diff --git a/lib/utils/error-message.js b/lib/utils/error-message.js
index 5ddfb37682a2..12f304d1e894 100644
--- a/lib/utils/error-message.js
+++ b/lib/utils/error-message.js
@@ -280,8 +280,9 @@ function errorMessage (er) {
 
     case 'EEXIST':
       short.push(['', er.message])
-      short.push(['', 'File exists: ' + er.path])
-      detail.push(['', 'Move it away, and try again.'])
+      short.push(['', 'File exists: ' + (er.dest || er.path)])
+      detail.push(['', 'Remove the existing file and try again, or run npm'])
+      detail.push(['', 'with --force to overwrite files recklessly.'])
       break
 
     case 'ENEEDAUTH':
diff --git a/test/tap/bin-overwriting.js b/test/tap/bin-overwriting.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..155d4abf5205
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tap/bin-overwriting.js
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+const t = require('tap')
+const common = require('../common-tap.js')
+const pkg = common.pkg
+
+const { writeFileSync, readFileSync, readlink } = require('fs')
+const readCmdShim = require('read-cmd-shim')
+const path = require('path')
+const readBinCb = process.platform === 'win32' ? readCmdShim : readlink
+const readBin = bin => new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+  readBinCb(bin, (er, target) => {
+    if (er)
+      reject(er)
+    else
+      resolve(path.resolve(pkg + '/global/bin', target))
+  })
+})
+
+// verify that we can't overwrite bins that we shouldn't be able to
+
+const mkdirp = require('mkdirp').sync
+
+process.env.npm_config_prefix = pkg + '/global'
+process.env.npm_config_global = true
+
+const globalBin = process.platform === 'win32'
+  ? path.resolve(pkg, 'global')
+  : path.resolve(pkg, 'global/bin')
+
+const globalDir = process.platform === 'win32'
+  ? path.resolve(pkg, 'global/node_modules')
+  : path.resolve(pkg, 'global/lib/node_modules')
+
+const beep = path.resolve(globalBin, 'beep')
+const firstBin = path.resolve(globalDir, 'first/first.js')
+const secondBin = path.resolve(globalDir, 'second/second.js')
+
+t.test('setup', { bail: true }, t => {
+  // set up non-link bin in place
+  mkdirp(globalBin)
+  writeFileSync(beep, 'beep boop')
+
+  // create first package
+  mkdirp(pkg + '/first')
+  writeFileSync(pkg + '/first/package.json', JSON.stringify({
+    name: 'first',
+    version: '1.0.0',
+    bin: { beep: 'first.js' }
+  }))
+  writeFileSync(pkg + '/first/first.js', `#!/usr/bin/env node
+    console.log('first')`)
+
+  // create second package
+  mkdirp(pkg + '/second')
+  writeFileSync(pkg + '/second/package.json', JSON.stringify({
+    name: 'second',
+    version: '1.0.0',
+    bin: { beep: 'second.js' }
+  }))
+  writeFileSync(pkg + '/second/second.js', `#!/usr/bin/env node
+    console.log('second')`)
+
+  // pack both to install globally
+  return common.npm(['pack'], { cwd: pkg + '/first' })
+    .then(() => common.npm(['pack'], { cwd: pkg + '/second' }))
+})
+
+t.test('installing first fails, because pre-existing bin in place', t => {
+  return common.npm([
+    'install',
+    pkg + '/first/first-1.0.0.tgz'
+  ]).then(([code, stdout, stderr]) => {
+    t.notEqual(code, 0)
+    t.match(stderr, 'EEXIST')
+    t.equal(readFileSync(beep, 'utf8'), 'beep boop')
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('installing first with --force succeeds', t => {
+  return common.npm([
+    'install',
+    pkg + '/first/first-1.0.0.tgz',
+    '--force'
+  ]).then(() => {
+    return t.resolveMatch(readBin(beep), firstBin, 'bin written to first.js')
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('installing second fails, because bin links to other package', t => {
+  return common.npm([
+    'install',
+    pkg + '/second/second-1.0.0.tgz'
+  ]).then(([code, stdout, stderr]) => {
+    t.notEqual(code, 0)
+    t.match(stderr, 'EEXIST')
+    return t.resolveMatch(readBin(beep), firstBin, 'bin still linked to first')
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('installing second with --force succeeds', t => {
+  return common.npm([
+    'install',
+    pkg + '/second/second-1.0.0.tgz',
+    '--force'
+  ]).then(() => {
+    return t.resolveMatch(readBin(beep), secondBin, 'bin written to second.js')
+  })
+})