diff --git a/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/import.ts b/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/import.ts
index c5d7a979f5..f141481e03 100644
--- a/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/import.ts
+++ b/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/import.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 import { WANTED_LOCKFILE } from '@pnpm/constants'
-import { fromDir as readPackageJsonFromDir } from '@pnpm/read-package-json'
 import loadJsonFile from 'load-json-file'
 import path = require('path')
 import rimraf = require('rimraf-then')
 import { install } from 'supi'
 import createStoreController from '../createStoreController'
+import { readImporterManifestFromDir } from '../readImporterManifest'
 import { PnpmOptions } from '../types'
 
 export default async function installCmd (
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export default async function installCmd (
     store: store.path,
     storeController: store.ctrl,
   }
-  await install(await readPackageJsonFromDir(opts.prefix), installOpts)
+  await install(await readImporterManifestFromDir(opts.prefix), installOpts)
 }
 
 async function readNpmLockfile (prefix: string) {
diff --git a/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/install.ts b/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/install.ts
index d4c234c1fb..a5ba9e6a66 100644
--- a/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/install.ts
+++ b/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/install.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,4 @@
-import { fromDir as readPackageJsonFromDir } from '@pnpm/read-package-json'
-import {
-  getSaveType,
-  safeReadPackageFromDir,
-} from '@pnpm/utils'
+import { getSaveType } from '@pnpm/utils'
 import {
   install,
   mutateModules,
@@ -12,6 +8,7 @@ import writePkg = require('write-pkg')
 import createStoreController from '../createStoreController'
 import findWorkspacePackages, { arrayOfLocalPackagesToMap } from '../findWorkspacePackages'
 import getPinnedVersion from '../getPinnedVersion'
+import { readImporterManifestFromDir, safeReadImporterManifestFromDir } from '../readImporterManifest'
 import requireHooks from '../requireHooks'
 import { PnpmOptions } from '../types'
 import updateToLatestSpecsFromManifest, { createLatestSpecs } from '../updateToLatestSpecsFromManifest'
@@ -57,7 +54,7 @@ export default async function installCmd (
     storeController: store.ctrl,
   }
 
-  let manifest = await safeReadPackageFromDir(opts.prefix)
+  let manifest = await safeReadImporterManifestFromDir(opts.prefix)
   if (manifest === null) {
     if (opts.update) {
       const err = new Error('No package.json found')
@@ -115,7 +112,7 @@ export default async function installCmd (
       [
         {
           buildIndex: 0,
-          manifest: await readPackageJsonFromDir(opts.prefix),
+          manifest: await readImporterManifestFromDir(opts.prefix),
           prefix: opts.prefix,
         },
       ], {
diff --git a/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/link.ts b/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/link.ts
index d2ca4b70c8..6abba7d1e2 100644
--- a/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/link.ts
+++ b/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/link.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { StoreController } from '@pnpm/package-store'
-import { fromDir as readPackageJsonFromDir } from '@pnpm/read-package-json'
 import { safeReadPackageFromDir } from '@pnpm/utils'
 import pLimit = require('p-limit')
 import path = require('path')
@@ -15,6 +14,7 @@ import {
 import { cached as createStoreController } from '../createStoreController'
 import findWorkspacePackages, { arrayOfLocalPackagesToMap } from '../findWorkspacePackages'
 import getConfigs from '../getConfigs'
+import { readImporterManifestFromDir } from '../readImporterManifest'
 import { PnpmOptions } from '../types'
 
 const installLimit = pLimit(4)
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ export default async (
     pkgPaths.map((prefix) => installLimit(async () => {
       const s = await createStoreController(storeControllerCache, opts)
       await install(
-        await readPackageJsonFromDir(prefix), {
+        await readImporterManifestFromDir(prefix), {
           ...await getConfigs(
             { ...opts.cliArgs, prefix },
             {
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ export default async (
   )
   await link(pkgPaths, path.join(cwd, 'node_modules'), {
     ...linkOpts,
-    manifest: await readPackageJsonFromDir(cwd),
+    manifest: await readImporterManifestFromDir(cwd),
   })
 
