diff --git a/lib/commands/exec.js b/lib/commands/exec.js
index 6c2d3373ab72e..57ee8efe2c98f 100644
--- a/lib/commands/exec.js
+++ b/lib/commands/exec.js
@@ -39,11 +39,8 @@ class Exec extends BaseCommand {
   }
 
   async callExec (args, { name, locationMsg, runPath } = {}) {
-    // This is where libnpmexec will look for locally installed packages at the project level
-    const localPrefix = this.npm.localPrefix
-    // This is where libnpmexec will look for locally installed packages at the workspace level
     let localBin = this.npm.localBin
-    let path = localPrefix
+    let pkgPath = this.npm.localPrefix
 
     // This is where libnpmexec will actually run the scripts from
     if (!runPath) {
@@ -54,7 +51,7 @@ class Exec extends BaseCommand {
       localBin = resolve(this.npm.localDir, name, 'node_modules', '.bin')
       // We also need to look for `bin` entries in the workspace package.json
       // libnpmexec will NOT look in the project root for the bin entry
-      path = runPath
+      pkgPath = runPath
     }
 
     const call = this.npm.config.get('call')
@@ -84,16 +81,25 @@ class Exec extends BaseCommand {
       // we explicitly set packageLockOnly to false because if it's true
       // when we try to install a missing package, we won't actually install it
       packageLockOnly: false,
-      // copy args so they dont get mutated
-      args: [...args],
+      // what the user asked to run args[0] is run by default
+      args: [...args], // copy args so they dont get mutated
+      // specify a custom command to be run instead of args[0]
       call,
       chalk,
+      // where to look for bins globally, if a file matches call or args[0] it is called
       globalBin,
+      // where to look for packages globally, if a package matches call or args[0] it is called
       globalPath,
+      // where to look for bins locally, if a file matches call or args[0] it is called
       localBin,
       locationMsg,
+      // packages that need to be installed
       packages,
-      path,
+      // path where node_modules is
+      path: this.npm.localPrefix,
+      // where to look for package.json#bin entries first
+      pkgPath,
+      // cwd to run from
       runPath,
       scriptShell,
       yes,
diff --git a/workspaces/libnpmexec/lib/index.js b/workspaces/libnpmexec/lib/index.js
index 0ac2c076761f6..79d3cc1512f8e 100644
--- a/workspaces/libnpmexec/lib/index.js
+++ b/workspaces/libnpmexec/lib/index.js
@@ -73,6 +73,11 @@ const missingFromTree = async ({ spec, tree, flatOptions, isNpxTree }) => {
   }
 }
 
+// see if the package.json at `path` has an entry that matches `cmd`
+const hasPkgBin = (path, cmd, flatOptions) =>
+  pacote.manifest(path, flatOptions)
+    .then(manifest => manifest?.bin?.[cmd]).catch(() => null)
+
 const exec = async (opts) => {
   const {
     args = [],
@@ -89,6 +94,13 @@ const exec = async (opts) => {
     ...flatOptions
   } = opts
 
+  let pkgPaths = opts.pkgPath
+  if (typeof pkgPaths === 'string') {
+    pkgPaths = [pkgPaths]
+  }
+  if (!pkgPaths) {
+    pkgPaths = ['.']
+  }
   let yes = opts.yes
   const run = () => runScript({
     args,
@@ -106,28 +118,31 @@ const exec = async (opts) => {
     return run()
   }
 
+  // Look in the local tree too
+  pkgPaths.push(path)
+
   let needPackageCommandSwap = (args.length > 0) && (packages.length === 0)
   // If they asked for a command w/o specifying a package, see if there is a
   // bin that directly matches that name:
-  // - in the local package itself
-  // - in the local tree
+  // - in any local packages (pkgPaths can have workspaces in them or just the root)
+  // - in the local tree (path)
   // - globally
   if (needPackageCommandSwap) {
-    let localManifest
-    try {
-      localManifest = await pacote.manifest(path, flatOptions)
-    } catch {
-      // no local package.json? no problem, move one.
+    // Local packages and local tree
+    for (const p of pkgPaths) {
+      if (await hasPkgBin(p, args[0], flatOptions)) {
+        // we have to install the local package into the npx cache so that its
+        // bin links get set up
+        flatOptions.installLinks = false
+        // args[0] will exist when the package is installed
+        packages.push(p)
+        yes = true
+        needPackageCommandSwap = false
+        break
+      }
     }
-    if (localManifest?.bin?.[args[0]]) {
-      // we have to install the local package into the npx cache so that its
-      // bin links get set up
-      flatOptions.installLinks = false
-      // args[0] will exist when the package is installed
-      packages.push(path)
-      yes = true
-      needPackageCommandSwap = false
-    } else {
+    if (needPackageCommandSwap) {
+      // no bin entry in local packages or in tree, now we look for binPaths
       const dir = dirname(dirname(localBin))
       const localBinPath = await localFileExists(dir, args[0], '/')
       if (localBinPath) {
diff --git a/workspaces/libnpmexec/test/local.js b/workspaces/libnpmexec/test/local.js
index ecc7cdd881237..5828ab4fa9f9c 100644
--- a/workspaces/libnpmexec/test/local.js
+++ b/workspaces/libnpmexec/test/local.js
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ t.test('bin in local pkg', async t => {
   await binLinks(existingPkg.pkg)
 
   t.match(await fs.readdir(resolve(path, 'node_modules', '.bin')), ['conflicting-bin'])
-  await exec({ localBin, args: ['conflicting-bin'] })
+  await exec({ pkgPath: path, localBin, args: ['conflicting-bin'] })
   // local bin was called for conflicting-bin
   t.match(await readOutput('conflicting-bin'), {
     value: 'LOCAL PKG',