diff --git a/cli/tests/integration/npm_tests.rs b/cli/tests/integration/npm_tests.rs
index 3d21b57c3d..2ece84c5db 100644
--- a/cli/tests/integration/npm_tests.rs
+++ b/cli/tests/integration/npm_tests.rs
@@ -660,6 +660,13 @@ itest!(deno_run_cowsay {
   http_server: true,
 });
 
+itest!(deno_run_cowsay_with_node_modules_dir {
+  args: "run -A --quiet --node-modules-dir npm:cowsay@1.5.0 Hello",
+  output: "npm/deno_run_cowsay.out",
+  envs: env_vars_for_npm_tests_no_sync_download(),
+  http_server: true,
+});
+
 itest!(deno_run_cowsay_explicit {
   args: "run -A --quiet npm:cowsay@1.5.0/cowsay Hello",
   output: "npm/deno_run_cowsay.out",
diff --git a/cli/tests/testdata/.gitignore b/cli/tests/testdata/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3c3629e647
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/tests/testdata/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+node_modules
diff --git a/ext/node/02_require.js b/ext/node/02_require.js
index 2b4a9c16c2..d334a60a50 100644
--- a/ext/node/02_require.js
+++ b/ext/node/02_require.js
@@ -371,10 +371,9 @@ Module._findPath = function (request, paths, isMain, parentPath) {
     const isRelative = ops.op_require_is_request_relative(
       request,
     );
-    const basePath =
-      (isDenoDirPackage && !isRelative && !usesLocalNodeModulesDir)
-        ? pathResolve(curPath, packageSpecifierSubPath(request))
-        : pathResolve(curPath, request);
+    const basePath = (isDenoDirPackage && !isRelative)
+      ? pathResolve(curPath, packageSpecifierSubPath(request))
+      : pathResolve(curPath, request);
     let filename;
 
     const rc = stat(basePath);