diff --git a/cli/args/flags.rs b/cli/args/flags.rs
index 6924907cbf..7922a3c19d 100644
--- a/cli/args/flags.rs
+++ b/cli/args/flags.rs
@@ -1937,7 +1937,11 @@ fn reload_arg<'a>() -> Arg<'a> {
 --reload=https://deno.land/std
   Reload only standard modules
 --reload=https://deno.land/std/fs/utils.ts,https://deno.land/std/fmt/colors.ts
-  Reloads specific modules",
+  Reloads specific modules
+--reload=npm:
+  Reload all npm modules
+--reload=npm:chalk
+  Reload specific npm module",
     )
     .value_hint(ValueHint::FilePath)
     .validator(reload_arg_validate)
diff --git a/cli/file_fetcher.rs b/cli/file_fetcher.rs
index 3e3776f245..e16b808d97 100644
--- a/cli/file_fetcher.rs
+++ b/cli/file_fetcher.rs
@@ -146,6 +146,23 @@ impl CacheSetting {
       }
     }
   }
+
+  pub fn should_use_for_npm_package(&self, package_name: &str) -> bool {
+    match self {
+      CacheSetting::ReloadAll => false,
+      CacheSetting::ReloadSome(list) => {
+        if list.contains(&"npm:".to_string()) {
+          return false;
+        }
+        let specifier = format!("npm:{}", package_name);
+        if list.contains(&specifier) {
+          return false;
+        }
+        true
+      }
+      _ => true,
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 /// Fetch a source file from the local file system.
diff --git a/cli/npm/cache.rs b/cli/npm/cache.rs
index 71a82fd51e..a733eccebd 100644
--- a/cli/npm/cache.rs
+++ b/cli/npm/cache.rs
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ impl NpmCache {
       // if this file exists, then the package didn't successfully extract
       // the first time, or another process is currently extracting the zip file
       && !package_folder.join(NPM_PACKAGE_SYNC_LOCK_FILENAME).exists()
+      && self.cache_setting.should_use_for_npm_package(&id.name)
     {
       return Ok(());
     } else if self.cache_setting == CacheSetting::Only {
diff --git a/cli/npm/registry.rs b/cli/npm/registry.rs
index 4fb926287f..a0ffd05447 100644
--- a/cli/npm/registry.rs
+++ b/cli/npm/registry.rs
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@ pub struct NpmRegistryApi {
   base_url: Url,
   cache: NpmCache,
   mem_cache: Arc<Mutex<HashMap<String, Option<NpmPackageInfo>>>>,
-  reload: bool,
   cache_setting: CacheSetting,
   progress_bar: ProgressBar,
 }
@@ -133,7 +132,6 @@ impl NpmRegistryApi {
   pub fn new(
     base_url: Url,
     cache: NpmCache,
-    reload: bool,
     cache_setting: CacheSetting,
     progress_bar: ProgressBar,
   ) -> Self {
@@ -141,7 +139,6 @@ impl NpmRegistryApi {
       base_url,
       cache,
       mem_cache: Default::default(),
-      reload,
       cache_setting,
       progress_bar,
     }
@@ -171,7 +168,7 @@ impl NpmRegistryApi {
       Ok(info)
     } else {
       let mut maybe_package_info = None;
-      if !self.reload {
+      if self.cache_setting.should_use_for_npm_package(name) {
         // attempt to load from the file cache
         maybe_package_info = self.load_file_cached_package_info(name);
       }
diff --git a/cli/proc_state.rs b/cli/proc_state.rs
index 2d2c3a76de..d3c6f2cdd2 100644
--- a/cli/proc_state.rs
+++ b/cli/proc_state.rs
@@ -231,7 +231,6 @@ impl ProcState {
     let api = NpmRegistryApi::new(
       registry_url,
       npm_cache.clone(),
-      cli_options.reload_flag(),
       cli_options.cache_setting(),
       progress_bar.clone(),
     );
diff --git a/cli/tests/integration/npm_tests.rs b/cli/tests/integration/npm_tests.rs
index 49bac64fb3..2dcd9824f5 100644
--- a/cli/tests/integration/npm_tests.rs
+++ b/cli/tests/integration/npm_tests.rs
@@ -266,6 +266,117 @@ fn cached_only_after_first_run() {
   assert_contains!(stdout, "createChalk: chalk");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn reload_flag() {
+  let _server = http_server();
+
+  let deno_dir = util::new_deno_dir();
+
+  let deno = util::deno_cmd_with_deno_dir(&deno_dir)
