diff --git a/scripts/prebuild.js b/scripts/prebuild.js
index a8fc9302..e830ed61 100644
--- a/scripts/prebuild.js
+++ b/scripts/prebuild.js
@@ -4,22 +4,25 @@ const fs = require('fs');
 const path = require('path');
 
 /**
- * This script copies the prebuilt binaries from the prebuild directory
- * for the current platform and architecture to the build/Release directory.
- * 
+ * This script checks for the prebuilt binaries for the current platform and
+ * architecture. It exits with 0 if prebuilds are found and 1 if not.
+ *
+ * If npm_config_build_from_source is set then it removes the prebuilds for the
+ * current platform so they are not loaded at runtime.
+ *
  * Usage:
  *     node scripts/prebuild.js
  */
 
+const PREBUILD_DIR = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'prebuilds', `${process.platform}-${process.arch}`);
+
 // Skip copying prebuilds when npm_config_build_from_source is set
 if (process.env.npm_config_build_from_source === 'true') {
-  console.log('\x1b[33m> Skipping prebuild copy because npm_config_build_from_source is set\x1b[0m');
+  console.log('\x1b[33m> Removing prebuilds and rebuilding because npm_config_build_from_source is set\x1b[0m');
+  fs.rmSync(PREBUILD_DIR, { recursive: true });
   process.exit(1);
 }
 
-const PREBUILD_DIR = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'prebuilds', `${process.platform}-${process.arch}`);
-const RELEASE_DIR = path.join(__dirname, '../build/Release');
-
 /* Copy prebuild files to build/Release */
 console.log('\x1b[32m> Copying prebuilds to release folder...\x1b[0m');
 if (!fs.existsSync(PREBUILD_DIR)) {
@@ -27,4 +30,5 @@ if (!fs.existsSync(PREBUILD_DIR)) {
   // Exit with 1 to fall back on node-gyp building the native modules
   process.exit(1);
 }
-fs.cpSync(PREBUILD_DIR, RELEASE_DIR, { recursive: true });
\ No newline at end of file
+// Exit with 0 to skip node-gyp building from source
+process.exit(0);
diff --git a/src/conpty_console_list_agent.ts b/src/conpty_console_list_agent.ts
index d7700cff..181ccabb 100644
--- a/src/conpty_console_list_agent.ts
+++ b/src/conpty_console_list_agent.ts
@@ -6,13 +6,9 @@
  * single console attached to a process.
  */
 
-let getConsoleProcessList: any;
-try {
-  getConsoleProcessList = require('../build/Release/conpty_console_list.node').getConsoleProcessList;
-} catch (err) {
-  getConsoleProcessList = require('../build/Debug/conpty_console_list.node').getConsoleProcessList;
-}
+import { loadNativeModule } from './utils';
 
+const getConsoleProcessList = loadNativeModule('conpty_console_list').module.getConsoleProcessList;
 const shellPid = parseInt(process.argv[2], 10);
 const consoleProcessList = getConsoleProcessList(shellPid);
 process.send!({ consoleProcessList });
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 53d0322e..8a7e9505 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 import { ITerminal, IPtyOpenOptions, IPtyForkOptions, IWindowsPtyForkOptions } from './interfaces';
 import { ArgvOrCommandLine } from './types';
+import { loadNativeModule } from './utils';
 
