diff --git a/tools/install-js-tools.sh b/tools/install-js-tools.sh
index a2a77cafc4..d65668c853 100755
--- a/tools/install-js-tools.sh
+++ b/tools/install-js-tools.sh
@@ -13,25 +13,30 @@
 # implied.
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
+if [ $EUID -ne 0 ] ; then
+    SUDO='sudo -E'
+fi
 
 if type apt-get; then
     # Install https transport - otherwise apt-get HANGS on https urls
-    sudo apt-get update
-    sudo apt-get install apt-transport-https
+    # Install curl so the curl commands work
+    # Install gnupg2 so that the apt-key add works
+    $SUDO apt-get update
+    $SUDO apt-get install -y apt-transport-https curl gnupg2
     # Install recent NodeJS repo
-    curl -sS https://deb.nodesource.com/gpgkey/nodesource.gpg.key | sudo apt-key add -
-    echo "deb https://deb.nodesource.com/node_8.x xenial main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nodesource.list
+    curl -sS https://deb.nodesource.com/gpgkey/nodesource.gpg.key | $SUDO apt-key add -
+    echo "deb https://deb.nodesource.com/node_8.x xenial main" | $SUDO tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nodesource.list
     # Install yarn repo
-    curl -sS https://dl.yarnpkg.com/debian/pubkey.gpg | sudo apt-key add -
-    echo "deb https://dl.yarnpkg.com/debian/ stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/yarn.list
-    sudo apt-get update
-    sudo DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \
-        apt-get -q --option "Dpkg::Options::=--force-confold" --assume-yes \
+    curl -sS https://dl.yarnpkg.com/debian/pubkey.gpg | $SUDO apt-key add -
+    echo "deb https://dl.yarnpkg.com/debian/ stable main" | $SUDO tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/yarn.list
+    $SUDO apt-get update
+    DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \
+        $SUDO apt-get -q --option "Dpkg::Options::=--force-confold" --assume-yes \
         install nodejs yarn
 elif type yum; then
-    sudo curl https://dl.yarnpkg.com/rpm/yarn.repo -o /etc/yum.repos.d/yarn.repo
-    sudo $(dirname $0)/install-js-repos-rpm.sh
-    sudo yum -y install nodejs yarn
+    $SUDO curl https://dl.yarnpkg.com/rpm/yarn.repo -o /etc/yum.repos.d/yarn.repo
+    $SUDO $(dirname $0)/install-js-repos-rpm.sh
+    $SUDO yum -y install nodejs yarn
 elif type brew; then
     brew install nodejs yarn
 else