What causes "Could not find package.json for ${packageName}" in stablyai/orca?

Check `entryPath` — log the resolved path to see where `require.resolve(packageName)` is pointing.

Could not find package.json for ${packageName}

Error message

Could not find package.json for ${packageName}

What it means

The `resolvePackageJsonPath` function successfully resolved the package's entry point via `require.resolve(packageName)` but then walked up the entire directory tree from that entry point without finding a package.json. This is an unusual state — every npm/pnpm package should have a package.json at its root. The walk goes from `dirname(entryPath)` up to the filesystem root.

Source

Thrown at config/packaged-runtime-node-modules.cjs:110

  }
  try {
    return requireFromProject.resolve(`${packageName}/package.json`, { paths: [fromDir] })
  } catch {
    let entryPath
    try {
      entryPath = requireFromProject.resolve(packageName, { paths: [fromDir] })
    } catch {
      throw new Error(`Could not resolve package ${packageName} from ${fromDir}`)
    }
    let dir = dirname(entryPath)
    while (dir !== dirname(dir)) {
      const packageJsonPath = join(dir, 'package.json')
      if (existsSync(packageJsonPath)) {
        return packageJsonPath
      }
      dir = dirname(dir)
    }
    throw new Error(`Could not find package.json for ${packageName}`)
  }
}

function readPackage(packageName, fromDir = projectDir) {
  const packageJsonPath = resolvePackageJsonPath(packageName, fromDir)
  const packageDir = realpathSync(dirname(packageJsonPath))
  const packageJson = JSON.parse(readFileSync(packageJsonPath, 'utf8'))
  return {
    name: packageJson.name ?? packageName,
    packageDir,
    dependencies: Object.keys(packageJson.dependencies ?? {})
  }
}

function isKnownOmittedServeSimDependency(packageName, fromDir) {
  if (packageName !== 'inspect-webkit') {
    return false
  }

View on GitHub (pinned to 1136503c6a)

Solutions

Check `entryPath` — log the resolved path to see where `require.resolve(packageName)` is pointing.
If it's a pnpm symlink issue, verify the package's node_modules entry has its package.json: `ls node_modules/.pnpm/package@version/node_modules/package/package.json`.
Reinstall the package: `pnpm install --force` to fix a corrupted install.
If the package genuinely has no package.json (custom/internal), add one at its root directory.

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

// Verify package.json exists at the package root
import { existsSync } from 'fs'
import { dirname, join } from 'path'
function findPackageJsonUpFrom(entryPath) {
  let dir = dirname(entryPath)
  while (dir !== dirname(dir)) {
    if (existsSync(join(dir, 'package.json'))) return join(dir, 'package.json')
    dir = dirname(dir)
  }
  return null
}

Prevention

Verify installs with `pnpm install --force` if you suspect corruption.
Avoid manual deletion of package.json files in node_modules.
For pnpm, check that symlinks in node_modules point to valid package directories in the .pnpm store.

When it happens

Trigger: A package whose main entry file is a standalone JS file not inside a package directory with a package.json. A symlink or monorepo setup where the resolved entry points outside the package's own directory. A corrupted or partial install where package.json was deleted but the entry file remains.

Common situations: pnpm symlink edge cases where `require.resolve` follows a symlink to a hoisted location outside the package directory. A package with a non-standard layout where the entry file is not under the package root. Manual file manipulation that deleted package.json. Very rare in practice.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of stablyai/orca@1136503c6a (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/2ddc8e3de9b689ab. Report an issue: GitHub.