diff --git a/bin/-tarball-info.js b/bin/-tarball-info.js
index bfd14c2e0f4..776f5351eec 100644
--- a/bin/-tarball-info.js
+++ b/bin/-tarball-info.js
@@ -166,7 +166,13 @@ function generatePackageReference(version, tarballName) {
 }
 
 function insertTarballsToPackageJson(fileLocation, options = {}) {
-  const pkgInfo = require(fileLocation);
+  // in some flows we have the potential to have previously written
+  //  to the package.json already prior to calling this method.
+  //  reading it in this way this ensures we get the latest and not
+  //  a stale module from require
+  const location = require.resolve(fileLocation);
+  const pkgInfo = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(location, 'utf8'));
+
   if (options.isRelativeTarball) {
     pkgInfo.version = `${pkgInfo.version}-sha.${CurrentSha}`;
   }
@@ -182,11 +188,11 @@ function insertTarballsToPackageJson(fileLocation, options = {}) {
 
     if (!options.isRelativeTarball) {
       const resolutions = (pkgInfo.resolutions = pkgInfo.resolutions || {});
-      resolutions[packageName] = pkg.tarballLocation;
+      resolutions[packageName] = pkg.reference;
     }
   });
 
-  fs.writeFileSync(fileLocation, JSON.stringify(pkgInfo, null, 2));
+  fs.writeFileSync(location, JSON.stringify(pkgInfo, null, 2));
 }
 
 module.exports = {
diff --git a/bin/test-external-partner-project.js b/bin/test-external-partner-project.js
index e7debce767e..51317cd4d59 100755
--- a/bin/test-external-partner-project.js
+++ b/bin/test-external-partner-project.js
@@ -9,15 +9,26 @@ const execa = require('execa');
 const debug = require('debug')('test-external');
 const rimraf = require('rimraf');
 const chalk = require('chalk');
-
+const cliArgs = require('command-line-args');
 const projectRoot = path.resolve(__dirname, '../');
-const externalProjectName = process.argv[2];
-const gitUrl = process.argv[3];
-const skipSmokeTest =
-  (process.argv[4] && process.argv[4] === '--skip-smoke-test') ||
-  (process.argv[5] && process.argv[5] === '--skip-smoke-test');
-const skipClone =
-  (process.argv[4] && process.argv[4] === '--skip-clone') || (process.argv[5] && process.argv[5] === '--skip-clone');
+
+let cliOptionsDef = [{ name: 'projectName', defaultOption: true }];
+let cliOptions = cliArgs(cliOptionsDef, { stopAtFirstUnknown: true });
+const externalProjectName = cliOptions.projectName;
+let argv = cliOptions._unknown || [];
+cliOptionsDef = [{ name: 'gitUrl', defaultOption: true }];
+cliOptions = cliArgs(cliOptionsDef, { stopAtFirstUnknown: true, argv });
+const gitUrl = cliOptions.gitUrl;
+argv = cliOptions._unknown || [];
+cliOptionsDef = [
+  { name: 'skipSmokeTest', type: Boolean, defaultValue: false },
+  { name: 'skipClone', type: Boolean, defaultValue: false },
+  { name: 'skipTest', type: Boolean, defaultValue: false },
+];
+cliOptions = cliArgs(cliOptionsDef, { argv });
+
+const { skipSmokeTest, skipClone, skipTest } = cliOptions;
+
 // we share this for the build
 const cachePath = '../__external-test-cache';
 const tempDir = path.join(projectRoot, cachePath);
@@ -109,34 +120,43 @@ try {
 try {
   debug('Preparing Package To Run Tests Against Commit');
   insertTarballsToPackageJson(packageJsonLocation);
-  // we must use npm because yarn fails to install
-  // the nested tarballs correctly (just as it fails to pack them correctly)
-  // we rimraf node_modules first because it was previously
-  // installed using yarn's resolution algorithm
-  if (!skipSmokeTest) {
-    execExternal(`rm -rf node_modules`);
-  }
-  execExternal(`npm install`);
+
+  // clear node_modules installed for the smoke-test
+  execExternal(`rm -rf node_modules`);
+  // we are forced to use yarn so that our resolutions will be respected
+  // in addition to the version file link we insert otherwise nested deps
+  // may bring their own ember-data
+  //
+  // For this reason we don't trust the lock file
+  // we also can't trust the cache
+  execExternal(`yarn install --no-lockfile --cache-folder=tmp/yarn-cache`);
 } catch (e) {
-  debug(e);
-  throw new Error(`Unable to npm install tarballs for ember-data\` for ${externalProjectName}`);
+  console.log(`Unable to npm install tarballs for ember-data\` for ${externalProjectName}. Original error below:`);
+
+  throw e;
 }
 
-try {
-  debug('Running tests against EmberData commit');
-  execExternal(`ember test`, true);
-} catch (e) {
-  commitTestPassed = false;
+if (!skipTest) {
+  try {
+    debug('Running tests against EmberData commit');
+    execExternal(`ember test`, true);
+  } catch (e) {
+    commitTestPassed = false;
+  }
 }
 
-if (skipSmokeTest && !commitTestPassed) {
-  throw new Error('Commit may result in a regression, but the smoke test was skipped.');
-} else if (!smokeTestPassed && !commitTestPassed) {
-  throw new Error(`Commit may result in a regression, but the smoke test for ${externalProjectName} also failed.`);
-} else if (smokeTestPassed && !commitTestPassed) {
-  throw new Error(`Commit results in a regression in ${externalProjectName}`);
-} else if (!smokeTestPassed) {
-  console.log(`Commit may resolve issues present in the smoke test for ${externalProjectName}`);
+if (skipTest) {
+  console.log(`Skipped Tests: Commit viability unknown`);
 } else {
-  console.log(`Commit does not regress ${externalProjectName}`);
+  if (skipSmokeTest && !commitTestPassed) {
+    throw new Error('Commit may result in a regression, but the smoke test was skipped.');
+  } else if (!smokeTestPassed && !commitTestPassed) {
+    throw new Error(`Commit may result in a regression, but the smoke test for ${externalProjectName} also failed.`);
+  } else if (smokeTestPassed && !commitTestPassed) {
+    throw new Error(`Commit results in a regression in ${externalProjectName}`);
+  } else if (!smokeTestPassed) {
+    console.log(`Commit may resolve issues present in the smoke test for ${externalProjectName}`);
+  } else {
+    console.log(`Commit does not regress ${externalProjectName}`);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 74ccdb99d40..dae04d90f9e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
     "test-external:travis-web": "./bin/test-external-partner-project.js travis-web https://github.com/travis-ci/travis-web.git",
     "test-external:storefront": "./bin/test-external-partner-project.js storefront https://github.com/embermap/ember-data-storefront.git",
     "test-external:factory-guy": "./bin/test-external-partner-project.js factory-guy https://github.com/danielspaniel/ember-data-factory-guy.git",
-    "test-external:ilios-frontend": "./bin/test-external-partner-project.js ilios-frontend https://github.com/ilios/frontend.git --skip-smoke-test",
+    "test-external:ilios-frontend": "./bin/test-external-partner-project.js ilios-frontend https://github.com/ilios/frontend.git --skipSmokeTest",
     "test-external:ember-resource-metadata": "./bin/test-external-partner-project.js ember-resource-metadata https://github.com/ef4/ember-resource-metadata.git",
     "test-external:ember-data-relationship-tracker": "./bin/test-external-partner-project.js ember-data-relationship-tracker https://github.com/ef4/ember-data-relationship-tracker.git"
   },