+    .current_dir(util::testdata_path())
+    .arg("run")
+    .arg("--unstable")
+    .arg("--allow-read")
+    .arg("--allow-env")
+    .arg("npm/reload/main.ts")
+    .env("NO_COLOR", "1")
+    .envs(env_vars())
+    .stdout(Stdio::piped())
+    .stderr(Stdio::piped())
+    .spawn()
+    .unwrap();
+  let output = deno.wait_with_output().unwrap();
+  let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr);
+  let stdout = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout);
+  assert_contains!(stderr, "Download");
+  assert_contains!(stdout, "createChalk: chalk");
+  assert!(output.status.success());
+
+  let deno = util::deno_cmd_with_deno_dir(&deno_dir)
+    .current_dir(util::testdata_path())
+    .arg("run")
+    .arg("--unstable")
+    .arg("--allow-read")
+    .arg("--allow-env")
+    .arg("--reload")
+    .arg("npm/reload/main.ts")
+    .env("NO_COLOR", "1")
+    .envs(env_vars())
+    .stdout(Stdio::piped())
+    .stderr(Stdio::piped())
+    .spawn()
+    .unwrap();
+  let output = deno.wait_with_output().unwrap();
+  let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr);
+  let stdout = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout);
+  assert_contains!(stderr, "Download");
+  assert_contains!(stdout, "createChalk: chalk");
+  assert!(output.status.success());
+
+  let deno = util::deno_cmd_with_deno_dir(&deno_dir)
+    .current_dir(util::testdata_path())
+    .arg("run")
+    .arg("--unstable")
+    .arg("--allow-read")
+    .arg("--allow-env")
+    .arg("--reload=npm:")
+    .arg("npm/reload/main.ts")
+    .env("NO_COLOR", "1")
+    .envs(env_vars())
+    .stdout(Stdio::piped())
+    .stderr(Stdio::piped())
+    .spawn()
+    .unwrap();
+  let output = deno.wait_with_output().unwrap();
+  let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr);
+  let stdout = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout);
+  assert_contains!(stderr, "Download");
+  assert_contains!(stdout, "createChalk: chalk");
+  assert!(output.status.success());
+
+  let deno = util::deno_cmd_with_deno_dir(&deno_dir)
+    .current_dir(util::testdata_path())
+    .arg("run")
+    .arg("--unstable")
+    .arg("--allow-read")
+    .arg("--allow-env")
+    .arg("--reload=npm:chalk")
+    .arg("npm/reload/main.ts")
+    .env("NO_COLOR", "1")
+    .envs(env_vars())
+    .stdout(Stdio::piped())
+    .stderr(Stdio::piped())
+    .spawn()
+    .unwrap();
+  let output = deno.wait_with_output().unwrap();
+  let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr);
+  let stdout = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout);
+  assert_contains!(stderr, "Download");
+  assert_contains!(stdout, "createChalk: chalk");
+  assert!(output.status.success());
+
+  let deno = util::deno_cmd_with_deno_dir(&deno_dir)
+    .current_dir(util::testdata_path())
+    .arg("run")
+    .arg("--unstable")
+    .arg("--allow-read")
+    .arg("--allow-env")
+    .arg("--reload=npm:foobar")
+    .arg("npm/reload/main.ts")
+    .env("NO_COLOR", "1")
+    .envs(env_vars())
+    .stdout(Stdio::piped())
+    .stderr(Stdio::piped())
+    .spawn()
+    .unwrap();
+  let output = deno.wait_with_output().unwrap();
+  let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr);
+  let stdout = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout);
+  assert!(stderr.is_empty());
+  assert_contains!(stdout, "createChalk: chalk");
+  assert!(output.status.success());
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn no_npm_after_first_run() {
   let _server = http_server();
diff --git a/cli/tests/testdata/npm/reload/main.ts b/cli/tests/testdata/npm/reload/main.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1ccc441a15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/tests/testdata/npm/reload/main.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+import chalk from "npm:chalk@5";
+
+console.log(chalk);