pnpm/pnpm · error · PnpmError

MISSING_PACKAGE_INDEX_FILE

MISSING_PACKAGE_INDEX_FILE

Error message

Failed to find package index file for ${pkg.id} (at ${err.path}), please consider running 'pnpm install'

What it means

Thrown by the license scanner when readPackageFileMap() fails with ENOENT while looking up the package's index file in the store. The index maps package files to content-addressable store paths; its absence means the package was never materialized by an install with this store — typically a missing or partial install.

Source

Thrown at pnpm11/deps/compliance/license-scanner/src/getPkgInfo.ts:83

      packageResolution,
      pkg.id,
      {
        storeDir: opts.storeDir,
        storeIndex: opts.storeIndex,
        lockfileDir: opts.dir,
        virtualStoreDirMaxLength: opts.virtualStoreDirMaxLength,
      }
    )
    if (!result) {
      throw new PnpmError(
        'UNSUPPORTED_PACKAGE_TYPE',
        `Unsupported package resolution type for ${pkg.id}`
      )
    }
    files = result
  } catch (err: any) { // eslint-disable-line
    if (err.code === 'ENOENT') {
      throw new PnpmError(
        'MISSING_PACKAGE_INDEX_FILE',
        `Failed to find package index file for ${pkg.id} (at ${err.path}), please consider running 'pnpm install'`
      )
    }
    throw err
  }

  const manifestPath = files.get('package.json')
  if (!manifestPath) {
    throw new PnpmError(
      'MISSING_PACKAGE_INDEX_FILE',
      `Failed to find package.json in index for ${pkg.id}, please consider running 'pnpm install'`
    )
  }
  const manifest = await readPackageJson(manifestPath)

  // Determine the path to the package as known by the user
  const modulesDir = opts.modulesDir ?? 'node_modules'

View on GitHub (pinned to 5b11d3a15b)

Solutions

Run `pnpm install` (as the message suggests) so the store index entries exist
Verify the store location is stable (no changing store-dir config) between install and licenses commands
If using a shared/CI cache, ensure it caches the store index files, not just node_modules

Example fix

// before
$ pnpm install --lockfile-only && pnpm licenses list

// after
$ pnpm install && pnpm licenses list

Defensive patterns

Strategy: try-catch

Try / catch

try {
  return await getPkgInfo(pkg, opts)
} catch (err) {
  if (err instanceof PnpmError && err.code === 'MISSING_PACKAGE_INDEX_FILE' && /index file/.test(err.message)) {
    await runInstall() // then retry once
    return getPkgInfo(pkg, opts)
  }
  throw err
}

Prevention

Never scan licenses after a --lockfile-only install; run a full install first
Keep store-dir configuration identical between the install and the scan steps
Avoid pruning the store between install and licenses commands

When it happens

Trigger: Running `pnpm licenses list` after `pnpm install --lockfile-only`; a pruned or shared store where the index for that package id was removed; a store directory that changed location between install and scan.

Common situations: CI pipelines that skip full installs for speed; `pnpm store prune` run between install and licenses scan; node_modules deleted but lockfile kept.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of pnpm/pnpm@5b11d3a15b (2026-08-16). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ab4fd49180a850a0. Report an issue: GitHub.