Verify latest release

• I verified that the issue exists in the latest pnpm release

pnpm version

10.0.0

Which area(s) of pnpm are affected? (leave empty if unsure)

CLI

Link to the code that reproduces this issue or a replay of the bug

No response

Reproduction steps

• have a monorepo
• pnpm install at the root (works)
• cd to a sub-package
• delete node_modules
• pnpm install -- observe that nothing happens, we expect that the node_modules

Describe the Bug

nothing is installed, even though the node_modules directory is missing

Expected Behavior

packages are installed

Which Node.js version are you using?

22.12.0

Which operating systems have you used?

• macOS
• Windows
• Linux

If your OS is a Linux based, which one it is? (Include the version if relevant)

No response