diff --git a/.changeset/deps-status-no-manifest.md b/.changeset/deps-status-no-manifest.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8a4e524167
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/deps-status-no-manifest.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"@pnpm/exec.commands": patch
+"pnpm": patch
+---
+
+Avoid running dependency-status auto-install when the dependency status is unavailable without a project manifest.
diff --git a/exec/commands/src/runDepsStatusCheck.ts b/exec/commands/src/runDepsStatusCheck.ts
index 85f1f97c64..37de0897cd 100644
--- a/exec/commands/src/runDepsStatusCheck.ts
+++ b/exec/commands/src/runDepsStatusCheck.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@ export async function runDepsStatusCheck (opts: RunDepsStatusCheckOptions): Prom
   opts.ignoredWorkspaceStateSettings = ignoredWorkspaceStateSettings
 
   const { upToDate, issue, workspaceState } = await checkDepsStatus(opts)
-  if (upToDate) return
+  if (upToDate === true) return
+  if (upToDate === undefined && opts.allProjects == null && opts.rootProjectManifest == null) return
 
   const command = ['install', ...createInstallArgs(workspaceState?.settings)]
   const install = runPnpmCli.bind(null, command, { cwd: opts.dir, reporter: opts.reporter })
diff --git a/exec/commands/test/runDepsStatusCheck.test.ts b/exec/commands/test/runDepsStatusCheck.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..df0b4070c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/exec/commands/test/runDepsStatusCheck.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+import { beforeEach, expect, jest, test } from '@jest/globals'
+import type { checkDepsStatus as checkDepsStatusFn } from '@pnpm/deps.status'
+import type { runPnpmCli as runPnpmCliFn } from '@pnpm/exec.pnpm-cli-runner'
+
+const checkDepsStatus = jest.fn<typeof checkDepsStatusFn>()
+const runPnpmCli = jest.fn<typeof runPnpmCliFn>()
+
+jest.unstable_mockModule('@pnpm/deps.status', () => ({
+  checkDepsStatus,
+}))
+
+jest.unstable_mockModule('@pnpm/exec.pnpm-cli-runner', () => ({
+  runPnpmCli,
+}))
+
+jest.unstable_mockModule('@pnpm/logger', () => ({
+  globalWarn: jest.fn(),
+}))
+
+jest.unstable_mockModule('@inquirer/prompts', () => ({
+  confirm: jest.fn(),
+}))
+
+const { runDepsStatusCheck } = await import('../src/runDepsStatusCheck.js')
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  checkDepsStatus.mockReset()
+  runPnpmCli.mockReset()
+})
+
+test('does not install when dependency status is unavailable without a project manifest', async () => {
+  checkDepsStatus.mockResolvedValue({
+    upToDate: undefined,
+    issue: 'No package manifest found. Skipping check.',
+    workspaceState: undefined,
+  })
+
+  await runDepsStatusCheck({
+    dir: process.cwd(),
+    excludeLinksFromLockfile: false,
+    linkWorkspacePackages: false,
+    preferWorkspacePackages: false,
+    pnpmfile: [],
+    rootProjectManifestDir: process.cwd(),
+    verifyDepsBeforeRun: 'install',
+  })
+
+  expect(runPnpmCli).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+})
+
+test('installs when dependency status is unavailable for an unexpected reason', async () => {
+  checkDepsStatus.mockResolvedValue({
+    upToDate: undefined,
+    issue: 'Cannot verify dependency status',
+    workspaceState: undefined,
+  })
+
+  await runDepsStatusCheck({
+    dir: process.cwd(),
+    excludeLinksFromLockfile: false,
+    linkWorkspacePackages: false,
+    pnpmfile: [],
+    preferWorkspacePackages: false,
+    rootProjectManifest: {
+      name: 'root',
+    },
+    rootProjectManifestDir: process.cwd(),
+    verifyDepsBeforeRun: 'install',
+  })
+
+  expect(runPnpmCli).toHaveBeenCalledWith(['install'], {
+    cwd: process.cwd(),
+    reporter: undefined,
+  })
+})