diff --git a/lib/uninstall.js b/lib/uninstall.js
index dbaa992f500e0..4f63abfafc1c0 100644
--- a/lib/uninstall.js
+++ b/lib/uninstall.js
@@ -1,11 +1,18 @@
-// remove a package.
+'use strict'
 
+const { resolve } = require('path')
 const Arborist = require('@npmcli/arborist')
-const npm = require('./npm.js')
 const rpj = require('read-package-json-fast')
-const { resolve } = require('path')
+
+const npm = require('./npm.js')
 const usageUtil = require('./utils/usage.js')
 const reifyFinish = require('./utils/reify-finish.js')
+const completion = require('./utils/completion/installed-shallow.js')
+
+const usage = usageUtil(
+  'uninstall',
+  'npm uninstall [<@scope>/]<pkg>[@<version>]... [--save-prod|--save-dev|--save-optional] [--no-save]'
+)
 
 const cmd = (args, cb) => rm(args).then(() => cb()).catch(cb)
 
@@ -16,12 +23,19 @@ const rm = async args => {
 
   if (!args.length) {
     if (!global)
-      throw new Error('must provide a package name to remove')
+      throw new Error('Must provide a package name to remove')
     else {
-      const pkg = await rpj(resolve(npm.localPrefix, 'package.json'))
-        .catch(er => {
-          throw er.code !== 'ENOENT' && er.code !== 'ENOTDIR' ? er : usage()
-        })
+      let pkg
+
+      try {
+        pkg = await rpj(resolve(npm.localPrefix, 'package.json'))
+      } catch (er) {
+        if (er.code !== 'ENOENT' && er.code !== 'ENOTDIR')
+          throw er
+        else
+          throw usage
+      }
+
       args.push(pkg.name)
     }
   }
@@ -35,11 +49,4 @@ const rm = async args => {
   await reifyFinish(arb)
 }
 
