diff --git a/lib/install/actions.js b/lib/install/actions.js
index face4b457bced..00141813ba277 100644
--- a/lib/install/actions.js
+++ b/lib/install/actions.js
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ function andHandleOptionalDepErrors (pkg, next) {
   return function (er) {
     if (!er) return next.apply(null, arguments)
     markAsFailed(pkg)
-    var anyFatal = pkg.directlyRequested || !pkg.parent
+    var anyFatal = pkg.userRequired || !pkg.parent
     for (var ii = 0; ii < pkg.requiredBy.length; ++ii) {
       var parent = pkg.requiredBy[ii]
       var isFatal = failedDependency(parent, pkg)
diff --git a/lib/install/deps.js b/lib/install/deps.js
index beb108e680f37..39c37476c98b8 100644
--- a/lib/install/deps.js
+++ b/lib/install/deps.js
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ exports.loadRequestedDeps = function (args, tree, saveToDependencies, log, next)
         tree.package.dependencies[childName] =
           child.package._requested.rawSpec || child.package._requested.spec
       }
-      child.directlyRequested = true
+      child.userRequired = true
       child.save = saveToDependencies
 
       // For things the user asked to install, that aren't a dependency (or
@@ -209,7 +209,6 @@ exports.loadRequestedDeps = function (args, tree, saveToDependencies, log, next)
       // themselves, so we don't remove it as a dep that no longer exists
       if (!addRequiredDep(tree, child)) {
         replaceModuleName(child.package, '_requiredBy', '#USER')
-        child.directlyRequested = true
       }
       depLoaded(null, child, tracker)
     }))
diff --git a/lib/install/diff-trees.js b/lib/install/diff-trees.js
index 59567bf3193be..13ee54c5880c5 100644
--- a/lib/install/diff-trees.js
+++ b/lib/install/diff-trees.js
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ function diffTrees (oldTree, newTree) {
       if (npm.config.get('rebuild-bundle')) differences.push(['rebuild', pkg])
       if (pkg.oldPkg) differences.push(['remove', pkg])
     } else if (pkg.oldPkg) {
-      if (!pkg.directlyRequested && pkgAreEquiv(pkg.oldPkg.package, pkg.package)) return
+      if (!pkg.userRequired && pkgAreEquiv(pkg.oldPkg.package, pkg.package)) return
       if (!pkg.isInLink && (isLink(pkg.oldPkg) || isLink(pkg))) {
         differences.push(['update-linked', pkg])
       } else {