Flutter CLI ignores pubspec's Flutter features config (like SwiftPM) if current dir is not app's root

Steps:

flutter create test_app --platforms ios and cd test_app
flutter config --enable-swift-package-manager (because majority of my apps use it, or whatever reason)
Add config: enable-swift-package-manager: false to pubspec (with proper indentations of course)
flutter pub add firebase_core
Run flutter pub get. cd ios/
Update the first line of Podfile so that the minimum deployment target is "15.0", and uncomment the line (required by Firebase, unrelated to the bug).
pod install. Check Podfile.lock, it contains the FirebaseCore (because we get it through Cocoapods)
cd ios (or any other directory within the app's directory other than it), run flutter pub get. The config is ignored. Regenerate Podfile from symlinks with pod install. The FirebaseCore was removed from the lock, as it's fetched from SwiftPM now and not Cocoapods 🙃

The lines below sound like they have some knowledge of why it's happening. It should check the manifest of the package closest in the directory tree, not the current directory.

flutter/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/flutter_features_config.dart

Lines 32 to 33 in d693b4b

    
           // Can be null if no manifest file exists in the current directory. 
        
           final FlutterManifest? _projectManifest;

➜  ~ flutter --version
Flutter 3.35.2 • channel stable • https://github.com/flutter/flutter.git
Framework • revision 05db968908 (5 weeks ago) • 2025-08-25 10:21:35 -0700
Engine • hash abb725c9a5211af2a862b83f74b7eaf2652db083 (revision a8bfdfc394) (1 months ago) • 2025-08-22 23:51:12.000Z
Tools • Dart 3.9.0 • DevTools 2.48.0

Thanks for the detailed report. Upon following the steps, I see below in podfile.lock:

Keeping the issue open and labeing for team's tracking.

From triage: So this issue is not specific to SwiftPM. Any flutter feature enabled/disabled through the config will run into this problem.

Basically, if you're not in the root project directory, Flutter will attempt to change the working directory to the root project directory:

flutter/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/runner/flutter_command.dart

Lines 1971 to 1983 in a873a27

    
             // If there is no pubspec in the current directory, look in the parent 
        
             // until one can be found. 
        
             final String? path = findProjectRoot(globals.fs, globals.fs.currentDirectory.path); 
        
             if (path == null) { 
        
               throwToolExit(globals.userMessages.flutterNoPubspec); 
        
             } 
        
             if (path != globals.fs.currentDirectory.path) { 
        
               globals.fs.currentDirectory = path; 
        
               globals.printStatus( 
        
                 'Changing current working directory to: ${globals.fs.currentDirectory.path}', 
        
               ); 
        
             } 
        
           }

Flutter features uses the FlutterManifest (pubspec):

flutter/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/flutter_features_config.dart

Lines 130 to 146 in a873a27

    
           bool? _isEnabledAtProjectLevel(String featureName) { 
        
             final Object? configSection = _projectManifest?.flutterDescriptor['config']; 
        
             if (configSection == null) { 
        
               return null; 
        
             } 
        
             if (configSection is! Map) { 
        
               throwToolExit( 
        
                 'The "config" property of "flutter" in pubspec.yaml must be a map, but ' 
        
                 'got $configSection (${configSection.runtimeType})', 
        
               ); 
        
             } 
        
             return _requireBoolOrNull( 
        
               configSection[featureName], 
        
               featureName: featureName, 
        
               source: '"flutter: config:" in pubspec.yaml', 
        
             ); 
        
           }

However, the manifest is defined in the context_runner, which I think happens before the currentDirectory gets swapped. So therefore, does not use:

flutter/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/context_runner.dart

Lines 221 to 233 in a873a27

    
           FeatureFlags: () => FlutterFeatureFlags( 
        
             flutterVersion: globals.flutterVersion, 
        
             featuresConfig: FlutterFeaturesConfig( 
        
               globalConfig: globals.config, 
        
               platform: globals.platform, 
        
               projectManifest: FlutterManifest.createFromPath( 
        
                 globals.fs.path.join(globals.fs.currentDirectory.path, 'pubspec.yaml'), 
        
                 fileSystem: globals.fs, 
        
                 logger: globals.logger, 
        
               ), 
        
             ), 
        
             platform: globals.platform, 
        
           ),

The triaged-ios label is irrelevant if there is no team-ios label or fyi-ios label.

Look for project root for FeatureFlags manifest

@bkonyi

@bkonyi I've submitted a PR for this at #180689 FYI :)

Look for project root for FeatureFlags manifest (#180689)

This thread has been automatically locked since there has not been any recent activity after it was closed. If you are still experiencing a similar issue, please open a new bug, including the output of flutter doctor -v and a minimal reproduction of the issue.

Look for project root for FeatureFlags manifest (flutter#180689)

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Flutter CLI ignores pubspec's Flutter features config (like SwiftPM) if current dir is not app's root #176294

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	// Can be null if no manifest file exists in the current directory.
	final FlutterManifest? _projectManifest;

	// If there is no pubspec in the current directory, look in the parent
	// until one can be found.
	final String? path = findProjectRoot(globals.fs, globals.fs.currentDirectory.path);
	if (path == null) {
	throwToolExit(globals.userMessages.flutterNoPubspec);
	}
	if (path != globals.fs.currentDirectory.path) {
	globals.fs.currentDirectory = path;
	globals.printStatus(
	'Changing current working directory to: ${globals.fs.currentDirectory.path}',
	);
	}
	}

	bool? _isEnabledAtProjectLevel(String featureName) {
	final Object? configSection = _projectManifest?.flutterDescriptor['config'];
	if (configSection == null) {
	return null;
	}
	if (configSection is! Map) {
	throwToolExit(
	'The "config" property of "flutter" in pubspec.yaml must be a map, but '
	'got $configSection (${configSection.runtimeType})',
	);
	}
	return _requireBoolOrNull(
	configSection[featureName],
	featureName: featureName,
	source: '"flutter: config:" in pubspec.yaml',
	);
	}

	FeatureFlags: () => FlutterFeatureFlags(
	flutterVersion: globals.flutterVersion,
	featuresConfig: FlutterFeaturesConfig(
	globalConfig: globals.config,
	platform: globals.platform,
	projectManifest: FlutterManifest.createFromPath(
	globals.fs.path.join(globals.fs.currentDirectory.path, 'pubspec.yaml'),
	fileSystem: globals.fs,
	logger: globals.logger,
	),
	),
	platform: globals.platform,
	),

Flutter CLI ignores pubspec's Flutter features config (like SwiftPM) if current dir is not app's root #176294

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darshankawar commented on Oct 1, 2025

vashworth commented on Oct 16, 2025

flutter-triage-bot commented on Oct 16, 2025

Albert221 commented on Jan 12, 2026

github-actions commented on Feb 10, 2026

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