diff --git a/doc/misc/npm-config.md b/doc/misc/npm-config.md
index 88d30b62ca252..f1055a56edbc7 100644
--- a/doc/misc/npm-config.md
+++ b/doc/misc/npm-config.md
@@ -387,6 +387,13 @@ Makes various commands more forceful.
 * skips cache when requesting from the registry.
 * prevents checks against clobbering non-npm files.
 
+### format-package-lock
+
+* Default: true
+* Type: Boolean
+
+Format `package-lock.json` or `npm-shrinkwrap.json` as a human readable file.
+
 ### fetch-retries
 
 * Default: 2
diff --git a/lib/config/defaults.js b/lib/config/defaults.js
index f563357d4cba3..7f43372d11fa6 100644
--- a/lib/config/defaults.js
+++ b/lib/config/defaults.js
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ Object.defineProperty(exports, 'defaults', {get: function () {
     editor: osenv.editor(),
     'engine-strict': false,
     force: false,
+    'format-package-lock': true,
 
     'fetch-retries': 2,
     'fetch-retry-factor': 10,
@@ -282,6 +283,7 @@ exports.types = {
   editor: String,
   'engine-strict': Boolean,
   force: Boolean,
+  'format-package-lock': Boolean,
   'fetch-retries': Number,
   'fetch-retry-factor': Number,
   'fetch-retry-mintimeout': Number,
diff --git a/lib/shrinkwrap.js b/lib/shrinkwrap.js
index 0a3f53546ca87..a223e015ea5f0 100644
--- a/lib/shrinkwrap.js
+++ b/lib/shrinkwrap.js
@@ -282,11 +282,20 @@ function checkPackageFile (dir, name) {
   return readFile(
     file, 'utf8'
   ).then((data) => {
+    let indent
+    let newline
+    if (npm.config.get('format-package-lock') === false) {
+      indent = 0
+      newline = 0
+    } else {
+      indent = detectIndent(data).indent
+      newline = detectNewline(data)
+    }
     return {
       path: file,
       raw: data,
-      indent: detectIndent(data).indent,
-      newline: detectNewline(data)
+      indent,
+      newline
     }
   }).catch({code: 'ENOENT'}, () => {})
 }
diff --git a/test/tap/format-package-lock.js b/test/tap/format-package-lock.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..ddf40915d9bd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tap/format-package-lock.js
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+'use strict'
+const fs = require('fs')
+const path = require('path')
+const test = require('tap').test
+const mr = require('npm-registry-mock')
+const Tacks = require('tacks')
+const File = Tacks.File
+const Dir = Tacks.Dir
+const common = require('../common-tap.js')
+
+const basedir = common.pkg
+const testdir = path.join(basedir, 'testdir')
+const cachedir = common.cache
+const globaldir = path.join(basedir, 'global')
+const tmpdir = path.join(basedir, 'tmp')
+
+const pkgPath = path.join(testdir, 'package.json')
+const pkgLockPath = path.join(testdir, 'package-lock.json')
+const shrinkwrapPath = path.join(testdir, 'npm-shrinkwrap.json')
+const CRLFreg = /\r\n|\r|\n/
+
+const env = common.newEnv().extend({
+  npm_config_cache: cachedir,
+  npm_config_tmp: tmpdir,
+  npm_config_prefix: globaldir,
+  npm_config_registry: common.registry,
+  npm_config_loglevel: 'warn',
+  npm_config_format_package_lock: false
+})
+
+var server
+var fixture = new Tacks(Dir({
+  cache: Dir(),
+  global: Dir(),
+  tmp: Dir(),
+  testdir: Dir({
+    'package.json': File({
+      name: 'install-package-lock-only',
+      version: '1.0.0',
+      dependencies: {
+        mkdirp: '^0.3.4'
+      }
+    })
+  })
+}))
+
+function setup () {
+  cleanup()
+  fixture.create(basedir)
+}
+
+function cleanup () {
+  fixture.remove(basedir)
+}
+
+test('setup', function (t) {
+  mr({port: common.port, throwOnUnmatched: true}, function (err, s) {
+    if (err) throw err
+    server = s
+    t.done()
+  })
+})
+
+test('package-lock.json unformatted, package.json formatted when config has `format-package-lock: false`', function (t) {
+  setup()
+  common.npm(['install'], {cwd: testdir, env}).spread((code, stdout, stderr) => {
+    t.is(code, 0, 'ok')
+    t.ok(fs.existsSync(pkgLockPath), 'ensure that package-lock.json was created')
+    const pkgLockUtf8 = fs.readFileSync(pkgLockPath, 'utf-8')
+    t.equal(pkgLockUtf8.split(CRLFreg).length, 2, 'package-lock.json is unformatted')
+    const pkgUtf8 = fs.readFileSync(pkgPath, 'utf-8')
+    t.notEqual(pkgUtf8.split(CRLFreg).length, 2, 'package.json is formatted')
+    t.done()
+  })
+})
+
+test('npm-shrinkwrap.json unformatted when config has `format-package-lock: false`', function (t) {
+  setup()
+  common.npm(['shrinkwrap'], {cwd: testdir, env}).spread((code, stdout, stderr) => {
+    t.is(code, 0, 'ok')
+    t.ok(fs.existsSync(shrinkwrapPath), 'ensure that npm-shrinkwrap.json was created')
+    const shrinkwrapUtf8 = fs.readFileSync(shrinkwrapPath, 'utf-8')
+    t.equal(shrinkwrapUtf8.split(CRLFreg).length, 2, 'npm-shrinkwrap.json is unformatted')
+    t.done()
+  })
+})
+
+test('package-lock.json and package.json formatted when config has `format-package-lock: true`', function (t) {
+  setup()
+  common.npm(['install'], {cwd: testdir}).spread((code, stdout, stderr) => {
+    t.is(code, 0, 'ok')
+    t.ok(fs.existsSync(pkgLockPath), 'ensure that package-lock.json was created')
+    const pkgLockUtf8 = fs.readFileSync(pkgLockPath, 'utf-8')
+    t.notEqual(pkgLockUtf8.split(CRLFreg).length, 2, 'package-lock.json is formatted')
+    const pkgUtf8 = fs.readFileSync(pkgPath, 'utf-8')
+    t.notEqual(pkgUtf8.split(CRLFreg).length, 2, 'package.json is formatted')
+    t.done()
+  })
+})
+
+test('npm-shrinkwrap.json formatted when config has `format-package-lock: true`', function (t) {
+  setup()
+  common.npm(['shrinkwrap'], {cwd: testdir}).spread((code, stdout, stderr) => {
+    t.is(code, 0, 'ok')
+    t.ok(fs.existsSync(shrinkwrapPath), 'ensure that npm-shrinkwrap.json was created')
+    const shrinkwrapUtf8 = fs.readFileSync(shrinkwrapPath, 'utf-8')
+    t.notEqual(shrinkwrapUtf8.split(CRLFreg).length, 2, 'npm-shrinkwrap.json is unformatted')
+    t.done()
+  })
+})
+
+test('cleanup', function (t) {
+  server.close()
+  cleanup()
+  t.done()
+})