diff --git a/packages/scripts/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/scripts/CHANGELOG.md
index 40210edd4b139..9e297b5b652d2 100644
--- a/packages/scripts/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/scripts/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@
 - Added support for `build` script ([#12837](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/12837))
 - Added support for `start` script ([#12837](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/12837))
 
+### Bug Fix
+
+- Avoid inheriting from ESLint configurations in ancestor directories when using the default configuration ([#13483](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/13483))
+
 ## 2.5.0 (2019-01-09)
 
 ### New Features
diff --git a/packages/scripts/config/.eslintrc.js b/packages/scripts/config/.eslintrc.js
index 5b59ed86f4d2e..4fa347677ff52 100644
--- a/packages/scripts/config/.eslintrc.js
+++ b/packages/scripts/config/.eslintrc.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 module.exports = {
+	root: true,
 	extends: [ 'plugin:@wordpress/eslint-plugin/recommended' ],
 };
diff --git a/packages/scripts/scripts/lint-js.js b/packages/scripts/scripts/lint-js.js
index 64b6cb2036ffc..c7346fb76ad88 100644
--- a/packages/scripts/scripts/lint-js.js
+++ b/packages/scripts/scripts/lint-js.js
@@ -26,8 +26,11 @@ const hasLintConfig = hasCliArg( '-c' ) ||
 	hasProjectFile( '.eslintrc' ) ||
 	hasPackageProp( 'eslintConfig' );
 
+// When a configuration is not provided by the project, use from the default
+// provided with the scripts module. Instruct ESLint to avoid discovering via
+// the `--no-eslintrc` flag, as otherwise it will still merge with inherited.
 const config = ! hasLintConfig ?
-	[ '--config', fromConfigRoot( '.eslintrc.js' ) ] :
+	[ '--no-eslintrc', '--config', fromConfigRoot( '.eslintrc.js' ) ] :
 	[];
 
 const result = spawn(