[BUG] npm with workspaces fails to install dependencies using dist tags

[vividviolet]

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

Running npm install in a workspace with package A using preact@latest and package B using preact@experimental only installs preact@latest.

Expected Behavior

Each package should install its own version of the dependency matching the dist tag.

Steps To Reproduce

In a workspaces based environment, for example:

packages.json

{
  "name": "example",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "license": "UNLICENSED",
  "workspaces": [
    "packages/*"
  ]
}

packages/a/package.json

{
  "name": "a",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "license": "UNLICENSED",
  "dependencies": {
    "preact": "experimental"
  }
}

packages/b/package.json

{
  "name": "b",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "license": "UNLICENSED",
  "dependencies": {
    "preact": "latest"
  }
}

1. Run npm install
2. Run npm ls --package-lock-only
3. Observe that it incorrectly dedupes preact to pull only 10.26.5 from latest

├─┬ a@1.0.0 -> ./packages/a
│ └── preact@10.26.5
└─┬ b@1.0.0 -> ./packages/b
  └── preact@10.26.5 deduped

4. Modify a's dependency to use a version
   packages/a/package.json

{
  "name": "a",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "license": "UNLICENSED",
  "dependencies": {
    "preact": "11.0.0-experimental.1"
  }
}

5. Modify b's dependency to use a version
   packages/b/package.json

{
  "name": "a",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "license": "UNLICENSED",
  "dependencies": {
    "preact": "10.26.5"
  }
}

5. Run npm install
6. Run npm ls --package-lock-only
7. Observe that it now has the correct dependencies for both packages

├─┬ a@1.0.0 -> ./packages/a
│ └── preact@11.0.0-experimental.1
└─┬ b@1.0.0 -> ./packages/a
  └── preact@10.26.5

Environment

• npm: 10.9.2
• Node.js: v23.7.0
• OS Name: MacOS Sequoia 15.3.1
• System Model Name: Macbook Pro

[milaninfy]

able to reproduce locally.

[chestnutchen]

I encountered the same issue using beta instead of experimental. This approach has not worked since npm v7.x, and I couldn't find any documentation regarding the support or deprecation of this feature. Though it seems similar to running npm install preact@beta or npm install preact@experimental, I'm still uncertain why this functionality was suddenly unsupported.