diff --git a/lib/completion.js b/lib/completion.js
index 3fcf00ec66260..11c791d8f71d7 100644
--- a/lib/completion.js
+++ b/lib/completion.js
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ const shorthandNames = Object.keys(shorthands)
 const allConfs = configNames.concat(shorthandNames)
 const isWindowsShell = require('./utils/is-windows-shell.js')
 const output = require('./utils/output.js')
+const fileExists = require('./utils/file-exists.js')
 
 const usageUtil = require('./utils/usage.js')
 const usage = usageUtil('completion', 'source <(npm completion)')
@@ -56,13 +57,10 @@ const completion = async (opts, cb) => {
     return cb()
   }
 
-  const fs = require('fs')
-  const stat = promisify(fs.stat)
-  const exists = f => stat(f).then(() => true).catch(() => false)
   const { resolve } = require('path')
   const [bashExists, zshExists] = await Promise.all([
-    exists(resolve(process.env.HOME, '.bashrc')),
-    exists(resolve(process.env.HOME, '.zshrc'))
+    fileExists(resolve(process.env.HOME, '.bashrc')),
+    fileExists(resolve(process.env.HOME, '.zshrc'))
   ])
   const out = []
   if (zshExists) {
diff --git a/lib/exec.js b/lib/exec.js
index 793abb75a0d01..5baa9e994d0da 100644
--- a/lib/exec.js
+++ b/lib/exec.js
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ const crypto = require('crypto')
 const pacote = require('pacote')
 const npa = require('npm-package-arg')
 const escapeArg = require('./utils/escape-arg.js')
+const fileExists = require('./utils/file-exists.js')
+const PATH = require('./utils/path.js')
 
 const cmd = (args, cb) => exec(args).then(() => cb()).catch(cb)
 
@@ -69,8 +71,38 @@ const exec = async args => {
     throw usage
   }
 
+  const pathArr = [...PATH]
+
   const needPackageCommandSwap = args.length && !packages.length
+  // if there's an argument and no package has been explicitly asked for
+  // check the local and global bin paths for a binary named the same as
+  // the argument and run it if it exists, otherwise fall through to
+  // the behavior of treating the single argument as a package name
   if (needPackageCommandSwap) {
+    let binExists = false
+    if (await fileExists(`${npm.localBin}/${args[0]}`)) {
+      pathArr.unshift(npm.localBin)
+      binExists = true
+    } else if (await fileExists(`${npm.globalBin}/${args[0]}`)) {
+      pathArr.unshift(npm.globalBin)
+      binExists = true
+    }
+
+    if (binExists) {
+      return await runScript({
+        cmd: [args[0], ...args.slice(1).map(escapeArg)].join(' ').trim(),
+        banner: false,
+        // we always run in cwd, not --prefix
+        path: process.cwd(),
+        stdioString: true,
+        event: 'npx',
+        env: {
+          PATH: pathArr.join(delimiter)
+        },
+        stdio: 'inherit'
+      })
+    }
+
     packages.push(args[0])
   }
 
@@ -111,7 +143,6 @@ const exec = async args => {
   // do we have all the packages in manifest list?
   const needInstall = manis.some(mani => manifestMissing(tree, mani))
 
-  const pathArr = [process.env.PATH]
   if (needInstall) {
     const installDir = cacheInstallDir(packages)
     await mkdirp(installDir)
diff --git a/lib/utils/file-exists.js b/lib/utils/file-exists.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..3149c0ae52fd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/utils/file-exists.js
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+const fs = require('fs')
+const util = require('util')
+
+const stat = util.promisify(fs.stat)
+
+const fileExists = (file) => stat(file).then((stat) => stat.isFile()).catch(() => false)
+
+module.exports = fileExists
diff --git a/test/lib/exec.js b/test/lib/exec.js
index c93517315ce89..d7ea33fc50e08 100644
--- a/test/lib/exec.js
+++ b/test/lib/exec.js
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ class Arborist {
 }
 
