diff --git a/scripts/packager.sh b/scripts/packager.sh
index acb15812578..c149c751a55 100755
--- a/scripts/packager.sh
+++ b/scripts/packager.sh
@@ -8,14 +8,14 @@
 THIS_DIR=$(cd -P "$(dirname "$(readlink "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" || echo "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")")" && pwd)
 REACT_NATIVE_ROOT="$THIS_DIR/.."
 # Application root directory - General use case: react-native is a dependency
-PROJECT_ROOT="$THIS_DIR/../../.."
+PROJECT_ROOT=${PROJECT_ROOT:-"$THIS_DIR/../../.."}
 
 # check and assign NODE_BINARY env
 # shellcheck disable=SC1090
 source "${THIS_DIR}/node-binary.sh"
 
 # When running react-native tests, react-native doesn't live in node_modules but in the PROJECT_ROOT
-if [ ! -d "$PROJECT_ROOT/node_modules/react-native" ];
+if [ ! -d "$THIS_DIR/../../../node_modules/react-native" ];
 then
   PROJECT_ROOT="$THIS_DIR/.."
 fi