diff --git a/packages/@expo/cli/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/@expo/cli/CHANGELOG.md
index f61a0e0ac03f2..114c4dd4a1a45 100644
--- a/packages/@expo/cli/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/@expo/cli/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 - Remove entry file modification/index.js generation from `expo prebuild`. Arbitrary entry files in development only work when using `expo-dev-client` or `.expo/.virtual-metro-entry` (SDK +49). ([#22044](https://github.com/expo/expo/pull/22044) by [@EvanBacon](https://github.com/EvanBacon))
 - Drop `metro.config.js` copy step in `expo prebuild` in favor of `expo export:embed` and the new Xcode start script using Expo CLI--this only works when using Expo CLI for all bundling (SDK +49). ([#22045](https://github.com/expo/expo/pull/22045) by [@EvanBacon](https://github.com/EvanBacon))
+- Skip overwriting `react` and `react-native` dependencies during `expo prebuild`. ([#22624](https://github.com/expo/expo/pull/22624) by [@byCedric](https://github.com/byCedric))
 
 ### 🎉 New features
 
diff --git a/packages/@expo/cli/src/prebuild/__tests__/updatePackageJson-test.ts b/packages/@expo/cli/src/prebuild/__tests__/updatePackageJson-test.ts
index 03764b722ea1d..307ac219fdbef 100644
--- a/packages/@expo/cli/src/prebuild/__tests__/updatePackageJson-test.ts
+++ b/packages/@expo/cli/src/prebuild/__tests__/updatePackageJson-test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
+import chalk from 'chalk';
+
+import * as Log from '../../log';
 import { isModuleSymlinked } from '../../utils/isModuleSymlinked';
 import { hashForDependencyMap, updatePkgDependencies } from '../updatePackageJson';
 
 jest.mock('../../utils/isModuleSymlinked');
+jest.mock('../../log');
 
 describe(hashForDependencyMap, () => {
   it(`dependencies in any order hash to the same value`, () => {
@@ -44,6 +48,7 @@ describe(updatePkgDependencies, () => {
     });
     expect(pkg.dependencies).toStrictEqual({
       ...requiredPackages,
+      'react-native': 'version-from-project', // add-only package, do not overwrite
       'optional-package': 'version-from-project-1',
       'optional-package-2': 'version-from-template-2',
       'optional-package-3': 'version-from-project-3',
@@ -105,9 +110,39 @@ describe(updatePkgDependencies, () => {
     });
     expect(pkg.dependencies).toStrictEqual({
       ...sdk44RequiredPackages,
+      'react-native': 'version-from-project', // add-only package, do not overwrite
       'optional-package': 'version-from-project-1',
       'optional-package-2': 'version-from-template-2',
       'optional-package-3': 'version-from-project-3',
     });
   });
+  test('does not overwrite add-only packages when defined', () => {
+    const pkg = {
+      dependencies: {
+        expo: 'version-from-project',
+        'react-native': 'version-from-project',
+      },
+      devDependencies: {},
+    };
+    updatePkgDependencies('fake path', {
+      templatePkg: {
+        dependencies: {
+          ...requiredPackages,
+          expo: 'version-from-template',
+        },
+        devDependencies: {},
+      },
+      pkg,
+    });
+    expect(pkg.dependencies).toStrictEqual({
+      ...requiredPackages,
+      'react-native': 'version-from-project', // add-only package, do not overwrite
+      expo: 'version-from-template',
+    });
+    expect(Log.warn).toBeCalledWith(
+      expect.stringContaining(
+        `instead of recommended ${chalk.bold('react-native@version-from-template-required-1')}`
+      )
+    );
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/@expo/cli/src/prebuild/updatePackageJson.ts b/packages/@expo/cli/src/prebuild/updatePackageJson.ts
index 94571351879ab..ed19ca40d8750 100644
--- a/packages/@expo/cli/src/prebuild/updatePackageJson.ts
+++ b/packages/@expo/cli/src/prebuild/updatePackageJson.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import chalk from 'chalk';
 import crypto from 'crypto';
 import fs from 'fs';
 import path from 'path';
+import { intersects as semverIntersects } from 'semver';
 
 import * as Log from '../log';
 import { isModuleSymlinked } from '../utils/isModuleSymlinked';
@@ -128,28 +129,50 @@ export function updatePkgDependencies(
     ...pkg.dependencies,
   });
 
+  const addWhenMissingDependencies = ['react', 'react-native'].filter(
+    (depKey) => !!defaultDependencies[depKey]
+  );
   const requiredDependencies = ['expo', 'expo-splash-screen', 'react', 'react-native'].filter(
     (depKey) => !!defaultDependencies[depKey]
   );
 
   const symlinkedPackages: string[] = [];
+  const nonRecommendedPackages: string[] = [];
 
   for (const dependenciesKey of requiredDependencies) {
-    if (
-      // If the local package.json defined the dependency that we want to overwrite...
-      pkg.dependencies?.[dependenciesKey]
-    ) {
-      if (
-        // Then ensure it isn't symlinked (i.e. the user has a custom version in their yarn workspace).
-        isModuleSymlinked(projectRoot, { moduleId: dependenciesKey, isSilent: true })
-      ) {
+    // If the local package.json defined the dependency that we want to overwrite...
+    if (pkg.dependencies?.[dependenciesKey]) {
+      // Then ensure it isn't symlinked (i.e. the user has a custom version in their yarn workspace).
+      if (isModuleSymlinked(projectRoot, { moduleId: dependenciesKey, isSilent: true })) {
         // If the package is in the project's package.json and it's symlinked, then skip overwriting it.
         symlinkedPackages.push(dependenciesKey);
         continue;
       }
+
+      // Do not modify manually skipped dependencies
       if (skipDependencyUpdate.includes(dependenciesKey)) {
         continue;
       }
+
+      // Ensure the package only needs to be added when missing
+      if (addWhenMissingDependencies.includes(dependenciesKey)) {
+        let projectHasRecommended: boolean | null = null;
+        // Check if the version intersects with the recommended versions
+        try {
+          projectHasRecommended = semverIntersects(
+            pkg.dependencies[dependenciesKey],
+            String(defaultDependencies[dependenciesKey])
+          );
+        } catch {
+          // If the version is invalid, just warn the user
+        }
+        // When the versions can't be parsed `null`, or does not intersect `false`, warn the user
+        if (projectHasRecommended !== true) {
+          nonRecommendedPackages.push(`${dependenciesKey}@${defaultDependencies[dependenciesKey]}`);
+        }
+        // Do not modify add-only dependencies
+        continue;
+      }
     }
     combinedDependencies[dependenciesKey] = defaultDependencies[dependenciesKey];
   }
@@ -162,6 +185,14 @@ export function updatePkgDependencies(
     );
   }
 
+  if (nonRecommendedPackages.length) {
+    Log.warn(
+      `\u203A Using current versions instead of recommended ${nonRecommendedPackages
+        .map((pkg) => chalk.bold(pkg))
+        .join(', ')}.`
+    );
+  }
+
   const combinedDevDependencies: DependenciesMap = createDependenciesMap({
     ...defaultDevDependencies,
     ...pkg.devDependencies,