diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index f860af4d2..27c4ce21d 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -57,8 +57,18 @@ class PackageGraph extends Map {
         // Yarn decided to ignore https://github.com/npm/npm/pull/15900 and implemented "link:"
         // As they apparently have no intention of being compatible, we have to do it for them.
         // @see https://github.com/yarnpkg/yarn/issues/4212
-        const spec = graphDependencies[depName].replace(/^link:/, "file:");
+        let spec = graphDependencies[depName].replace(/^link:/, "file:");
+
+        // npa doesn't support the explicit workspace: protocol, supported by
+        // pnpm and Yarn.
+        // https://github.com/lerna/lerna/pull/2450
+        const explicitWorkspace = /^workspace:/.test(spec);
+        if (explicitWorkspace) {
+          spec = spec.replace(/^workspace:/, "");
+        }
+
         const resolved = npa.resolve(depName, spec, currentNode.location);
+        resolved.explicitWorkspace = explicitWorkspace;
 
         if (!depNode) {
           // it's an external dependency, store the resolution and bail