-const usage = usageUtil(
-  'uninstall',
-  'npm uninstall [<@scope>/]<pkg>[@<version>]... [--save-prod|--save-dev|--save-optional] [--no-save]'
-)
-
-const completion = require('./utils/completion/installed-shallow.js')
-
 module.exports = Object.assign(cmd, { usage, completion })
diff --git a/test/lib/uninstall.js b/test/lib/uninstall.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..69040c0f25aec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/lib/uninstall.js
@@ -0,0 +1,253 @@
+const fs = require('fs')
+const { resolve } = require('path')
+const t = require('tap')
+const requireInject = require('require-inject')
+
+const npm = {
+  globalDir: '',
+  flatOptions: {
+    global: false,
+    prefix: '',
+  },
+  localPrefix: '',
+}
+const mocks = {
+  '../../lib/npm.js': npm,
+  '../../lib/utils/reify-finish.js': () => Promise.resolve(),
+  '../../lib/utils/usage.js': () => 'usage instructions',
+}
+
+const uninstall = requireInject('../../lib/uninstall.js', mocks)
+
+t.afterEach(cb => {
+  npm.globalDir = ''
+  npm.prefix = ''
+  npm.flatOptions.global = false
+  npm.flatOptions.prefix = ''
+  cb()
+})
+
+t.test('remove single installed lib', t => {
+  const path = t.testdir({
+    'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+      name: 'test-rm-single-lib',
+      version: '1.0.0',
+      dependencies: {
+        a: '*',
+        b: '*',
+      },
+    }),
+    node_modules: {
+      a: {
+        'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+          name: 'a',
+          version: '1.0.0',
+        }),
+      },
+      b: {
+        'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+          name: 'b',
+          version: '1.0.0',
+        }),
+      },
+    },
+    'package-lock.json': JSON.stringify({
+      name: 'test-rm-single-lib',
+      version: '1.0.0',
+      lockfileVersion: 2,
+      requires: true,
+      packages: {
+        '': {
+          name: 'test-rm-single-lib',
+          version: '1.0.0',
+          dependencies: {
+            a: '*',
+          },
+        },
+        'node_modules/a': {
+          version: '1.0.0',
+        },
+        'node_modules/b': {
+          version: '1.0.0',
+        },
+      },
+      dependencies: {
+        a: {
+          version: '1.0.0',
+        },
+        b: {
+          version: '1.0.0',
+        },
+      },
+    }),
+  })
+
+  const b = resolve(path, 'node_modules/b')
+  t.ok(() => fs.statSync(b))
+
+  npm.flatOptions.prefix = path
+
+  uninstall(['b'], err => {
+    if (err)
+      throw err
+
+    t.throws(() => fs.statSync(b), 'should have removed package from nm')
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('remove multiple installed libs', t => {
+  const path = t.testdir({
+    node_modules: {
+      a: {
+        'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+          name: 'a',
+          version: '1.0.0',
+        }),
+      },
+      b: {
+        'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+          name: 'b',
+          version: '1.0.0',
+        }),
+      },
+    },
+    'package-lock.json': JSON.stringify({
+      name: 'test-rm-single-lib',
+      version: '1.0.0',
+      lockfileVersion: 2,
+      requires: true,
+      packages: {
+        '': {
+          name: 'test-rm-single-lib',
+          version: '1.0.0',
+          dependencies: {
+            a: '*',
+          },
+        },
+        'node_modules/a': {
+          version: '1.0.0',
+        },
+        'node_modules/b': {
+          version: '1.0.0',
+        },
+      },
+      dependencies: {
+        a: {
+          version: '1.0.0',
+        },
+        b: {
+          version: '1.0.0',
+        },
+      },
+    }),
+  })
+
+  const a = resolve(path, 'node_modules/a')
+  const b = resolve(path, 'node_modules/b')
+  t.ok(() => fs.statSync(a))
+  t.ok(() => fs.statSync(b))
+
+  npm.flatOptions.prefix = path
+
+  uninstall(['b'], err => {
+    if (err)
+      throw err
+
+    t.throws(() => fs.statSync(a), 'should have removed a package from nm')
+    t.throws(() => fs.statSync(b), 'should have removed b package from nm')
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('no args local', t => {
+  const path = t.testdir()
+
+  npm.flatOptions.prefix = path
+
+  uninstall([], err => {
+    t.match(
+      err,
+      /Must provide a package name to remove/,
+      'should throw package name required error'
+    )
+
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('no args global', t => {
+  const path = t.testdir({
+    lib: {
+      node_modules: {
+        a: t.fixture('symlink', '../../projects/a'),
+      },
+    },
+    projects: {
+      a: {
+        'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+          name: 'a',
+          version: '1.0.0',
+        }),
+      },
+    },
+  })
+
+  npm.localPrefix = resolve(path, 'projects', 'a')
+  npm.globalDir = resolve(path, 'lib', 'node_modules')
+  npm.flatOptions.global = true
+  npm.flatOptions.prefix = path
+
+  const a = resolve(path, 'lib/node_modules/a')
+  t.ok(() => fs.statSync(a))
+
+  uninstall([], err => {
+    if (err)
+      throw err
+
+    t.throws(() => fs.statSync(a), 'should have removed global nm symlink')
+
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('no args global but no package.json', t => {
+  const path = t.testdir({})
+
+  npm.prefix = path
+  npm.localPrefix = path
+  npm.flatOptions.global = true
+
+  uninstall([], err => {
+    t.match(
+      err,
+      'usage instructions',
+      'should throw usage instructions'
+    )
+
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+t.test('unknown error reading from localPrefix package.json', t => {
+  const path = t.testdir({})
+
+  const uninstall = requireInject('../../lib/uninstall.js', {
+    ...mocks,
+    'read-package-json-fast': () => Promise.reject(new Error('ERR')),
+  })
+
+  npm.prefix = path
+  npm.localPrefix = path
+  npm.flatOptions.global = true
+
+  uninstall([], err => {
+    t.match(
+      err,
+      /ERR/,
+      'should throw unknown error'
+    )
+
+    t.end()
+  })
+})