 let terminalCtor: any;
 if (process.platform === 'win32') {
@@ -48,4 +49,4 @@ export function open(options: IPtyOpenOptions): ITerminal {
  * Expose the native API when not Windows, note that this is not public API and
  * could be removed at any time.
  */
-export const native = (process.platform !== 'win32' ? require('../build/Release/pty.node') : null);
+export const native = (process.platform !== 'win32' ? loadNativeModule('pty').module : null);
diff --git a/src/unixTerminal.ts b/src/unixTerminal.ts
index b745d762..05120dbd 100644
--- a/src/unixTerminal.ts
+++ b/src/unixTerminal.ts
@@ -9,24 +9,11 @@ import * as tty from 'tty';
 import { Terminal, DEFAULT_COLS, DEFAULT_ROWS } from './terminal';
 import { IProcessEnv, IPtyForkOptions, IPtyOpenOptions } from './interfaces';
 import { ArgvOrCommandLine } from './types';
-import { assign } from './utils';
-
-let pty: IUnixNative;
-let helperPath: string;
-try {
-  pty = require('../build/Release/pty.node');
-  helperPath = '../build/Release/spawn-helper';
-} catch (outerError) {
-  try {
-    pty = require('../build/Debug/pty.node');
-    helperPath = '../build/Debug/spawn-helper';
-  } catch (innerError) {
-    console.error('innerError', innerError);
-    // Re-throw the exception from the Release require if the Debug require fails as well
-    throw outerError;
-  }
-}
+import { assign, loadNativeModule } from './utils';
 
+const native = loadNativeModule('pty');
+const pty: IUnixNative = native.module;
+let helperPath = native.dir + '/spawn-helper';
 helperPath = path.resolve(__dirname, helperPath);
 helperPath = helperPath.replace('app.asar', 'app.asar.unpacked');
 helperPath = helperPath.replace('node_modules.asar', 'node_modules.asar.unpacked');
diff --git a/src/utils.ts b/src/utils.ts
index 6306c8ba..81a70c77 100644
--- a/src/utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils.ts
@@ -7,3 +7,23 @@ export function assign(target: any, ...sources: any[]): any {
   sources.forEach(source => Object.keys(source).forEach(key => target[key] = source[key]));
   return target;
 }
+
+
+export function loadNativeModule(name: string): {dir: string, module: any} {
+  // Check build, debug, and then prebuilds.
+  const dirs = ['build/Release', 'build/Debug', `prebuilds/${process.platform}-${process.arch}`];
+  // Check relative to the parent dir for unbundled and then the current dir for bundled
+  const relative = ['..', '.'];
+  let lastError: unknown;
+  for (const d of dirs) {
+    for (const r of relative) {
+      const dir = `${r}/${d}/`;
+      try {
+        return { dir, module: require(`${dir}/${name}.node`) };
+      } catch (e) {
+        lastError = e;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  throw new Error(`Failed to load native module: ${name}.node, checked: ${dirs.join(', ')}: ${lastError}`);
+}
diff --git a/src/windowsPtyAgent.ts b/src/windowsPtyAgent.ts
index ba5dbdbc..d7054449 100644
--- a/src/windowsPtyAgent.ts
+++ b/src/windowsPtyAgent.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { fork } from 'child_process';
 import { Socket } from 'net';
 import { ArgvOrCommandLine } from './types';
 import { ConoutConnection } from './windowsConoutConnection';
+import { loadNativeModule } from './utils';
 
 let conptyNative: IConptyNative;
 let winptyNative: IWinptyNative;
@@ -62,31 +63,11 @@ export class WindowsPtyAgent {
     }
     if (this._useConpty) {
       if (!conptyNative) {
-        try {
-          conptyNative = require('../build/Release/conpty.node');
-        } catch (outerError) {
-          try {
-            conptyNative = require('../build/Debug/conpty.node');
-          } catch (innerError) {
-            console.error('innerError', innerError);
-            // Re-throw the exception from the Release require if the Debug require fails as well
-            throw outerError;
-          }
-        }
+        conptyNative = loadNativeModule('conpty').module;
       }
     } else {
       if (!winptyNative) {
-        try {
-          winptyNative = require('../build/Release/pty.node');
-        } catch (outerError) {
-          try {
-            winptyNative = require('../build/Debug/pty.node');
-          } catch (innerError) {
-            console.error('innerError', innerError);
-            // Re-throw the exception from the Release require if the Debug require fails as well
-            throw outerError;
-          }
-        }
+        winptyNative = loadNativeModule('pty').module;
       }
     }
     this._ptyNative = this._useConpty ? conptyNative : winptyNative;