diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/package.json b/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/package.json
index b57d561fea..7760f8010d 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/package.json
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/package.json
@@ -14,12 +14,6 @@
     "ESLint",
     "CLI"
   ],
-  "files": [
-    "src",
-    "package.json",
-    "README.md",
-    "LICENSE"
-  ],
   "main": "./src/index.js",
   "typings": "./src/index.d.ts",
   "author": "Victor Savkin",
diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/src/rules/enforce-module-boundaries.spec.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/src/rules/enforce-module-boundaries.spec.ts
index e31d20aaf8..ae2dd11542 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/src/rules/enforce-module-boundaries.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/src/rules/enforce-module-boundaries.spec.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,15 @@ const tsconfig = {
   include: ['**/*.ts'],
 };
 
+const packageJson = {
+  dependencies: {
+    'npm-package': '2.3.4',
+  },
+  devDependencies: {
+    'npm-awesome-package': '1.2.3',
+  },
+};
+
 const fileSys = {
   './libs/impl/src/index.ts': '',
   './libs/untagged/src/index.ts': '',
@@ -70,6 +79,7 @@ const fileSys = {
   './libs/buildableLib/src/main.ts': '',
   './libs/nonBuildableLib/src/main.ts': '',
   './tsconfig.base.json': JSON.stringify(tsconfig),
+  './package.json': JSON.stringify(packageJson),
 };
 
 describe('Enforce Module Boundaries (eslint)', () => {
@@ -257,7 +267,7 @@ describe('Enforce Module Boundaries (eslint)', () => {
           type: 'npm',
           data: {
             packageName: 'npm-package',
-            version: '0.0.0',
+            version: '2.3.4',
           },
         },
         'npm:npm-package2': {
@@ -281,7 +291,7 @@ describe('Enforce Module Boundaries (eslint)', () => {
           type: 'npm',
           data: {
             packageName: 'npm-awesome-package',
-            version: '0.0.0',
+            version: '1.2.3',
           },
         },
       },
@@ -355,6 +365,46 @@ describe('Enforce Module Boundaries (eslint)', () => {
       expect(failures[1].message).toEqual(message);
     });
 
+    it('should error when importing transitive npm packages', () => {
+      const failures = runRule(
+        {
+          ...depConstraints,
+          banTransitiveDependencies: true,
+        },
+        `${process.cwd()}/proj/libs/api/src/index.ts`,
+        `
+          import 'npm-package2';
+          import('npm-package2');
+        `,
+        graph
+      );
+
+      const message =
+        'Transitive dependencies are not allowed. Only packages defined in the "package.json" can be imported';
+      expect(failures.length).toEqual(2);
+      expect(failures[0].message).toEqual(message);
+      expect(failures[1].message).toEqual(message);
+    });
+
+    it('should not error when importing direct npm dependencies', () => {
+      const failures = runRule(
+        {
+          ...depConstraints,
+          banTransitiveDependencies: true,
+        },
+        `${process.cwd()}/proj/libs/api/src/index.ts`,
+        `
+          import 'npm-package';
+          import('npm-package');
+          import 'npm-awesome-package';
+          import('npm-awesome-package');
+        `,
+        graph
+      );
+
+      expect(failures.length).toEqual(0);
+    });
+
     it('should allow wildcards for defining forbidden npm packages', () => {
       const failures = runRule(
         {
diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/src/rules/enforce-module-boundaries.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/src/rules/enforce-module-boundaries.ts
index 18b4e8a1fd..be867858a7 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/src/rules/enforce-module-boundaries.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/src/rules/enforce-module-boundaries.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
   onlyLoadChildren,
   MappedProjectGraph,
   hasBannedImport,
+  isDirectDependency,
 } from '@nrwl/workspace/src/utils/runtime-lint-utils';
 import {
   AST_NODE_TYPES,
@@ -22,7 +23,6 @@ import {
 import { createESLintRule } from '../utils/create-eslint-rule';
 import { normalizePath } from '@nrwl/devkit';
 import {
-  isNpmProject,
   ProjectType,
   readCachedProjectGraph,
 } from '@nrwl/workspace/src/core/project-graph';
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ type Options = [
     depConstraints: DepConstraint[];
     enforceBuildableLibDependency: boolean;
     allowCircularSelfDependency: boolean;
+    banTransitiveDependencies: boolean;
   }
 ];
 export type MessageIds =
@@ -52,7 +53,8 @@ export type MessageIds =
   | 'noImportsOfLazyLoadedLibraries'
   | 'projectWithoutTagsCannotHaveDependencies'
   | 'tagConstraintViolation'
-  | 'bannedExternalImportsViolation';
+  | 'bannedExternalImportsViolation'
+  | 'noTransitiveDependencies';
 export const RULE_NAME = 'enforce-module-boundaries';
 
