diff --git a/packages/nx/src/project-graph/affected/locators/npm-packages.spec.ts b/packages/nx/src/project-graph/affected/locators/npm-packages.spec.ts
index 58a9d12612226..7cba1534baa00 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/project-graph/affected/locators/npm-packages.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/project-graph/affected/locators/npm-packages.spec.ts
@@ -266,6 +266,45 @@ describe('getTouchedNpmPackages', () => {
       'npm:awesome-nrwl',
     ]);
   });
+
+  it('should handle and workspace packages when defined in dependencies', () => {
+    const result = getTouchedNpmPackages(
+      [
+        {
+          file: 'package.json',
+          hash: 'some-hash',
+          getChanges: () => [
+            {
+              type: 'JsonPropertyAdded',
+              path: ['devDependencies', 'changed-test-pkg-name-1'],
+              value: { rhs: 'workspace:*' },
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+      ],
+      workspaceJson,
+      nxJson,
+      {
+        dependencies: {
+          'happy-nrwl': '0.0.1',
+          'awesome-nrwl': '0.0.1',
+        },
+      },
+      {
+        ...projectGraph,
+        nodes: {
+          ...projectGraph.nodes,
+          'any-random-name': {
+            name: 'changed-test-pkg-name-1',
+            type: 'lib',
+            data: {},
+          },
+        },
+      }
+    );
+    expect(result).toEqual(['changed-test-pkg-name-1']);
+  });
+
   it('should handle and log workspace package.json changes when the changes are not in `npmPackages` (projectGraph.externalNodes)', () => {
     jest.spyOn(logger, 'warn');
     expect(() => {
diff --git a/packages/nx/src/project-graph/affected/locators/npm-packages.ts b/packages/nx/src/project-graph/affected/locators/npm-packages.ts
index 3f795ee688793..8cf4fadde0d4e 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/project-graph/affected/locators/npm-packages.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/project-graph/affected/locators/npm-packages.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,10 @@ import {
 } from '../../../utils/json-diff';
 import { logger } from '../../../utils/logger';
 import { TouchedProjectLocator } from '../affected-project-graph-models';
+import {
+  ProjectGraphExternalNode,
+  ProjectGraphProjectNode,
+} from 'nx/src/config/project-graph';
 
 export const getTouchedNpmPackages: TouchedProjectLocator<
   WholeFileChange | JsonChange
@@ -31,9 +35,13 @@ export const getTouchedNpmPackages: TouchedProjectLocator<
         touched = Object.keys(projectGraph.nodes);
         break;
       } else {
-        const npmPackage = npmPackages.find(
-          (pkg) => pkg.data.packageName === c.path[1]
-        );
+        let npmPackage: ProjectGraphProjectNode | ProjectGraphExternalNode =
+          npmPackages.find((pkg) => pkg.data.packageName === c.path[1]);
+        if (!npmPackage) {
+          // dependency can also point to a workspace project
+          const nodes = Object.values(projectGraph.nodes);
+          npmPackage = nodes.find((n) => n.name === c.path[1]);
+        }
         if (!npmPackage) {
           missingTouchedNpmPackages.push(c.path[1]);
           continue;