diff --git a/lib/manager/npm/extract/index.js b/lib/manager/npm/extract/index.js
index 2c2224f5a3a2453e660dbee397b3faaf08638210..90b0fd93147a0bd4d22a3f1cd439b885c2eaa236 100644
--- a/lib/manager/npm/extract/index.js
+++ b/lib/manager/npm/extract/index.js
@@ -95,6 +95,7 @@ async function extractDependencies(content, packageFile, config) {
   let lernaDir;
   let lernaPackages;
   let lernaClient;
+  let skipInstalls = true;
   const lernaJson = JSON.parse(
     await platform.getFile(upath.join(path.dirname(packageFile), 'lerna.json'))
   );
@@ -138,6 +139,7 @@ async function extractDependencies(content, packageFile, config) {
             }
           } else if (dep.currentValue.startsWith('file:')) {
             dep.skipReason = 'file';
+            skipInstalls = false;
           } else if (semver.isValid(dep.currentValue)) {
             dep.purl = `pkg:npm/${depName.replace('@', '%40')}`;
             if (dep.currentValue === '*') {
@@ -192,6 +194,7 @@ async function extractDependencies(content, packageFile, config) {
     lernaDir,
     lernaClient,
     lernaPackages,
+    skipInstalls,
     yarnWorkspacesPackages,
   };
 }
diff --git a/test/manager/npm/extract/__snapshots__/index.spec.js.snap b/test/manager/npm/extract/__snapshots__/index.spec.js.snap
index 06582bb4bf3cfa6d0e4e4d9fd7f7a345b159bc12..6a384c9766526886ee408753063fac9213cea8fb 100644
--- a/test/manager/npm/extract/__snapshots__/index.spec.js.snap
+++ b/test/manager/npm/extract/__snapshots__/index.spec.js.snap
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ Object {
   "packageJsonType": "app",
   "packageJsonVersion": undefined,
   "pnpmShrinkwrap": undefined,
+  "skipInstalls": false,
   "yarnLock": undefined,
   "yarnWorkspacesPackages": undefined,
   "yarnrc": undefined,
@@ -201,6 +202,7 @@ Object {
   "packageJsonType": "app",
   "packageJsonVersion": "1.0.0",
   "pnpmShrinkwrap": undefined,
+  "skipInstalls": true,
   "yarnLock": "yarn.lock",
   "yarnWorkspacesPackages": undefined,
   "yarnrc": undefined,
@@ -219,6 +221,7 @@ Object {
   "packageJsonType": "app",
   "packageJsonVersion": "0.0.8",
   "pnpmShrinkwrap": undefined,
+  "skipInstalls": true,
   "yarnLock": undefined,
   "yarnWorkspacesPackages": Array [
     "packages/*",
@@ -320,6 +323,7 @@ Object {
   "packageJsonType": "app",
   "packageJsonVersion": "1.0.0",
   "pnpmShrinkwrap": undefined,
+  "skipInstalls": true,
   "yarnLock": undefined,
   "yarnWorkspacesPackages": undefined,
   "yarnrc": undefined,
@@ -419,6 +423,7 @@ Object {
   "packageJsonType": "app",
   "packageJsonVersion": "1.0.0",
   "pnpmShrinkwrap": undefined,
+  "skipInstalls": true,
   "yarnLock": undefined,
   "yarnWorkspacesPackages": undefined,
   "yarnrc": undefined,