diff --git a/lib/datasource/npm.js b/lib/datasource/npm.js
index 667dfa5caa32289be041f3b585f04bcceb931eb3..061fdd68648fc44522bf18fd02dc2d6c05d22348 100644
--- a/lib/datasource/npm.js
+++ b/lib/datasource/npm.js
@@ -143,12 +143,25 @@ async function getDependencyInner(name, retries = 5) {
 
   // Retrieve from API if not cached
   try {
-    const res = (await got(pkgUrl, {
+    const raw = await got(pkgUrl, {
       cache: process.env.RENOVATE_SKIP_CACHE ? undefined : map,
       json: true,
       retries: 5,
       headers,
-    })).body;
+    });
+    // istanbul ignore if
+    if (regUrl === 'https://registry.npmjs.org' && name.startsWith('@')) {
+      // npmjs is having problems with scoped package consistency so we are debug logging headers until the problem goes away
+      logger.debug(
+        {
+          name,
+          latest: res['dist-tags'].latest,
+          headers: raw.headers,
+        },
+        'npmjs res.headers for scoped packages'
+      );
+    }
+    const res = raw.body;
     if (!(res.name && res.name.toLowerCase() === name.toLowerCase())) {
       logger.warn(
         { lookupName: name, returnedName: res.name, regUrl },