 let PROGRESS_ENABLED = true
+let PROGRESS_IGNORED = false
 const npm = {
   flatOptions: {
     yes: true,
@@ -27,6 +28,8 @@ const npm = {
     legacyPeerDeps: false
   },
   localPrefix: 'local-prefix',
+  localBin: 'local-bin',
+  globalBin: 'global-bin',
   config: {
     get: k => {
       if (k !== 'cache') {
@@ -48,7 +51,7 @@ const npm = {
 const RUN_SCRIPTS = []
 const runScript = async opt => {
   RUN_SCRIPTS.push(opt)
-  if (PROGRESS_ENABLED) {
+  if (!PROGRESS_IGNORED && PROGRESS_ENABLED) {
     throw new Error('progress not disabled during run script!')
   }
 }
@@ -71,6 +74,8 @@ const read = (options, cb) => {
   process.nextTick(() => cb(READ_ERROR, READ_RESULT))
 }
 
+const PATH = require('../../lib/utils/path.js')
+
 const exec = requireInject('../../lib/exec.js', {
   '@npmcli/arborist': Arborist,
   '@npmcli/run-script': runScript,
@@ -88,12 +93,63 @@ t.afterEach(cb => {
   READ.length = 0
   READ_RESULT = ''
   READ_ERROR = null
+  PROGRESS_IGNORED = false
   npm.flatOptions.legacyPeerDeps = false
   npm.flatOptions.package = []
   npm.flatOptions.call = ''
+  npm.localBin = 'local-bin'
+  npm.globalBin = 'global-bin'
   cb()
 })
 
+t.test('npx foo, bin already exists locally', async t => {
+  const path = t.testdir({
+    foo: 'just some file'
+  })
+
+  PROGRESS_IGNORED = true
+  npm.localBin = path
+
+  await exec(['foo'], er => {
+    t.ifError(er, 'npm exec')
+  })
+  t.strictSame(RUN_SCRIPTS, [{
+    cmd: 'foo',
+    banner: false,
+    path: process.cwd(),
+    stdioString: true,
+    event: 'npx',
+    env: {
+      PATH: [path, ...PATH].join(delimiter)
+    },
+    stdio: 'inherit'
+  }])
+})
+
+t.test('npx foo, bin already exists globally', async t => {
+  const path = t.testdir({
+    foo: 'just some file'
+  })
+
+  PROGRESS_IGNORED = true
+  npm.globalBin = path
+
+  await exec(['foo'], er => {
+    t.ifError(er, 'npm exec')
+  })
+  t.strictSame(RUN_SCRIPTS, [{
+    cmd: 'foo',
+    banner: false,
+    path: process.cwd(),
+    stdioString: true,
+    event: 'npx',
+    env: {
+      PATH: [path, ...PATH].join(delimiter)
+    },
+    stdio: 'inherit'
+  }])
+})
+
 t.test('npm exec foo, already present locally', async t => {
   const path = t.testdir()
   npm.localPrefix = path
diff --git a/test/lib/utils/file-exists.js b/test/lib/utils/file-exists.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..f247f564e0766
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/lib/utils/file-exists.js
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+const { test } = require('tap')
+const fileExists = require('../../../lib/utils/file-exists.js')
+
+test('returns true when arg is a file', async (t) => {
+  const path = t.testdir({
+    foo: 'just some file'
+  })
+
+  const result = await fileExists(`${path}/foo`)
+  t.equal(result, true, 'file exists')
+  t.end()
+})
+
+test('returns false when arg is not a file', async (t) => {
+  const path = t.testdir({
+    foo: {}
+  })
+
+  const result = await fileExists(`${path}/foo`)
+  t.equal(result, false, 'file does not exist')
+  t.end()
+})
+
+test('returns false when arg does not exist', async (t) => {
+  const path = t.testdir()
+
+  const result = await fileExists(`${path}/foo`)
+  t.equal(result, false, 'file does not exist')
+  t.end()
+})