Regression in pnpm 10.29.3 with Electron packaging (transitive dependency missing at runtime)

Last pnpm version that worked

10.29.2

pnpm version

10.29.3

Code to reproduce the issue

Use pnpm 10.29.2 on macOS with an Electron + electron-builder project.
Run: pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
Run: pnpm run build && pnpm exec electron-builder --mac mas-dev
Inspect app.asar: node_modules/ms is present.

Then upgrade only pnpm to 10.29.3 and run the same commands.
Result: app launches with runtime error Cannot find module 'ms' (require stack includes debug/src/common.js), and app.asar contains node_modules/debug but not node_modules/ms.

Expected behavior

Patch upgrade from pnpm 10.29.2 to 10.29.3 should not change packaged runtime dependency completeness. Required transitive dependencies (such as ms) should remain present in app.asar.

Actual behavior

With pnpm 10.29.3, packaged Electron app crashes at runtime with Cannot find module 'ms' from debug/src/common.js. In app.asar, node_modules/debug exists but node_modules/ms is missing. Downgrading to pnpm 10.29.2 restores normal behavior.

Additional information

Environment (anonymized):

macOS (Apple Silicon)
Homebrew-installed pnpm
Node.js v25.6.1
Electron + electron-builder (MAS target)

This appears to be a regression between pnpm 10.29.2 and 10.29.3 for this packaging workflow.

Node.js version

v25.6.1

Operating System

macOS

I don't see any changes in v10.29.3 that could cause such an issue: https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/releases/tag/v10.29.3

do you have a repo that reproduces the issue? I don't know how to create an electron project.

@zkochan

@zkochan You can check this PR: freelensapp/freelens#1637

With pnpm 10.29.2 all is fine. After the upgrade the application breaks with mysterious errors like Error: Cannot find module '@so-ric/colorspace': https://github.com/freelensapp/freelens/actions/runs/21960356282/job/63435818307?pr=1637#step:34:38

Steps to reproduce it after git clone of this repo:

gh pr checkout 1637
pnpm i
pnpm build
pnpm build:app:dir
pnpm start

Result: crashes in the main process (Chrome browser)

Having the same issue here. It's weird. Builds just fine with any version below 10.29.3, but "missing modules" with the latest version.

The same issue occurred in the project build of imsyy/splayer

FYI: 10.30.0 breaks too

https://github.com/freelensapp/freelens/actions/runs/22110729719/job/63905936696?pr=1637#step:34:468

Could this be related?
https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/pull/10586/changes#diff-f2c67b6ce1dd4f075157bf06c2eb506a6b2fb31d1eff02097f2abf41d9e711d0

Electron-builder runs pnpm ls --json --depth Infinity --prod to walk the full dependency tree before pulling packages to copy into the app bundle. It parses the JSON output recursively to collect every package's real filesystem path, then copies those directories into the final build artifact.
https://github.com/electron-userland/electron-builder/blob/master/packages/app-builder-lib/src/node-module-collector/pnpmNodeModulesCollector.ts

From what I understand, pnpm ls --json previously emitted the complete subtree for every occurrence of a package (with circular detection as the only deduplication); it now emits a truncated node for subsequent occurrences. In JSON output, a deduplicated node is elided.

{
  "alias": "ajv",
  "version": "8.17.1",
  "path": "/path/to/.pnpm/[email protected]/...",
  "deduped": true,
  "dedupedDependenciesCount": 5
}

Electron-builder's dependency collector was written assuming that pnpm ls --json --depth Infinity always fully expands every node in the tree. Its recursive walker visits the dependencies map of each node to collect all packages' real paths.

What is needed from the electron-builder side to resolve this? 🙂 Looks like it was an OOM fix, so maybe there are some changes I can make on my side to balance this out? Let me know.

@mmaietta

Thanks @mmaietta for looking into it. It would be best to change electron-builder. We can't really go back to the old format as the list command was broken, slow, and failed with OOM on bigger projects. If electron-builder needs some additional data to reconstruct the full graph or if we can improve the json format otherwise, I am open to such improvements. But we can't just go back to duplication.

Yep, fully aligned there. Let me see what I can come back with and will reach out if I need additional data/insight.

Same issue here, Go back to pnpm@9 to resume work

Same issue here. 10.29.2 works

pnpm_10_29_2: init

Has this been fixed yet?

It's fixed in next electron-builder release 26.8.2.

I think this issue can be closed since pnpm is not reverting the breaking API-response change and a fix has been patched released in electron-builder.

Ok thank you

…

On Wed, Mar 11, 2026, 8:31 PM Mike Maietta ***@***.***> wrote: *mmaietta* left a comment (pnpm/pnpm#10601) <#10601 (comment)> It's fixed in next electron-builder release 26.8.2. I think this issue can be closed since pnpm is not reverting the breaking API-response change and a fix has been patched released in electron-builder. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#10601 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/B7XTL5NFV2N56Y2GO7OYE434QHEILAVCNFSM6AAAAACU5CMBNCVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHM2DANBSGAYTANZXGI> . You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

Thanks.

feat: switch back to pnpm

feat(app): macOS 签名 + 公证全链路——entitlements / packaging 修复 / productNam…

Upgrade electron-builder to 26.11.1 to fix missing transitive deps in…

Fix electron-builder packaging under pnpm: pin 10.29.2, patch collector

🐛 Fix the packaged app missing transitive dependencies

XS⚠️ ◾ 🔧 Migrate the desktop app from npm to pnpm (#1040)

build(ci): pin pnpm to 10.29.2 while electron-builder cannot see the …

build(packaging): keep build tooling and renderer-only packages out o…

test: pin pnpm at 10.28.2 pending collector support for pnpm >= 10.29…

This does not reproduce on current pnpm, so closing.

Verified on pnpm 12.5.1: a dependency's own transitive dependency is present next to it, both in the isolated layout and with nodeLinker: hoisted, and resolves from it.

If you still hit this on the latest pnpm, please comment with a reproduction and we will reopen.

Written by an agent (Claude Code, claude-opus-5).

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Regression in pnpm 10.29.3 with Electron packaging (transitive dependency missing at runtime) #10601

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Regression in pnpm 10.29.3 with Electron packaging (transitive dependency missing at runtime) #10601

Description

Last pnpm version that worked

pnpm version

Code to reproduce the issue

Expected behavior

Actual behavior

Additional information

Node.js version

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Activity

zkochan commented on Feb 13, 2026

dex4er commented on Feb 13, 2026

Anonymous327 commented on Feb 13, 2026

MoeFurina commented on Feb 14, 2026

dex4er commented on Feb 19, 2026

mmaietta commented on Feb 20, 2026

zkochan commented on Feb 20, 2026

mmaietta commented on Feb 20, 2026

yanglee2421 commented on Feb 27, 2026

Molunerfinn commented on Mar 6, 2026

Anonymous327 commented on Mar 11, 2026

mmaietta commented on Mar 11, 2026

faithmckinely-alt commented on Mar 12, 2026

thedogecraft commented on Apr 1, 2026

zkochan commented on Sep 19, 2026

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