diff --git a/tools/pip.sh b/tools/pip.sh
index 47b5027f7f..8dda202d72 100755
--- a/tools/pip.sh
+++ b/tools/pip.sh
@@ -23,7 +23,15 @@ then
     pip install nodeenv
     # Initialize nodeenv and tell it to re-use the currently active virtualenv
     # TODO(jeblair): remove node version pin.  upath 1.0.4 objects to node >9.
-    nodeenv --python-virtualenv -n 10.16.0
+    attempts=0
+    until nodeenv --python-virtualenv -n 10.16.0; do
+        ((attempts++))
+        if [[ $attempts > 2 ]]
+        then
+            echo "Failed creating nodeenv"
+            exit 1
+        fi
+    done
     # Use -g because inside of the virtualenv '-g' means 'install into the'
     # virtualenv - as opposed to installing into the local node_modules.
     # Avoid writing a package-lock.json file since we don't use it.