diff --git a/cli/CHANGELOG.md b/cli/CHANGELOG.md
index c1eeec0c4b9b..2f2378305926 100644
--- a/cli/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/cli/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ _Released 1/2/2024 (PENDING)_
 
 **Bugfixes:**
 
+- Now 'node_modules' will not be ignored if a project path or a provided path to spec files contains it. Fixes [#23616](https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress/issues/23616).
 - When generating assertions via Cypress Studio, the preview of the generated assertions now correctly displays the past tense of 'expected' instead of 'expect'. Fixed in [#28593](https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress/pull/28593).
 
 ## 13.6.2
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ _Released 12/26/2023_
 
 - Fixed a regression in [`13.6.1`](https://docs.cypress.io/guides/references/changelog/13.6.1) where a malformed URI would crash Cypress. Fixes [#28521](https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress/issues/28521).
 - Fixed a regression in [`12.4.0`](https://docs.cypress.io/guides/references/changelog/12.4.0) where erroneous `<br>` tags were displaying in error messages in the Command Log making them less readable. Fixes [#28452](https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress/issues/28452).
+- Now 'node_modules' will not be ignored if a project path or a provided path to spec files contains it. Fixes [#23616](https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress/issues/23616).
 
 **Performance:**
 
diff --git a/packages/data-context/src/sources/FileDataSource.ts b/packages/data-context/src/sources/FileDataSource.ts
index 52b07410e46b..7c2b1d52f6be 100644
--- a/packages/data-context/src/sources/FileDataSource.ts
+++ b/packages/data-context/src/sources/FileDataSource.ts
@@ -49,7 +49,9 @@ export class FileDataSource {
       return globPattern
     })
 
-    const ignoreGlob = (globOptions.ignore ?? []).concat('**/node_modules/**')
+    const nodeModulesInGlobPath = ([] as string[]).concat(glob).some((globPattern) => globPattern.includes('node_modules'))
+    const ignoreNodeModules = !!((cwd.includes('node_modules') || nodeModulesInGlobPath))
+    const ignoreGlob = (globOptions.ignore ?? []).concat(ignoreNodeModules ? [] : '**/node_modules/**')
 
     if (os.platform() === 'win32') {
       // globby can't work with backwards slashes
diff --git a/packages/data-context/test/unit/sources/FileDataSource.spec.ts b/packages/data-context/test/unit/sources/FileDataSource.spec.ts
index 98da6e245d3f..7ec85e44063f 100644
--- a/packages/data-context/test/unit/sources/FileDataSource.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/data-context/test/unit/sources/FileDataSource.spec.ts
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ describe('FileDataSource', () => {
           expect(files).to.have.length(3)
         })
 
-        it('always ignores files within node_modules', async () => {
+        it('by default ignores files within node_modules', async () => {
           const nodeModulesPath = path.join(projectPath, 'node_modules')
 
           await fs.mkdir(nodeModulesPath)
@@ -118,6 +118,40 @@ describe('FileDataSource', () => {
           expect(files).to.have.length(2)
         })
 
+        it('does not ignores files within node_modules, if node_modules is in the glob path', async () => {
+          const nodeModulesPath = path.join(projectPath, 'node_modules')
+
+          await fs.mkdir(nodeModulesPath)
+          await fs.writeFile(path.join(nodeModulesPath, 'module-script-1.js'), '')
+          await fs.writeFile(path.join(nodeModulesPath, 'module-script-2.js'), '')
+          const files = await fileDataSource.getFilesByGlob(
+            projectPath,
+            '**/(node_modules/)?*script-*.js',
+            { ignore: ['./scripts/**/*'] },
+          )
+
+          // scripts at root (2 of them) and scripts at node_modules should be found
+          // and ./scripts is explicitly ignored
+          expect(files).to.have.length(4)
+        })
+
+        it('does not ignores files within node_modules, if node_modules is in the project path', async () => {
+          const nodeModulesPath = path.join(projectPath, 'node_modules')
+
+          await fs.mkdir(nodeModulesPath)
+          await fs.writeFile(path.join(nodeModulesPath, 'module-script-1.js'), '')
+          await fs.writeFile(path.join(nodeModulesPath, 'module-script-2.js'), '')
+          await fs.writeFile(path.join(nodeModulesPath, 'module-script-3.js'), '')
+          const files = await fileDataSource.getFilesByGlob(
+            nodeModulesPath,
+            '**/*script-*.js',
+            { ignore: ['./scripts/**/*'] },
+          )
+
+          // only scripts at node_modules should be found, since it is the project path
+          expect(files).to.have.length(3)
+        })
+
         it('converts globs to POSIX paths on windows', async () => {
           const windowsSeperator = '\\'
 
@@ -254,6 +288,64 @@ describe('FileDataSource', () => {
         )
       })
 
+      it('does not ignore node_modules, if the working dir is located inside node_modules', async () => {
+        const files = await fileDataSource.getFilesByGlob(
+          '/node_modules/project/',
+          '/cypress/e2e/**.cy.js',
+        )
+
+        expect(files).to.eq(mockMatches)
+        expect(matchGlobsStub).to.have.been.calledWith(
+          ['/cypress/e2e/**.cy.js'],
+          {
+            ...defaultGlobbyOptions,
+            cwd: '/node_modules/project/',
+            ignore: [],
+          },
+        )
+      })
+
+      it('does not ignore node_modules, if one of glob paths contains node_modules', async () => {
+        const files = await fileDataSource.getFilesByGlob(
+          '/',
+          [
+            '/node_modules/cypress/e2e/**.cy.js',
+            '/cypress/e2e/**.cy.js',
+          ],
+        )
+
+        expect(files).to.eq(mockMatches)
+        expect(matchGlobsStub).to.have.been.calledWith(
+          [
+            'node_modules/cypress/e2e/**.cy.js',
+            'cypress/e2e/**.cy.js',
+          ],
+          {
+            ...defaultGlobbyOptions,
+            cwd: '/',
+            ignore: [],
+          },
+        )
+      })
+
+      it('uses supplied ignore options, when node_modules are not ignored', async () => {
+        const files = await fileDataSource.getFilesByGlob(
+          '/node_modules/project/',
+          '/node_modules/test_package/e2e/**.cy.js',
+          { ignore: ['ignore/foo.*', '/ignore/bar.*'] },
+        )
+
+        expect(files).to.eq(mockMatches)
+        expect(matchGlobsStub).to.have.been.calledWith(
+          ['/node_modules/test_package/e2e/**.cy.js'],
+          {
+            ...defaultGlobbyOptions,
+            cwd: '/node_modules/project/',
+            ignore: ['ignore/foo.*', '/ignore/bar.*'],
+          },
+        )
+      })
+
       it('uses supplied globby options', async () => {
         const files = await fileDataSource.getFilesByGlob(
           '/',