diff --git a/pnpm/crates/cli/tests/suite/install.rs b/pnpm/crates/cli/tests/suite/install.rs
index 0a92ea45a1..0da21605a3 100644
--- a/pnpm/crates/cli/tests/suite/install.rs
+++ b/pnpm/crates/cli/tests/suite/install.rs
@@ -738,6 +738,50 @@ fn set_dir_modes(path: &std::path::Path, mode: u32) {
     fs::set_permissions(path, fs::Permissions::from_mode(mode)).expect("set directory mode");
 }
 
+/// The gate exists because `--force` re-materializes every slot, not only
+/// because it bypasses the platform checks.
+#[test]
+fn force_defeats_the_up_to_date_fast_path() {
+    let CommandTempCwd {
+        pacquet,
+        root,
+        workspace,
+        npmrc_info,
+        ..
+    } = CommandTempCwd::init().add_mocked_registry();
+    let AddMockedRegistry { mock_instance, .. } = npmrc_info;
+    fs::write(
+        workspace.join("package.json"),
+        serde_json::json!({ "dependencies": { "@foo/no-deps": "1.0.0" } }).to_string(),
+    )
+    .expect("write package.json");
+
+    let run_install = |args: &[&str]| {
+        let assert = pacquet_in(&workspace)
+            .with_env("PNPM_CONFIG_REGISTRY", mock_instance.url())
+            .with_args(args)
+            .assert()
+            .success();
+        String::from_utf8_lossy(&assert.get_output().stdout).into_owned()
+    };
+
+    pacquet
+        .with_env("PNPM_CONFIG_REGISTRY", mock_instance.url())
+        .with_arg("install")
+        .assert()
+        .success();
+    assert!(
+        run_install(&["install"]).contains("Already up to date"),
+        "an unchanged repeat install must take the fast path",
+    );
+    assert!(
+        !run_install(&["install", "--force"]).contains("Already up to date"),
+        "--force must defeat the fast path even though nothing changed",
+    );
+
+    drop((root, mock_instance));
+}
+
 /// Trust/policy settings key the lockfile-verification gate, which is
 /// why pnpm records `trustPolicy*` in the workspace state.
 #[test]
diff --git a/pnpm/crates/config/src/settings.rs b/pnpm/crates/config/src/settings.rs
index 8fef1a8a89..1c99025862 100644
--- a/pnpm/crates/config/src/settings.rs
+++ b/pnpm/crates/config/src/settings.rs
@@ -849,12 +849,11 @@ pub struct Config {
     /// instead of skipped, mirroring pnpm's `!opts.force &&
     /// packageIsInstallable(...)` gate in its dep-graph builders.
     ///
+    /// It also re-materializes every slot, changed or not.
+    ///
     /// CLI-only (merged from `--force` on `pnpm install` / `pnpm add` /
     /// `pnpm deploy` at the dispatch, like `ignoreScripts`); not a
-    /// `pnpm-workspace.yaml` / `.npmrc` setting. On the frozen path it
-    /// also discards the previous install's per-snapshot skip decision,
-    /// mirroring pnpm's `lockfileToDepGraph(…, opts.force ? null :
-    /// currentLockfile)`, so already-materialized packages are relinked.
+    /// `pnpm-workspace.yaml` / `.npmrc` setting.
     pub force: bool,
 
     /// Whether to consult the side-effects cache