diff --git a/cli/args/lockfile.rs b/cli/args/lockfile.rs
index 29c01b2526..48a3e89c13 100644
--- a/cli/args/lockfile.rs
+++ b/cli/args/lockfile.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ use deno_semver::npm::NpmPackageReq;
 
 use crate::args::config_file::LockConfig;
 use crate::args::ConfigFile;
+use crate::npm::CliNpmRegistryApi;
 use crate::Flags;
 
 use super::DenoSubcommand;
@@ -75,7 +76,7 @@ pub fn discover(
 
 pub async fn snapshot_from_lockfile(
   lockfile: Arc<Mutex<Lockfile>>,
-  api: &dyn NpmRegistryApi,
+  api: &CliNpmRegistryApi,
 ) -> Result<NpmResolutionSnapshot, AnyError> {
   let (root_packages, mut packages) = {
     let lockfile = lockfile.lock();
@@ -114,25 +115,45 @@ pub async fn snapshot_from_lockfile(
   };
 
   // now that the lockfile is dropped, fetch the package version information
-  let mut version_infos =
-      FuturesOrdered::from_iter(packages.iter().map(|p| p.pkg_id.nv.clone()).map(
-        |nv| async move {
-          let package_info = api.package_info(&nv.name).await?;
-          match package_info.version_info(&nv) {
-            Ok(version_info) => Ok(version_info),
-            Err(err) => {
-              bail!("Could not find '{}' specified in the lockfile. Maybe try again with --reload", err.0);
-            }
-          }
-        },
-      ));
+  let pkg_nvs = packages
+    .iter()
+    .map(|p| p.pkg_id.nv.clone())
+    .collect::<Vec<_>>();
+  let get_version_infos = || {
+    FuturesOrdered::from_iter(pkg_nvs.iter().map(|nv| async move {
+      let package_info = api.package_info(&nv.name).await?;
+      match package_info.version_info(nv) {
+        Ok(version_info) => Ok(version_info),
+        Err(err) => {
+          bail!("Could not find '{}' specified in the lockfile.", err.0);
+        }
+      }
+    }))
+  };
+  let mut version_infos = get_version_infos();
 
   let mut i = 0;
-  while let Some(version_info) = version_infos.next().await {
-    packages[i].dist = version_info?.dist;
+  while let Some(result) = version_infos.next().await {
+    packages[i].dist = match result {
+      Ok(version_info) => version_info.dist,
+      Err(err) => {
+        if api.mark_force_reload() {
+          // reset and try again
+          version_infos = get_version_infos();
+          i = 0;
+          continue;
+        } else {
+          return Err(err);
+        }
+      }
+    };
+
     i += 1;
   }
 
+  // clear the memory cache to reduce memory usage
+  api.clear_memory_cache();
+
   NpmResolutionSnapshot::from_packages(NpmResolutionSnapshotCreateOptions {
     packages,
     root_packages,
diff --git a/cli/npm/installer.rs b/cli/npm/installer.rs
index 5a15494aba..9e5fcc4c36 100644
--- a/cli/npm/installer.rs
+++ b/cli/npm/installer.rs
@@ -104,7 +104,6 @@ impl PackageJsonDepsInstaller {
         if inner.npm_registry_api.mark_force_reload() {
           log::debug!("Failed to resolve package. Retrying. Error: {err:#}");
           // re-initialize
-          inner.npm_registry_api.clear_memory_cache();
           reqs_with_info_futures = inner.reqs_with_info_futures();
         } else {
           return Err(err.into());
diff --git a/cli/npm/registry.rs b/cli/npm/registry.rs
index b38cfa898f..798cb17dd3 100644
--- a/cli/npm/registry.rs
+++ b/cli/npm/registry.rs
@@ -112,7 +112,12 @@ impl CliNpmRegistryApi {
     ) {
       return false;
     }
-    self.inner().force_reload_flag.raise()
+    if self.inner().force_reload_flag.raise() {
+      self.clear_memory_cache(); // clear the memory cache to force reloading
+      true
+    } else {
+      false
+    }
   }
 
   fn inner(&self) -> &Arc<CliNpmRegistryApiInner> {
diff --git a/cli/resolver.rs b/cli/resolver.rs
index 9aaa9d8b6e..1230a94b76 100644
--- a/cli/resolver.rs
+++ b/cli/resolver.rs
@@ -248,7 +248,6 @@ impl NpmResolver for CliGraphResolver {
       Err(err) => {
         if self.npm_registry_api.mark_force_reload() {
           log::debug!("Restarting npm specifier resolution to check for new registry information. Error: {:#}", err);
-          self.npm_registry_api.clear_memory_cache();
           NpmPackageReqResolution::ReloadRegistryInfo(err.into())
         } else {
           NpmPackageReqResolution::Err(err.into())
diff --git a/cli/tests/integration/npm_tests.rs b/cli/tests/integration/npm_tests.rs
index 35f3980e4c..4c6c217e69 100644
--- a/cli/tests/integration/npm_tests.rs
+++ b/cli/tests/integration/npm_tests.rs
@@ -1761,4 +1761,38 @@ fn reload_info_not_found_cache_but_exists_remote() {
     ));
     output.assert_exit_code(0);
   }
+
+  // now try using a lockfile
+  {
+    // create it
+    temp_dir.write("deno.json", r#"{}"#);
+    test_context.new_command().args("cache main.ts").run();
+    assert!(temp_dir.path().join("deno.lock").exists());
+
+    // remove a version found in the lockfile
+    remove_version_for_package(deno_dir, "@denotest/esm-basic", "1.0.0");
+
+    // should error for --cached-only
+    let output = test_context
+      .new_command()
+      .args("run --cached-only main.ts")
+      .run();
+    output.assert_matches_text(concat!(
+      "error: failed reading lockfile '[WILDCARD]deno.lock'\n",
+      "\n",
+      "Caused by:\n",
+      "    Could not find '@denotest/esm-basic@1.0.0' specified in the lockfile.\n"
+    ));
+    output.assert_exit_code(1);
+
+    // now try running, it should work and only initialize the new package
+    let output = test_context.new_command().args("run main.ts").run();
+    output.assert_matches_text(concat!(
+      "Download http://localhost:4545/npm/registry/@denotest/cjs-default-export\n",
+      "Download http://localhost:4545/npm/registry/@denotest/esm-basic\n",
+      "Download http://localhost:4545/npm/registry/@denotest/esm-import-cjs-default\n",
+      "Node esm importing node cjs\n[WILDCARD]",
+    ));
+    output.assert_exit_code(0);
+  }
 }