 export default createESLintRule<Options, MessageIds>({
@@ -70,6 +72,7 @@ export default createESLintRule<Options, MessageIds>({
         properties: {
           enforceBuildableLibDependency: { type: 'boolean' },
           allowCircularSelfDependency: { type: 'boolean' },
+          banTransitiveDependencies: { type: 'boolean' },
           allow: [{ type: 'string' }],
           depConstraints: [
             {
@@ -98,6 +101,7 @@ export default createESLintRule<Options, MessageIds>({
       projectWithoutTagsCannotHaveDependencies: `A project without tags matching at least one constraint cannot depend on any libraries`,
       tagConstraintViolation: `A project tagged with "{{sourceTag}}" can only depend on libs tagged with {{allowedTags}}`,
       bannedExternalImportsViolation: `A project tagged with "{{sourceTag}}" is not allowed to import the "{{package}}" package`,
+      noTransitiveDependencies: `Transitive dependencies are not allowed. Only packages defined in the "package.json" can be imported`,
     },
   },
   defaultOptions: [
@@ -106,6 +110,7 @@ export default createESLintRule<Options, MessageIds>({
       depConstraints: [],
       enforceBuildableLibDependency: false,
       allowCircularSelfDependency: false,
+      banTransitiveDependencies: false,
     },
   ],
   create(
@@ -116,6 +121,7 @@ export default createESLintRule<Options, MessageIds>({
         depConstraints,
         enforceBuildableLibDependency,
         allowCircularSelfDependency,
+        banTransitiveDependencies,
       },
     ]
   ) {
@@ -238,6 +244,12 @@ export default createESLintRule<Options, MessageIds>({
 
       // project => npm package
       if (targetProject.type === 'npm') {
+        if (banTransitiveDependencies && !isDirectDependency(targetProject)) {
+          context.report({
+            node,
+            messageId: 'noTransitiveDependencies',
+          });
+        }
         const constraint = hasBannedImport(
           sourceProject,
           targetProject,
diff --git a/packages/workspace/src/utils/runtime-lint-utils.ts b/packages/workspace/src/utils/runtime-lint-utils.ts
index 8b0f93b227..7c774f34c9 100644
--- a/packages/workspace/src/utils/runtime-lint-utils.ts
+++ b/packages/workspace/src/utils/runtime-lint-utils.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import * as path from 'path';
-import { FileData } from '../core/file-utils';
+import { FileData, readFileIfExisting } from '../core/file-utils';
 import {
   ProjectGraph,
   ProjectGraphDependency,
@@ -7,8 +7,12 @@ import {
   ProjectGraphProjectNode,
   normalizePath,
   DependencyType,
+  parseJson,
+  ProjectGraphExternalNode,
 } from '@nrwl/devkit';
 import { TargetProjectLocator } from '../core/target-project-locator';
+import { join } from 'path';
+import { appRootPath } from './app-root';
 
 export type MappedProjectGraphNode<T = any> = ProjectGraphProjectNode<T> & {
   data: {
@@ -193,6 +197,27 @@ export function hasBannedImport(
   );
 }
 
+export function isDirectDependency(target: ProjectGraphExternalNode): boolean {
+  const fileName = 'package.json';
+  const content = readFileIfExisting(join(appRootPath, fileName));
+  if (content) {
+    const { dependencies, devDependencies, peerDependencies } =
+      parseJson(content);
+    if (dependencies && dependencies[target.data.packageName]) {
+      return true;
+    }
+    if (peerDependencies && peerDependencies[target.data.packageName]) {
+      return true;
+    }
+    if (devDependencies && devDependencies[target.data.packageName]) {
+      return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  return true;
+}
+
 /**
  * Maps import with wildcards to regex pattern
  * @param importDefinition
diff --git a/tsconfig.base.json b/tsconfig.base.json
index 4637f80991..2277cca56d 100644
--- a/tsconfig.base.json
+++ b/tsconfig.base.json
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
       "@nrwl/devkit/testing": ["./packages/devkit/testing"],
       "@nrwl/e2e/cli": ["./e2e/cli"],
       "@nrwl/e2e/utils": ["./e2e/utils"],
+      "@nrwl/eslint-plugin-nx": ["./packages/eslint-plugin-nx/src"],
       "@nrwl/express": ["./packages/express"],
       "@nrwl/gatsby": ["./packages/gatsby"],
       "@nrwl/jest": ["./packages/jest"],