diff --git a/azure-pipelines.yml b/azure-pipelines.yml
index 12f7b83d..4081cec5 100644
--- a/azure-pipelines.yml
+++ b/azure-pipelines.yml
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ jobs:
 - job: Linux
   pool:
     vmImage: 'ubuntu-16.04'
-  variables:
-    PUPPETEER_SKIP_CHROMIUM_DOWNLOAD: 1
   steps:
   - task: NodeTool@0
     inputs:
@@ -42,8 +40,6 @@ jobs:
 - job: macOS
   pool:
     vmImage: 'xcode9-macos10.13'
-  variables:
-    PUPPETEER_SKIP_CHROMIUM_DOWNLOAD: 1
   steps:
   - task: NodeTool@0
     inputs:
@@ -64,8 +60,6 @@ jobs:
 - job: Windows
   pool:
     vmImage: 'vs2017-win2016'
-  variables:
-    PUPPETEER_SKIP_CHROMIUM_DOWNLOAD: 1
   steps:
   - task: NodeTool@0
     inputs:
@@ -139,8 +133,6 @@ jobs:
   condition: and(succeeded(), or(eq(variables['Build.SourceBranch'], 'refs/heads/master'), eq(variables['FORCE_RELEASE'], 'true')))
   pool:
     vmImage: 'ubuntu-16.04'
-  variables:
-    PUPPETEER_SKIP_CHROMIUM_DOWNLOAD: 1
   steps:
   - task: NodeTool@0
     inputs:
diff --git a/bin/download_browser.js b/bin/download_browser.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..44380db2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bin/download_browser.js
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2020 The xterm.js authors. All rights reserved.
+ * @license MIT
+ */
+
+const playwright = require('playwright-core');
+const fs = require('fs');
+
+// Default to chromium
+let browserType = playwright['chromium'];
+const index = process.argv.indexOf('--browser');
+if (index !== -1 && process.argv.length > index + 1 && typeof process.argv[index + 1] === 'string') {
+  const string = process.argv[index + 1];
+  if (string === 'firefox' || string === 'webkit') {
+    browserType = playwright[string];
+  }
+}
+
+const exists = fs.existsSync(browserType.executablePath());
+if (!exists) {
+  console.log(`Downloading ${browserType.name()}`);
+  browserType.downloadBrowserIfNeeded().then(() => process.exit(0));
+}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 0946688f..88467328 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@
     "test-api-chromium": "mocha \"**/*.api.js\" --browser chromium --timeout 10000",
     "test-api-firefox": "mocha \"**/*.api.js\" --browser firefox --timeout 10000",
     "test-api-webkit": "mocha \"**/*.api.js\" --browser webkit --timeout 10000",
+    "pretest-api-chromium": "node ./bin/download_browser.js --browser chromium",
+    "pretest-api-firefox": "node ./bin/download_browser.js --browser firefox",
+    "pretest-api-webkit": "node ./bin/download_browser.js --browser webkit",
     "test-unit": "node ./bin/test.js",
     "test-unit-coverage": "node ./bin/test.js --coverage",
     "build": "tsc -b ./tsconfig.all.json",
diff --git a/test/api/TestUtils.ts b/test/api/TestUtils.ts
index 7bad9b8f..60044746 100644
--- a/test/api/TestUtils.ts
+++ b/test/api/TestUtils.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ export async function getBrowserType(): Promise<playwright.BrowserType> {
   let browserType: playwright.BrowserType = playwright['chromium'];
 
   const index = process.argv.indexOf('--browser');
-  if (index !== -1 && process.argv.length > index + 2 && typeof process.argv[index + 1] === 'string') {
+  if (index !== -1 && process.argv.length > index + 1 && typeof process.argv[index + 1] === 'string') {
     const string = process.argv[index + 1];
     if (string === 'firefox' || string === 'webkit') {
       browserType = playwright[string];