pnpm install --prod (-P): install only production dependencies

pnpm install --prod (short -P) installs dependencies and optionalDependencies but not devDependencies. Use it for production servers and the final stage of Docker images, where test frameworks, bundlers and type checkers are dead weight. pnpm also switches to this mode by itself when NODE_ENV=production. The lockfile is not changed by the flag.

Full install and --prod

cat > package.json <<'EOF'
{
  "name": "demo",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "dependencies": { "is-number": "7.0.0" },
  "devDependencies": { "is-odd": "3.0.1" }
}
EOF
npx --yes pnpm@9 install >/dev/null 2>&1
echo "--- pnpm install"
ls node_modules
rm -rf node_modules
npx --yes pnpm@9 install --prod --frozen-lockfile >/dev/null 2>&1
echo "--- pnpm install --prod --frozen-lockfile"
ls node_modules
rm -rf node_modules
NODE_ENV=production npx --yes pnpm@9 install --frozen-lockfile >/dev/null 2>&1
echo "--- NODE_ENV=production"
ls node_modules

--- pnpm install
is-number
is-odd
--- pnpm install --prod --frozen-lockfile
is-number
--- NODE_ENV=production
is-number

Only is-number is linked with --prod and under NODE_ENV=production. Combining it with --frozen-lockfile (the CI default) guarantees the versions are the committed ones.

Related options

In a Dockerfile

FROM node:24-slim AS build
RUN corepack enable
WORKDIR /app
COPY package.json pnpm-lock.yaml ./
RUN pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
COPY . .
RUN pnpm run build && pnpm prune --prod

FROM node:24-slim
WORKDIR /app
COPY --from=build /app/node_modules ./node_modules
COPY --from=build /app/dist ./dist
CMD ["node", "dist/server.js"]

The build stage needs dev tools, so it installs everything and prunes afterwards. In a workspace, pnpm deploy is the better tool because it also resolves workspace: dependencies into real copies.

Pitfalls

• A runtime import listed under devDependencies fails only in production, with Cannot find module. Move it with pnpm add pkg.
• NODE_ENV=production set in a base image silently removes dev tools from build steps; pass --prod=false there.
• pnpm install --prod in a workspace applies to every package; limit it with --filter, see pnpm --filter.
• npm calls the same option --omit=dev: see npm install --omit=dev.

FAQ