diff --git a/.changeset/khaki-cars-return.md b/.changeset/khaki-cars-return.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2b6024db58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/khaki-cars-return.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"@pnpm/plugin-commands-env": minor
+"pnpm": minor
+---
+
+If pnpm previously failed to install node when the `use-node-version` option is set, that download and install will now be re-attempted when pnpm is ran again.
diff --git a/packages/plugin-commands-env/src/node.ts b/packages/plugin-commands-env/src/node.ts
index 8a9cab942e..a00425f5b2 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-commands-env/src/node.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-commands-env/src/node.ts
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ export async function getNodeDir (fetch: FetchFromRegistry, opts: NvmNodeCommand
 }
 
 async function installNode (fetch: FetchFromRegistry, wantedNodeVersion: string, versionDir: string, opts: NvmNodeCommandOptions & { releaseDir?: string }) {
-  await fs.promises.mkdir(versionDir, { recursive: true })
   const nodeMirror = getNodeMirror(opts.rawConfig, opts.releaseDir ?? 'release')
   const { tarball, pkgName } = getNodeJSTarball(wantedNodeVersion, nodeMirror)
   if (tarball.endsWith('.zip')) {
diff --git a/packages/plugin-commands-env/test/env.test.ts b/packages/plugin-commands-env/test/env.test.ts
index 4c58964b37..05f39fc639 100644
--- a/packages/plugin-commands-env/test/env.test.ts
+++ b/packages/plugin-commands-env/test/env.test.ts
@@ -98,3 +98,38 @@ test('fail if a non-existend Node.js LTS is tried to be installed', async () =>
     }, ['use', 'boo'])
   ).rejects.toEqual(new PnpmError('COULD_NOT_RESOLVE_NODEJS', 'Couldn\'t find Node.js version matching boo'))
 })
+
+// Regression test for https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/issues/4104
+test('it re-attempts failed downloads', async () => {
+  tempDir()
+
+  // This fixture was retrieved from http://nodejs.org/download/release/index.json on 2021-12-12.
+  const testReleaseInfoPath = path.join(__dirname, './fixtures/node-16.4.0-release-info.json')
+
+  const nockScope = nock('https://nodejs.org')
+    // Using nock's persist option since the default fetcher retries requests.
+    .persist()
+    .get('/download/release/index.json')
+    .replyWithFile(200, testReleaseInfoPath)
+    .persist()
+    .get(uri => uri.startsWith('/download/release/v16.4.0/'))
+    .replyWithError('Intentionally failing response for test')
+
+  try {
+    const attempts = 2
+    for (let i = 0; i < attempts; i++) {
+      await expect(
+        env.handler({
+          bin: process.cwd(),
+          global: true,
+          pnpmHomeDir: process.cwd(),
+          rawConfig: {},
+        }, ['use', '16.4.0'])
+      ).rejects.toThrow('Intentionally failing response for test')
+    }
+
+    expect(nockScope.isDone()).toBeTruthy()
+  } finally {
+    nock.cleanAll()
+  }
+})
diff --git a/packages/plugin-commands-env/test/fixtures/node-16.4.0-release-info.json b/packages/plugin-commands-env/test/fixtures/node-16.4.0-release-info.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e5e455e912
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/plugin-commands-env/test/fixtures/node-16.4.0-release-info.json
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+[
+  {
+    "version": "v16.4.0",
+    "date": "2021-06-23",
+    "files": [
+      "aix-ppc64",
+      "headers",
+      "linux-arm64",
+      "linux-armv7l",
+      "linux-ppc64le",
+      "linux-s390x",
+      "linux-x64",
+      "osx-arm64-tar",
+      "osx-x64-pkg",
+      "osx-x64-tar",
+      "src",
+      "win-x64-7z",
+      "win-x64-exe",
+      "win-x64-msi",
+      "win-x64-zip",
+      "win-x86-7z",
+      "win-x86-exe",
+      "win-x86-msi",
+      "win-x86-zip"
+    ],
+    "npm": "7.18.1",
+    "v8": "9.1.269.36",
+    "uv": "1.41.0",
+    "zlib": "1.2.11",
+    "openssl": "1.1.1k+quic",
+    "modules": "93",
+    "lts": false,
+    "security": false
+  }
+]