   await Promise.all(
diff --git a/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/prune.ts b/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/prune.ts
index e83aa9cdc2..13355a2625 100644
--- a/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/prune.ts
+++ b/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/prune.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-import { fromDir as readPackageJsonFromDir } from '@pnpm/read-package-json'
 import { InstallOptions, mutateModules } from 'supi'
 import createStoreController from '../createStoreController'
+import { readImporterManifestFromDir } from '../readImporterManifest'
 import { PnpmOptions } from '../types'
 
 export default async (input: string[], opts: PnpmOptions) => {
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ export default async (input: string[], opts: PnpmOptions) => {
   return mutateModules([
     {
       buildIndex: 0,
-      manifest: await readPackageJsonFromDir(process.cwd()),
+      manifest: await readImporterManifestFromDir(process.cwd()),
       mutation: 'install',
       prefix: process.cwd(),
       pruneDirectDependencies: true,
diff --git a/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/rebuild.ts b/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/rebuild.ts
index 6dd2a745d0..89cb82dc23 100644
--- a/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/rebuild.ts
+++ b/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/rebuild.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-import { fromDir as readPackageJsonFromDir } from '@pnpm/read-package-json'
 import {
   rebuild,
   rebuildPkgs,
 } from 'supi'
 import createStoreController from '../createStoreController'
+import { readImporterManifestFromDir } from '../readImporterManifest'
 import { PnpmOptions } from '../types'
 
 export default async function (
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ export default async function (
       [
         {
           buildIndex: 0,
-          manifest: await readPackageJsonFromDir(rebuildOpts.prefix),
+          manifest: await readImporterManifestFromDir(rebuildOpts.prefix),
           prefix: rebuildOpts.prefix,
         },
       ],
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export default async function (
   await rebuildPkgs(
     [
       {
-        manifest: await readPackageJsonFromDir(rebuildOpts.prefix),
+        manifest: await readImporterManifestFromDir(rebuildOpts.prefix),
         prefix: rebuildOpts.prefix,
       },
     ],
diff --git a/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/recursive/index.ts b/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/recursive/index.ts
index facc3181a4..7437f3cfd6 100644
--- a/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/recursive/index.ts
+++ b/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/recursive/index.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import logger from '@pnpm/logger'
-import { fromDir as readPackageJsonFromDir } from '@pnpm/read-package-json'
 import { DependencyManifest, ImporterManifest } from '@pnpm/types'
 import { getSaveType } from '@pnpm/utils'
 import camelcaseKeys = require('camelcase-keys')
@@ -30,6 +29,7 @@ import getCommandFullName from '../../getCommandFullName'
 import getPinnedVersion from '../../getPinnedVersion'
 import { scopeLogger } from '../../loggers'
 import parsePackageSelector, { PackageSelector } from '../../parsePackageSelectors'
+import { readImporterManifestFromDir } from '../../readImporterManifest'
 import requireHooks from '../../requireHooks'
 import { PnpmOptions } from '../../types'
 import updateToLatestSpecsFromManifest, { createLatestSpecs } from '../../updateToLatestSpecsFromManifest'
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ export async function recursive (
         prefixes.map(async (prefix) => {
           importers.push({
             buildIndex,
-            manifest: await readPackageJsonFromDir(prefix),
+            manifest: await readImporterManifestFromDir(prefix),
             prefix,
           })
         })
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ export async function recursive (
       const mutation = cmdFullName === 'uninstall' ? 'uninstallSome' : (input.length === 0 && !updateToLatest ? 'install' : 'installSome')
       const mutatedImporters = await Promise.all<MutatedImporter>(importers.map(async ({ buildIndex, prefix }) => {
         const localConfigs = await memReadLocalConfigs(prefix)
-        const manifest = await readPackageJsonFromDir(prefix)
+        const manifest = await readImporterManifestFromDir(prefix)
         const shamefullyFlatten = typeof localConfigs.shamefullyFlatten === 'boolean'
           ? localConfigs.shamefullyFlatten
           : opts.shamefullyFlatten
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ export async function recursive (
             return
           }
 
