diff --git a/lib/ncmake.js b/lib/ncmake.js
index dd9f102..ff46170 100755
--- a/lib/ncmake.js
+++ b/lib/ncmake.js
@@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ argparse = argparse
   .alias('help', 'h')
   .alias('output', 'o')
   .alias('generator', 'g')
-  .alias('arch', 'a');
+  .alias('arch', 'a')
+  .alias('dist-url','disturl');
 
 // Use Ninja on platforms where it is installed as a default
 // (since its significantly faster than make)
@@ -84,6 +85,9 @@ argparse = argparse
   .default('debug', false)
   .default('arch', process.arch);
 
+// support for inheriting config env variables from npm
+argparse.env('npm_config_');
+
 // Exactly one command must be specified
 argparse = argparse.demandCommand(1, 1);
 
@@ -167,8 +171,8 @@ var commands = {
 
     if(argv.generator !== 'default') args.push('-G', argv.generator);
     if(argv.target) args.push('-DNODEJS_VERSION=' + argv.target);
-    if(argv.distUrl) args.push('-DNODEJS_URL="' + argv.distUrl + '"');
-    if(argv.name) args.push('-DNODEJS_NAME="' + argv.name + '"');
+    if(argv.distUrl) args.push('-DNODEJS_URL=' + argv.distUrl);
+    if(argv.name) args.push('-DNODEJS_NAME=' + argv.name);
     args.push.apply(args, argv._.slice(1)); // Include any additional arguments passed to ncmake
     args.push('..');