffix: '' }).cache
+}
 
 module.exports.poison = (object, property) => {
   function fail () {
diff --git a/test/test-configure-python.js b/test/test-configure-python.js
index eee230a496..2ab0a271b1 100644
--- a/test/test-configure-python.js
+++ b/test/test-configure-python.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 const { describe, it } = require('mocha')
 const assert = require('assert')
 const path = require('path')
-const { devDir } = require('./common')
+const { devDir: getDevDir } = require('./common')
 const gyp = require('../lib/node-gyp')
 const requireInject = require('require-inject')
 
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@ const EXPECTED_PYPATH = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'gyp', 'pylib')
 const SEPARATOR = process.platform === 'win32' ? ';' : ':'
 const SPAWN_RESULT = cb => ({ on: function () { cb() } })
 
-describe('configure-python', function () {
+describe('configure-python', async function () {
+  const devDir = await getDevDir()
+
   it('configure PYTHONPATH with no existing env', function (done) {
     delete process.env.PYTHONPATH
 
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ describe('configure-python', function () {
 
       return SPAWN_RESULT(done)
     }
-    prog.devDir = devDir
+    prog.devDir = devDir()
     configure(prog, [], assert.fail)
   })
 
@@ -71,7 +73,7 @@ describe('configure-python', function () {
 
       return SPAWN_RESULT(done)
     }
-    prog.devDir = devDir
+    prog.devDir = devDir()
     configure(prog, [], assert.fail)
   })
 })
diff --git a/test/test-download.js b/test/test-download.js
index 1d0f3ab286..ff9320fcb3 100644
--- a/test/test-download.js
+++ b/test/test-download.js
@@ -162,12 +162,12 @@ describe('download', function () {
 
     this.timeout(platformTimeout(1, { win32: 5 }))
 
-    const expectedDir = path.join(devDir, process.version.replace(/^v/, ''))
+    const expectedDir = path.join(await devDir(), process.version.replace(/^v/, ''))
     await fs.rm(expectedDir, { recursive: true, force: true })
 
     const prog = gyp()
     prog.parseArgv([])
-    prog.devDir = devDir
+    prog.devDir = await devDir()
     await install(prog, [])
 
     const data = await fs.readFile(path.join(expectedDir, 'installVersion'), 'utf8')