2 files changed, 11 insertions, 5 deletions
diff --git a/ext/node/polyfills/child_process.ts b/ext/node/polyfills/child_process.ts
index f77a430c2..c37dfc410 100644
--- a/ext/node/polyfills/child_process.ts
+++ b/ext/node/polyfills/child_process.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import { internals } from "ext:core/mod.js";
 import {
   op_bootstrap_unstable_args,
   op_node_child_ipc_pipe,
-  op_npm_process_state,
 } from "ext:core/ops";
 
 import {
@@ -54,6 +53,7 @@ import {
   convertToValidSignal,
   kEmptyObject,
 } from "ext:deno_node/internal/util.mjs";
+import { kNeedsNpmProcessState } from "ext:runtime/40_process.js";
 
 const MAX_BUFFER = 1024 * 1024;
 
@@ -168,9 +168,8 @@ export function fork(
   options.execPath = options.execPath || Deno.execPath();
   options.shell = false;
 
-  Object.assign(options.env ??= {}, {
-    DENO_DONT_USE_INTERNAL_NODE_COMPAT_STATE: op_npm_process_state(),
-  });
+  // deno-lint-ignore no-explicit-any
+  (options as any)[kNeedsNpmProcessState] = true;
 
   return spawn(options.execPath, args, options);
 }
diff --git a/ext/node/polyfills/internal/child_process.ts b/ext/node/polyfills/internal/child_process.ts
index 56fc21f35..6f209b719 100644
--- a/ext/node/polyfills/internal/child_process.ts
+++ b/ext/node/polyfills/internal/child_process.ts
@@ -56,7 +56,12 @@ import { StringPrototypeSlice } from "ext:deno_node/internal/primordials.mjs";
 import { StreamBase } from "ext:deno_node/internal_binding/stream_wrap.ts";
 import { Pipe, socketType } from "ext:deno_node/internal_binding/pipe_wrap.ts";
 import { Socket } from "node:net";
-import { kDetached, kExtraStdio, kIpc } from "ext:runtime/40_process.js";
+import {
+  kDetached,
+  kExtraStdio,
+  kIpc,
+  kNeedsNpmProcessState,
+} from "ext:runtime/40_process.js";
 
 export function mapValues<T, O>(
   record: Readonly<Record<string, T>>,
@@ -281,6 +286,8 @@ export class ChildProcess extends EventEmitter {
         [kIpc]: ipc, // internal
         [kExtraStdio]: extraStdioNormalized,
         [kDetached]: detached,
+        // deno-lint-ignore no-explicit-any
+        [kNeedsNpmProcessState]: (options ?? {} as any)[kNeedsNpmProcessState],
       }).spawn();
       this.pid = this.#process.pid;