-          const manifest = await readPackageJsonFromDir(prefix)
+          const manifest = await readImporterManifestFromDir(prefix)
           let currentInput = [...input]
           if (updateToLatest) {
             if (!currentInput || !currentInput.length) {
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ export async function recursive (
               [
                 {
                   buildIndex: 0,
-                  manifest: await readPackageJsonFromDir(prefix),
+                  manifest: await readImporterManifestFromDir(prefix),
                   prefix,
                 },
               ],
diff --git a/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/uninstall.ts b/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/uninstall.ts
index f546a5f1a6..542c20b373 100644
--- a/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/uninstall.ts
+++ b/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/uninstall.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { fromDir as readPackageJsonFromDir } from '@pnpm/read-package-json'
 import {
   mutateModules,
   uninstall,
@@ -6,6 +5,7 @@ import {
 import writePkg = require('write-pkg')
 import createStoreController from '../createStoreController'
 import findWorkspacePackages, { arrayOfLocalPackagesToMap } from '../findWorkspacePackages'
+import { readImporterManifestFromDir } from '../readImporterManifest'
 import { PnpmOptions } from '../types'
 
 export default async function uninstallCmd (
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ export default async function uninstallCmd (
     storeController: store.ctrl,
   })
   if (opts.lockfileDirectory === opts.prefix) {
-    const manifest = await uninstall(await readPackageJsonFromDir(opts.prefix), input, uninstallOpts)
+    const manifest = await uninstall(await readImporterManifestFromDir(opts.prefix), input, uninstallOpts)
     await writePkg(opts.prefix, manifest)
     return
   }
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ export default async function uninstallCmd (
       {
         bin: opts.bin,
         dependencyNames: input,
-        manifest: await readPackageJsonFromDir(opts.prefix),
+        manifest: await readImporterManifestFromDir(opts.prefix),
         mutation: 'uninstallSome',
         prefix: opts.prefix,
       },
diff --git a/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/unlink.ts b/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/unlink.ts
index 2a8ebf063d..298d478805 100644
--- a/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/unlink.ts
+++ b/packages/pnpm/src/cmd/unlink.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-import { fromDir as readPackageJsonFromDir } from '@pnpm/read-package-json'
 import { mutateModules } from 'supi'
 import createStoreController from '../createStoreController'
+import { readImporterManifestFromDir } from '../readImporterManifest'
 import { PnpmOptions } from '../types'
 
 export default async function (input: string[], opts: PnpmOptions) {
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export default async function (input: string[], opts: PnpmOptions) {
     return mutateModules([
       {
         dependencyNames: input,
-        manifest: await readPackageJsonFromDir(opts.prefix),
+        manifest: await readImporterManifestFromDir(opts.prefix),
         mutation: 'unlinkSome',
         prefix: opts.prefix,
       },
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ export default async function (input: string[], opts: PnpmOptions) {
   }
   return mutateModules([
     {
-      manifest: await readPackageJsonFromDir(opts.prefix),
+      manifest: await readImporterManifestFromDir(opts.prefix),
       mutation: 'unlink',
       prefix: opts.prefix,
     },
diff --git a/packages/pnpm/src/readImporterManifest.ts b/packages/pnpm/src/readImporterManifest.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9dace5f774
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/pnpm/src/readImporterManifest.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import { ImporterManifest } from '@pnpm/types'
+import loadJsonFile from 'load-json-file'
+import path = require('path')
+
+export async function readImporterManifest (filename: string) {
+  return loadJsonFile<ImporterManifest>(filename)
+}
+
+export async function readImporterManifestFromDir (dir: string) {
+  return readImporterManifest(path.join(dir, 'package.json'))
+}
+
+export async function safeReadImporterManifest (filename: string): Promise<ImporterManifest | null> {
+  try {
+    return await readImporterManifest(filename)
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (err['code'] !== 'ENOENT') throw err
+    return null
+  }
+}
+
+export function safeReadImporterManifestFromDir (dir: string) {
+  return safeReadImporterManifest(path.join(dir, 'package.json'))
+}