diff --git a/packages/cli-kit/src/public/node/node-package-manager.test.ts b/packages/cli-kit/src/public/node/node-package-manager.test.ts
index cbd5b629c9..5c22f54ecd 100644
--- a/packages/cli-kit/src/public/node/node-package-manager.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-kit/src/public/node/node-package-manager.test.ts
@@ -846,11 +846,7 @@ describe('getPackageManager', () => {
   test('finds if npm is being used', async () => {
     await inTemporaryDirectory(async (tmpDir) => {
       // Given
-      const packageJSON = {name: 'mock name'}
-
-      // When
-      await writePackageJSON(tmpDir, packageJSON)
-      mockedCaptureOutput.mockReturnValueOnce(Promise.resolve(tmpDir))
+      await writePackageJSON(tmpDir, {name: 'mock name'})
 
       // Then
       const packageManager = await getPackageManager(tmpDir)
@@ -861,13 +857,8 @@ describe('getPackageManager', () => {
   test('finds if yarn is being used', async () => {
     await inTemporaryDirectory(async (tmpDir) => {
       // Given
-      const packageJSON = {name: 'mock name'}
-      const yarnLock = joinPath(tmpDir, 'yarn.lock')
-
-      // When
-      await writePackageJSON(tmpDir, packageJSON)
-      await writeFile(yarnLock, '')
-      mockedCaptureOutput.mockReturnValueOnce(Promise.resolve(tmpDir))
+      await writePackageJSON(tmpDir, {name: 'mock name'})
+      await writeFile(joinPath(tmpDir, 'yarn.lock'), '')
 
       // Then
       const packageManager = await getPackageManager(tmpDir)
@@ -878,13 +869,8 @@ describe('getPackageManager', () => {
   test('finds if pnpm is being used', async () => {
     await inTemporaryDirectory(async (tmpDir) => {
       // Given
-      const packageJSON = {name: 'mock name'}
-      const pnpmLock = joinPath(tmpDir, 'pnpm-lock.yaml')
-
-      // When
-      await writePackageJSON(tmpDir, packageJSON)
-      await writeFile(pnpmLock, '')
-      mockedCaptureOutput.mockReturnValueOnce(Promise.resolve(tmpDir))
+      await writePackageJSON(tmpDir, {name: 'mock name'})
+      await writeFile(joinPath(tmpDir, 'pnpm-lock.yaml'), '')
 
       // Then
       const packageManager = await getPackageManager(tmpDir)
@@ -892,34 +878,23 @@ describe('getPackageManager', () => {
     })
   })
 
-  test('falls back to packageManagerFromUserAgent when npm prefix fails', async () => {
+  test('falls back to packageManagerFromUserAgent when no package.json is found', async () => {
     await inTemporaryDirectory(async (tmpDir) => {
-      // Given
+      // Given — no package.json in tmpDir, stub user agent to yarn
       vi.stubEnv('npm_config_user_agent', 'yarn/1.22.0')
 
-      // Mock npm prefix to fail
-      mockedCaptureOutput.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('npm prefix failed'))
-
       // When
       const packageManager = await getPackageManager(tmpDir)
 
       // Then
-      expect(mockedCaptureOutput).toHaveBeenCalledWith('npm', ['prefix'], expect.anything())
-      expect(packageManager).toEqual('yarn')
-
-      // Restore original implementation
       vi.unstubAllEnvs()
+      expect(packageManager).toEqual('yarn')
     })
   })
 
   test("tries to guess the package manager from the environment if it can't find a package.json", async () => {
     await inTemporaryDirectory(async (tmpDir) => {
-      // Given
-      const subDirectory = joinPath(tmpDir, 'subdir')
-      await mkdir(subDirectory)
-      mockedCaptureOutput.mockReturnValueOnce(Promise.resolve(tmpDir))
-
-      // When/Then
+      // When/Then — no package.json, falls back to user agent
       const packageManager = await getPackageManager(tmpDir)
       // pnpm is used locally and in CI
       expect(packageManager).toEqual('pnpm')
diff --git a/packages/cli-kit/src/public/node/node-package-manager.ts b/packages/cli-kit/src/public/node/node-package-manager.ts
index d59172bee6..bdbce5aff7 100644
--- a/packages/cli-kit/src/public/node/node-package-manager.ts
+++ b/packages/cli-kit/src/public/node/node-package-manager.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import {AbortError, BugError} from './error.js'
 import {AbortController, AbortSignal} from './abort.js'
-import {captureOutput, exec} from './system.js'
+import {exec} from './system.js'
 import {fileExists, readFile, writeFile, findPathUp, glob} from './fs.js'
 import {dirname, joinPath} from './path.js'
 import {runWithTimer} from './metadata.js'
@@ -115,32 +115,18 @@ export function packageManagerFromUserAgent(env = process.env): PackageManager {
  * @returns The dependency manager
  */
 export async function getPackageManager(fromDirectory: string): Promise<PackageManager> {
-  let directory: string | undefined
-  let packageJson: string | undefined
-  try {
-    directory = await captureOutput('npm', ['prefix'], {cwd: fromDirectory})
-    outputDebug(outputContent`Obtaining the dependency manager in directory ${outputToken.path(directory)}...`)
-    packageJson = joinPath(directory, 'package.json')
-    // eslint-disable-next-line no-catch-all/no-catch-all
-  } catch {
-    // if problems locating directoy/package file, we use user agent instead
-  }
-
-  if (!directory || !packageJson || !(await fileExists(packageJson))) {
+  const packageJsonPath = await findPathUp('package.json', {cwd: fromDirectory, type: 'file'})
+  if (!packageJsonPath) {
     return packageManagerFromUserAgent()
   }
-  const yarnLockPath = joinPath(directory, yarnLockfile)
-  const pnpmLockPath = joinPath(directory, pnpmLockfile)
-  const bunLockPath = joinPath(directory, bunLockfile)
-  if (await fileExists(yarnLockPath)) {
-    return 'yarn'
-  } else if (await fileExists(pnpmLockPath)) {
-    return 'pnpm'
-  } else if (await fileExists(bunLockPath)) {
-    return 'bun'
-  } else {
-    return 'npm'
-  }
+
+  const directory = dirname(packageJsonPath)
+  outputDebug(outputContent`Obtaining the dependency manager in directory ${outputToken.path(directory)}...`)
+
+  if (await fileExists(joinPath(directory, yarnLockfile))) return 'yarn'
+  if (await fileExists(joinPath(directory, pnpmLockfile))) return 'pnpm'
+  if (await fileExists(joinPath(directory, bunLockfile))) return 'bun'
+  return 'npm'
 }
 
 interface InstallNPMDependenciesRecursivelyOptions {