diff --git a/lib/utils/auth.js b/lib/utils/auth.js
index 8b9125a1c3ef0..729ce32c2a7a8 100644
--- a/lib/utils/auth.js
+++ b/lib/utils/auth.js
@@ -8,16 +8,27 @@ const adduser = async (npm, { creds, ...opts }) => {
   const authType = npm.config.get('auth-type')
   let res
   if (authType === 'web') {
-    res = await profile.adduserWeb((url, emitter) => {
-      openUrlPrompt(
-        npm,
-        url,
-        'Create your account at',
-        'Press ENTER to open in the browser...',
-        emitter
-      )
-    }, opts)
-  } else {
+    try {
+      res = await profile.adduserWeb((url, emitter) => {
+        openUrlPrompt(
+          npm,
+          url,
+          'Create your account at',
+          'Press ENTER to open in the browser...',
+          emitter
+        )
+      }, opts)
+    } catch (err) {
+      if (err.code === 'ENYI') {
+        log.verbose('web add user not supported, trying couch')
+      } else {
+        throw err
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  // auth type !== web or ENYI error w/ web adduser
+  if (!res) {
     const username = await read.username('Username:', creds.username)
     const password = await read.password('Password:', creds.password)
     const email = await read.email('Email: (this IS public) ', creds.email)
@@ -44,16 +55,27 @@ const login = async (npm, { creds, ...opts }) => {
   const authType = npm.config.get('auth-type')
   let res
   if (authType === 'web') {
-    res = await profile.loginWeb((url, emitter) => {
-      openUrlPrompt(
-        npm,
-        url,
-        'Login at',
-        'Press ENTER to open in the browser...',
-        emitter
-      )
-    }, opts)
-  } else {
+    try {
+      res = await profile.loginWeb((url, emitter) => {
+        openUrlPrompt(
+          npm,
+          url,
+          'Login at',
+          'Press ENTER to open in the browser...',
+          emitter
+        )
+      }, opts)
+    } catch (err) {
+      if (err.code === 'ENYI') {
+        log.verbose('web login not supported, trying couch')
+      } else {
+        throw err
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  // auth type !== web or ENYI error w/ web login
+  if (!res) {
     const username = await read.username('Username:', creds.username)
     const password = await read.password('Password:', creds.password)
     res = await otplease(npm, opts, (reqOpts) =>
diff --git a/test/lib/commands/adduser.js b/test/lib/commands/adduser.js
index 90ed10df70274..ddfbb945b2fcf 100644
--- a/test/lib/commands/adduser.js
+++ b/test/lib/commands/adduser.js
@@ -174,5 +174,49 @@ t.test('web', t => {
       '//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken': 'npm_test-token',
     })
   })
+
+  t.test('server error', async t => {
+    const { npm } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
+      config: { 'auth-type': 'web' },
+    })
+    const registry = new MockRegistry({
+      tap: t,
+      registry: npm.config.get('registry'),
+    })
+    registry.nock.post(registry.fullPath('/-/v1/login'))
+      .reply(503, {})
+    await t.rejects(
+      npm.exec('adduser', []),
+      { message: /503/ }
+    )
+  })
+
+  t.test('fallback', async t => {
+    const stdin = new stream.PassThrough()
+    stdin.write('test-user\n')
+    stdin.write('test-password\n')
+    stdin.write('test-email@npmjs.org\n')
+    mockGlobals(t, {
+      'process.stdin': stdin,
+      'process.stdout': new stream.PassThrough(), // to quiet readline
+    }, { replace: true })
+    const { npm } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
+      config: { 'auth-type': 'web' },
+    })
+    const registry = new MockRegistry({
+      tap: t,
+      registry: npm.config.get('registry'),
+    })
+    registry.nock.post(registry.fullPath('/-/v1/login'))
+      .reply(404, {})
+    registry.couchadduser({
+      username: 'test-user',
+      password: 'test-password',
+      email: 'test-email@npmjs.org',
+      token: 'npm_test-token',
+    })
+    await npm.exec('adduser', [])
+    t.same(npm.config.get('//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken'), 'npm_test-token')
+  })
   t.end()
 })
diff --git a/test/lib/commands/login.js b/test/lib/commands/login.js
index ae7e3ffab0f02..63666670712ef 100644
--- a/test/lib/commands/login.js
+++ b/test/lib/commands/login.js
@@ -139,5 +139,45 @@ t.test('web', t => {
       '//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken': 'npm_test-token',
     })
   })
+  t.test('server error', async t => {
+    const { npm } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
+      config: { 'auth-type': 'web' },
+    })
+    const registry = new MockRegistry({
+      tap: t,
+      registry: npm.config.get('registry'),
+    })
+    registry.nock.post(registry.fullPath('/-/v1/login'))
+      .reply(503, {})
+    await t.rejects(
+      npm.exec('login', []),
+      { message: /503/ }
+    )
+  })
+  t.test('fallback', async t => {
+    const stdin = new stream.PassThrough()
+    stdin.write('test-user\n')
+    stdin.write('test-password\n')
+    mockGlobals(t, {
+      'process.stdin': stdin,
+      'process.stdout': new stream.PassThrough(), // to quiet readline
+    }, { replace: true })
+    const { npm } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
+      config: { 'auth-type': 'web' },
+    })
+    const registry = new MockRegistry({
+      tap: t,
+      registry: npm.config.get('registry'),
+    })
+    registry.nock.post(registry.fullPath('/-/v1/login'))
+      .reply(404, {})
+    registry.couchlogin({
+      username: 'test-user',
+      password: 'test-password',
+      token: 'npm_test-token',
+    })
+    await npm.exec('login', [])
+    t.same(npm.config.get('//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken'), 'npm_test-token')
+  })
   t.end()
 })