diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 5212c87..3627be1 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -165,14 +165,34 @@ class PackWalker extends IgnoreWalker {
   // copies the root's `ignoreFiles` value, but we don't want to respect package.json for
   // subdirectories, so we override it with a list that intentionally omits package.json
   walkerOpt (entry, opts) {
+    let ignoreFiles = [
+      defaultRules,
+      '.npmignore',
+      '.gitignore',
+      strictRules,
+    ]
+
+    // however, if we have a tree, and we have workspaces, and the directory we're about
+    // to step into is a workspace, then we _do_ want to respect its package.json
+    if (this.tree && this.tree.workspaces) {
+      const workspaceDirs = [...this.tree.workspaces.values()]
+        .map((dir) => dir.replace(/\\/g, '/'))
+
+      const entryPath = join(this.path, entry).replace(/\\/g, '/')
+      if (workspaceDirs.includes(entryPath)) {
+        ignoreFiles = [
+          defaultRules,
+          'package.json',
+          '.npmignore',
+          '.gitignore',
+          strictRules,
+        ]
+      }
+    }
+
     return {
       ...super.walkerOpt(entry, opts),
-      ignoreFiles: [
-        defaultRules,
-        '.npmignore',
-        '.gitignore',
-        strictRules,
-      ],
+      ignoreFiles,
       // we map over our own requiredFiles and pass ones that are within this entry
       requiredFiles: this.requiredFiles
         .map((file) => {
diff --git a/test/bundled-file-in-workspace.js b/test/bundled-file-in-workspace.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..695eb26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/bundled-file-in-workspace.js
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+'use strict'
+
+const t = require('tap')
+const packlist = require('../')
+
+t.test('correctly filters files from workspace subdirectory', async (t) => {
+  const pkg = t.testdir({
+    'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+      name: 'root',
+      version: '1.0.0',
+      files: ['docs/*.txt'],
+      main: 'index.js',
+      workspaces: ['./docs'],
+    }),
+    'index.js': '',
+    docs: {
+      'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+        name: 'docs',
+        version: '1.0.0',
+        main: 'index.js',
+        files: ['*.txt'],
+      }),
+      'bar.txt': '',
+      'foo.txt': '',
+      'readme.md': '',
+      test: {
+        'index.js': '',
+      },
+    },
+  })
+
+  const files = await packlist({ path: pkg })
+  t.same(files, [
+    'index.js',
+    'package.json',
+    'docs/readme.md', // readme.md is always included
+    'docs/bar.txt',
+    'docs/foo.txt',
+  ])
+})
+
+t.test('does not filter based on package.json if subdirectory is not a workspace', async (t) => {
+  const pkg = t.testdir({
+    'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+      name: 'root',
+      version: '1.0.0',
+      files: ['docs/*.txt'],
+      main: 'index.js',
+      // this test needs a workspace to exist, but that workspace cannot be the one we include
+      // files from
+      workspaces: ['./unrelated'],
+    }),
+    'index.js': '',
+    docs: {
+      'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+        name: 'docs',
+        version: '1.0.0',
+        main: 'index.js',
+        files: ['bar.txt', 'foo.txt'],
+      }),
+      'bar.txt': '',
+      'baz.txt': '',
+      'foo.txt': '',
+      'readme.md': '',
+      test: {
+        'index.js': '',
+      },
+    },
+    unrelated: {
+      'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+        name: 'unrelated',
+        version: '1.0.0',
+        main: 'index.js',
+      }),
+      'index.js': '',
+    },
+  })
+
+  const files = await packlist({ path: pkg })
+  t.same(files, [
+    'index.js',
+    'package.json',
+    'docs/readme.md', // readme.md is always included
+    'docs/bar.txt',
+    'docs/baz.txt', // was _not_ filtered
+    'docs/foo.txt',
+  ])
+})