diff --git a/src/api/getContext.ts b/src/api/getContext.ts
index 8e1f5b71f7..adda9308cb 100644
--- a/src/api/getContext.ts
+++ b/src/api/getContext.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {PackageJson} from '@pnpm/types'
 import normalizePath = require('normalize-path')
 import removeAllExceptOuterLinks = require('remove-all-except-outer-links')
 import logger from '@pnpm/logger'
+import R = require('ramda')
 import checkCompatibility from './checkCompatibility'
 import {packageJsonLogger} from '../loggers'
 
@@ -83,12 +84,13 @@ export default async function getContext (
     readCurrentShrinkwrap(root, shrOpts),
     mkdirp(storePath),
   ])
+  const currentShrinkwrap = files[2] || createShrinkwrap(opts.registry)
   const ctx: PnpmContext = {
     pkg: files[0],
     root,
     storePath,
-    wantedShrinkwrap: files[1] || createShrinkwrap(opts.registry),
-    currentShrinkwrap: files[2] || createShrinkwrap(opts.registry),
+    wantedShrinkwrap: files[1] || !opts.shrinkwrap && currentShrinkwrap && R.clone(currentShrinkwrap) || createShrinkwrap(opts.registry),
+    currentShrinkwrap,
     existsWantedShrinkwrap: !!files[1],
     existsCurrentShrinkwrap: !!files[2],
     skipped: new Set(modules && modules.skipped || []),
diff --git a/test/shrinkwrap.ts b/test/shrinkwrap.ts
index 929819553d..f0582e2e60 100644
--- a/test/shrinkwrap.ts
+++ b/test/shrinkwrap.ts
@@ -824,3 +824,13 @@ test('fail when installing with shrinkwrap: false and shrinkwrapOnly: true', asy
     t.equal(err.message, 'Cannot generate a shrinkwrap.yaml because shrinkwrap is set to false')
   }
 })
+
+test("don't remove packages during named install when shrinkwrap: false", async (t: tape.Test) => {
+  const project = prepare(t)
+
+  await installPkgs(['is-positive'], await testDefaults({shrinkwrap: false}))
+  await installPkgs(['is-negative'], await testDefaults({shrinkwrap: false}))
+
+  await project.has('is-positive')
+  await project.has('is-negative')
+})