diff --git a/lib/modules/manager/pub/artifacts.spec.ts b/lib/modules/manager/pub/artifacts.spec.ts
index 4f0823aee2cc41f8b1b3a0653923a76c4b573030..857f67cd3d850d374480ce3dff1136e75a2f8d10 100644
--- a/lib/modules/manager/pub/artifacts.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/modules/manager/pub/artifacts.spec.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ process.env.BUILDPACK = 'true';
 const lockFile = 'pubspec.lock';
 const oldLockFileContent = 'Old pubspec.lock';
 const newLockFileContent = 'New pubspec.lock';
+const depName = 'depName';
 
 const datasource = mocked(_datasource);
 
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ const config: UpdateArtifactsConfig = {};
 
 const updateArtifact: UpdateArtifact = {
   packageFileName: 'pubspec.yaml',
-  updatedDeps: [{ depName: 'dep1' }],
+  updatedDeps: [{ depName }],
   newPackageFileContent: '',
   config,
 };
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ describe('modules/manager/pub/artifacts', () => {
       ).toBeNull();
       expect(execSnapshots).toMatchObject([
         {
-          cmd: `${params.sdk} pub upgrade`,
+          cmd: `${params.sdk} pub upgrade ${depName}`,
         },
       ]);
     });
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@ describe('modules/manager/pub/artifacts', () => {
       ]);
       expect(execSnapshots).toMatchObject([
         {
-          cmd: `${params.sdk} pub upgrade`,
+          cmd: `${params.sdk} pub upgrade ${depName}`,
         },
       ]);
     });
@@ -178,7 +179,7 @@ describe('modules/manager/pub/artifacts', () => {
             'bash -l -c "' +
             `install-tool ${params.sdk} 3.3.9` +
             ' && ' +
-            `${params.sdk} pub upgrade` +
+            `${params.sdk} pub upgrade ${depName}` +
             '"',
         },
       ]);
@@ -207,7 +208,7 @@ describe('modules/manager/pub/artifacts', () => {
       ]);
       expect(execSnapshots).toMatchObject([
         { cmd: `install-tool ${params.sdk} 3.3.9` },
-        { cmd: `${params.sdk} pub upgrade` },
+        { cmd: `${params.sdk} pub upgrade ${depName}` },
       ]);
     });
 
diff --git a/lib/modules/manager/pub/artifacts.ts b/lib/modules/manager/pub/artifacts.ts
index 2a3155dbbea474b6a2f2d25217ba42c53e7f033a..16cdae0a8f72ffd974bacea8b122dae3f71dacb0 100644
--- a/lib/modules/manager/pub/artifacts.ts
+++ b/lib/modules/manager/pub/artifacts.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
+import is from '@sindresorhus/is';
+import { quote } from 'shlex';
 import { TEMPORARY_ERROR } from '../../../constants/error-messages';
 import { logger } from '../../../logger';
 import { exec } from '../../../util/exec';
+import type { ExecOptions } from '../../../util/exec/types';
 import {
   getSiblingFileName,
   readLocalFile,
@@ -26,19 +29,18 @@ export async function updateArtifacts({
   newPackageFileContent,
   config,
 }: UpdateArtifact): Promise<UpdateArtifactsResult[] | null> {
-  if (
-    !(
-      config.updateType === 'lockFileMaintenance' ||
-      config.updateType === 'lockfileUpdate'
-    ) &&
-    updatedDeps.length < 1
-  ) {
+  logger.debug(`pub.updateArtifacts(${packageFileName})`);
+  const isLockFileMaintenance = config.updateType === 'lockFileMaintenance';
+
+  if (is.emptyArray(updatedDeps) && !isLockFileMaintenance) {
+    logger.debug('No updated pub deps - returning null');
     return null;
   }
 
   const lockFileName = getSiblingFileName(packageFileName, 'pubspec.lock');
   const oldLockFileContent = await readLocalFile(lockFileName, 'utf8');
   if (!oldLockFileContent) {
+    logger.debug('No pubspec.lock found');
     return null;
   }
 
@@ -47,11 +49,24 @@ export async function updateArtifacts({
 
     const isFlutter = newPackageFileContent.includes('sdk: flutter');
     const toolName = isFlutter ? 'flutter' : 'dart';
+    const cmd: string[] = [];
+
+    if (isLockFileMaintenance) {
+      cmd.push(`${toolName} pub upgrade`);
+    } else {
+      cmd.push(
+        `${toolName} pub upgrade ${updatedDeps
+          .map((dep) => dep.depName)
+          .filter(is.string)
+          .map((dep) => quote(dep))
+          .join(' ')}`
+      );
+    }
 
     const constraint = isFlutter
       ? config.constraints?.flutter ?? getFlutterConstraint(oldLockFileContent)
       : config.constraints?.dart ?? getDartConstraint(oldLockFileContent);
-    await exec(`${toolName} pub upgrade`, {
+    const execOptions: ExecOptions = {
       cwdFile: packageFileName,
       docker: {},
       toolConstraints: [
@@ -60,16 +75,13 @@ export async function updateArtifacts({
           constraint,
         },
       ],
-    });
+    };
 
+    await exec(cmd, execOptions);
     const newLockFileContent = await readLocalFile(lockFileName, 'utf8');
-    if (
-      oldLockFileContent === newLockFileContent ||
-      newLockFileContent === undefined
-    ) {
+    if (oldLockFileContent === newLockFileContent) {
       return null;
     }
-
     return [
       {
         file: {