[BUG] `install --no-save` does not install anything

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

This issue exists in the latest npm version

• I am using the latest npm

Current Behavior

Attempting to call install --no-save <package> will have no result in npm@^11. This issue does not exist in npm@^10.

Expected Behavior

Calling install --no-save <package> should download the package and place it in the node_modules folder but leave both package.json and package-lock.json unchanged.

Steps To Reproduce

1. Make sure you use npm@^11
2. In a NPM project, install any package by calling npm i --no-save <package>
3. There should be not associated directory in the node_modules folder.
4. NPM should return up to date instead of added X packages.

Environment

This problem occured on my local machine as well as on our pipeline using node:24 Docker container.

• npm: 11.10.1
• Node.js: 24.13.0
• OS Name: macOS Tahoe 26.2
• System Model Name: Macbook Pro 14" Nov. 2024 (Apple Silicon M4 Pro)
• npm config:

; "default" config from default values

_auth = (protected)
access = null
all = false
allow-git = "all"
allow-same-version = false
also = null
audit = true
audit-level = null
auth-type = "web"
before = null
bin-links = true
browser = null
bypass-2fa = false
ca = null
cache = "$HOME/.npm"
cache-max = null
cache-min = 0
cafile = null
call = ""
cert = null
cidr = null
color = true
commit-hooks = true
cpu = null
depth = null
description = true
dev = false
diff = []
diff-dst-prefix = "b/"
diff-ignore-all-space = false
diff-name-only = false
diff-no-prefix = false
diff-src-prefix = "a/"
diff-text = false
diff-unified = 3
dry-run = false
editor = "vi"
engine-strict = false
expect-result-count = null
expect-results = null
expires = null
fetch-retries = 2
fetch-retry-factor = 10
fetch-retry-maxtimeout = 60000
fetch-retry-mintimeout = 10000
fetch-timeout = 300000
force = false
foreground-scripts = false
format-package-lock = true
fund = true
git = "git"
git-tag-version = true
global = false
global-style = false
globalconfig = "$HOME/.nvm/versions/node/v24.13.0/etc/npmrc"
heading = "npm"
https-proxy = null
if-present = false
ignore-scripts = false
include = []
include-staged = false
include-workspace-root = false
init-author-email = ""
init-author-name = ""
init-author-url = ""
init-license = "ISC"
init-module = "$HOME/.npm-init.js"
init-private = false
init-type = "commonjs"
init-version = "1.0.0"
init.author.email = ""
init.author.name = ""
init.author.url = ""
init.license = "ISC"
init.module = "$HOME/.npm-init.js"
init.version = "1.0.0"
install-links = false
install-strategy = "hoisted"
json = false
key = null
legacy-bundling = false
legacy-peer-deps = false
libc = null
link = false
local-address = null
location = "user"
lockfile-version = null
loglevel = "notice"
logs-dir = null
logs-max = 10
; long = false ; overridden by cli
maxsockets = 15
message = "%s"
min-release-age = null
name = null
node-gyp = "$HOME/.nvm/versions/node/v24.13.0/lib/node_modules/npm/node_modules/node-gyp/bin/node-gyp.js"
node-options = null
noproxy = [""]
npm-version = "11.10.1"
offline = false
omit = []
omit-lockfile-registry-resolved = false
only = null
optional = null
orgs = null
orgs-permission = null
os = null
otp = null
pack-destination = "."
package = []
package-lock = true
package-lock-only = false
packages = []
packages-all = false
packages-and-scopes-permission = null
parseable = false
password = (protected)
prefer-dedupe = false
prefer-offline = false
prefer-online = false
prefix = "$HOME/.nvm/versions/node/v24.13.0"
preid = ""
production = null
progress = true
provenance = false
provenance-file = null
proxy = null
read-only = false
rebuild-bundle = true
registry = "https://registry.npmjs.org/"
replace-registry-host = "npmjs"
save = true
save-bundle = false
save-dev = false
save-exact = false
save-optional = false
save-peer = false
save-prefix = "^"
save-prod = false
sbom-format = null
sbom-type = "library"
scope = ""
scopes = null
script-shell = null
searchexclude = ""
searchlimit = 20
searchopts = ""
searchstaleness = 900
shell = "/bin/zsh"
shrinkwrap = true
sign-git-commit = false
sign-git-tag = false
strict-peer-deps = false
strict-ssl = true
tag = "latest"
tag-version-prefix = "v"
timing = false
token-description = null
umask = 0
unicode = true
update-notifier = true
usage = false
user-agent = "npm/{npm-version} node/{node-version} {platform} {arch} workspaces/{workspaces} {ci}"
userconfig = "$HOME/.npmrc"
version = false
versions = false
viewer = "man"
which = null
workspace = []
workspaces = null
workspaces-update = true
yes = null

; "user" config from $HOME/.npmrc

<private-registry> = "<anonymized>"
<private-registry>/:_authToken = (protected)

; "cli" config from command line options

long = true

Start by reproducing npm i --no-save <package> with npm 11.10.1 in a Node.js project, then compare the behavior with npm 10 and trace the CLI install handling. Done means the package appears in node_modules while both package.json and package-lock.json remain unchanged, with the command reporting the installation rather than up to date.