diff --git a/lib/manager/npm/package.js b/lib/manager/npm/package.js
index 212ebc6bd4679c589c9cf934374a1a4088f26634..85899ae4302ea1c5fd9e42228a373747e17fc1fd 100644
--- a/lib/manager/npm/package.js
+++ b/lib/manager/npm/package.js
@@ -7,6 +7,13 @@ module.exports = {
 
 async function getPackageUpdates(config) {
   let results = [];
+  if (config.currentVersion.startsWith('file:')) {
+    logger.debug(
+      { dependency: config.depName, currentVersion: config.currentVersion },
+      'Skipping file: dependency'
+    );
+    return [];
+  }
   if (!versions.isValidVersion(config.currentVersion)) {
     results.push({
       depName: config.depName,
diff --git a/test/manager/npm/package.spec.js b/test/manager/npm/package.spec.js
index f95907752c062bf95b62bb693edc161fa272a549..278f950ba65190beb82638d114288261d03db1c9 100644
--- a/test/manager/npm/package.spec.js
+++ b/test/manager/npm/package.spec.js
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ describe('lib/workers/package/npm', () => {
         currentVersion: '1.0.0',
       };
     });
+    it('returns if using a file reference', async () => {
+      config.currentVersion = 'file:../sibling/package.json';
+      const res = await npm.getPackageUpdates(config);
+      expect(res).toHaveLength(0);
+    });
     it('returns warning if using invalid version', async () => {
       config.currentVersion =
         'git+ssh://git@github.com/joefraley/eslint-config-meridian.git';