diff --git a/src/check-project/index.js b/src/check-project/index.js
index 94f31da29..03d1d2c7e 100755
--- a/src/check-project/index.js
+++ b/src/check-project/index.js
@@ -131,13 +131,9 @@ async function processMonorepo (projectDir, manifest, branchName, repoUrl) {
   proposedManifest = sortManifest(proposedManifest)
 
   await ensureFileHasContents(projectDir, 'package.json', JSON.stringify(proposedManifest, null, 2))
-
-  if (!isMonorepoProject) {
-    await ensureFileHasContents(projectDir, '.gitignore', fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, 'files', 'gitignore'), {
-      encoding: 'utf-8'
-    }))
-  }
-
+  await ensureFileHasContents(projectDir, '.gitignore', fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, 'files', 'gitignore'), {
+    encoding: 'utf-8'
+  }))
   await checkLicenseFiles(projectDir)
   await checkBuildFiles(projectDir, branchName, repoUrl)
   await checkMonorepoReadme(projectDir, repoUrl, branchName, projectDirs)
@@ -396,7 +392,7 @@ async function processModule (projectDir, manifest, branchName, repoUrl, homePag
 
   await ensureFileHasContents(projectDir, 'package.json', JSON.stringify(proposedManifest, null, 2))
 
-  if (!isMonorepoProject) {
+  if (!isMonorepoProject(projectDir)) {
     await ensureFileHasContents(projectDir, '.gitignore', fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, 'files', 'gitignore'), {
       encoding: 'utf-8'
     }))
diff --git a/src/release.js b/src/release.js
index 711efff41..edf08193e 100644
--- a/src/release.js
+++ b/src/release.js
@@ -25,14 +25,14 @@ const tasks = new Listr([
     }
   },
   {
-    title: `semantic-release${isMonorepoProject ? '-monorepo' : ''}`,
+    title: `semantic-release${isMonorepoProject() ? '-monorepo' : ''}`,
     /**
      * @param {GlobalOptions} ctx
      */
     task: async (ctx) => {
       let args = ctx['--'] ?? []
 
-      if (isMonorepoProject) {
+      if (isMonorepoProject()) {
         args = ['-e', 'semantic-release-monorepo', ...args]
       }
 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ const tasks = new Listr([
   },
   {
     title: 'align sibling dependency versions',
-    enabled: () => isMonorepoProject,
+    enabled: () => isMonorepoProject(),
     /**
      * @param {GlobalOptions & ReleaseOptions} ctx
      */
diff --git a/src/utils.js b/src/utils.js
index 2fc847e4d..263993409 100644
--- a/src/utils.js
+++ b/src/utils.js
@@ -268,9 +268,11 @@ export const isTypedCJS = isCJS && hasMain && hasTypes
 // 3. CJS, no types
 export const isUntypedCJS = isCJS && hasMain
 
-const parentManifestPath = path.resolve(path.join(process.cwd(), '..', '..', 'package.json'))
+export const isMonorepoProject = (dir = process.cwd()) => {
+  const parentManifestPath = path.resolve(dir, '..', '..', 'package.json')
 
-export const isMonorepoProject = Boolean(fs.existsSync(parentManifestPath) && fs.readJSONSync(parentManifestPath).workspaces)
+  return Boolean(fs.existsSync(parentManifestPath) && fs.readJSONSync(parentManifestPath).workspaces)
+}
 
 /**
  * Binaries we need are normally in `node_modules/.bin` of the root project