diff --git a/fixtures/prefer-local/cli.js b/fixtures/prefer-local/cli.js
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..23cfdbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fixtures/prefer-local/cli.js
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+'use strict';
+const importLocal = require('../..');
+
+if (importLocal(__filename)) {
+	console.log('local');
+}
diff --git a/fixtures/prefer-local/nested/node_modules/some-pkg/cli.js b/fixtures/prefer-local/nested/node_modules/some-pkg/cli.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/fixtures/prefer-local/nested/node_modules/some-pkg/package.json b/fixtures/prefer-local/nested/node_modules/some-pkg/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..31017d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fixtures/prefer-local/nested/node_modules/some-pkg/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+	"name": "some-pkg"
+}
diff --git a/fixtures/prefer-local/package.json b/fixtures/prefer-local/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..31017d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fixtures/prefer-local/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+	"name": "some-pkg"
+}
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index b119e45..0bf36cf 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 'use strict';
 const path = require('path');
-const findUp = require('find-up');
 const resolveCwd = require('resolve-cwd');
 const pkgDir = require('pkg-dir');
 
@@ -9,7 +8,8 @@ module.exports = filename => {
 	const relativePath = path.relative(globalDir, filename);
 	const pkg = require(path.join(globalDir, 'package.json'));
 	const localFile = resolveCwd.silent(path.join(pkg.name, relativePath));
-	const filenameIsLocal = findUp.sync(path.join(process.cwd(), 'node_modules'), {cwd: globalDir, type: 'directory'}) !== undefined;
+	const localNodeModules = path.join(process.cwd(), 'node_modules');
+	const filenameInLocalNodeModules = !path.relative(localNodeModules, filename).startsWith('..');
 
-	return localFile && !filenameIsLocal && require(localFile);
+	return !filenameInLocalNodeModules && localFile && require(localFile);
 };
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index a52e4e2..f3afb02 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@
 		"cli"
 	],
 	"dependencies": {
-		"find-up": "^4.1.0",
 		"pkg-dir": "^4.2.0",
 		"resolve-cwd": "^3.0.0"
 	},
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index b13c693..d278ebb 100644
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -28,6 +28,26 @@ test('local', async t => {
 	await del(path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures/local/node_modules'));
 });
 
+test('invoking global prefers local', async t => {
+	await cpy(
+		['package.json', 'index.js'],
+		path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures/prefer-local/node_modules/import-local'),
+		{parents: true}
+	);
+
+	const {stdout} = await execa(
+		'node',
+		[path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures/prefer-local/cli.js')],
+		{
+			preferLocal: false,
+			cwd: path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures/prefer-local/nested')
+		}
+	);
+	t.is(stdout, 'local');
+
+	await del(path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures/prefer-local/node_modules'));
+});
+
 test('global', async t => {
 	const {stdout} = await execa('import-local-fixture', {
 		preferLocal: false,