diff --git a/tools/cli/commands.js b/tools/cli/commands.js
index 10e6c52229..ef9d4f1810 100644
--- a/tools/cli/commands.js
+++ b/tools/cli/commands.js
@@ -263,17 +263,20 @@ export function parseRunTargets(targets) {
 
 export function getMeteorConfig(appDir) {
   if (global.meteorConfig) return global.meteorConfig;
-  const packageJsonPath = files.pathJoin(appDir, 'package.json');
-  if (!files.exists(packageJsonPath)) {
-    return false;
+  let packageJson;
+  if (appDir) {
+    const packageJsonPath = files.pathJoin(appDir, 'package.json');
+    if (!files.exists(packageJsonPath)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    const packageJsonFile = files.readFile(packageJsonPath, 'utf8');
+    packageJson = JSON.parse(packageJsonFile);
   }
-  const packageJsonFile = files.readFile(packageJsonPath, 'utf8');
-  const packageJson = JSON.parse(packageJsonFile);
-  const meteorConfig = {
+  const modernForced = JSON.parse(process.env.METEOR_MODERN || "false");
+  global.meteorConfig = {
     ...(packageJson?.meteor || {}),
-    modern: projectContextModule.normalizeModern(projectContextModule.modernForced || packageJson?.meteor?.modern),
+    modern: projectContextModule.normalizeModern(modernForced || packageJson?.meteor?.modern || false),
   };
-  global.meteorConfig = meteorConfig;
   return global.meteorConfig;
 }
 
diff --git a/tools/cli/main.js b/tools/cli/main.js
index 48c5e4e16a..f890f272a4 100644
--- a/tools/cli/main.js
+++ b/tools/cli/main.js
@@ -865,9 +865,9 @@ makeGlobalAsyncLocalStorage().run({}, async function () {
   var appDir = files.findAppDir();
   if (appDir) {
     appDir = files.pathResolve(appDir);
-    // Initialize meteorConfig globally for command context
-    global.meteorConfig = getMeteorConfig(appDir);
   }
+  // Initialize meteorConfig globally for command context
+  global.meteorConfig = getMeteorConfig(appDir);
 
   await require('../tool-env/isopackets.js').ensureIsopacketsLoadable();
 
diff --git a/tools/project-context.js b/tools/project-context.js
index 31075cc4ce..481279439e 100644
--- a/tools/project-context.js
+++ b/tools/project-context.js
@@ -1788,8 +1788,6 @@ export const normalizeModern = (r = false) => Object.fromEntries(
     ]),
 );
 
-export const modernForced = JSON.parse(process.env.METEOR_MODERN || "false");
-
 export class MeteorConfig {
   constructor({
     appDirectory,
@@ -1834,11 +1832,12 @@ export class MeteorConfig {
             },
           }),
         } : this._config;
+    const modernForced = JSON.parse(process.env.METEOR_MODERN || "false");
     // Reinitialize meteorConfig globally for project context
     // Updates config when package.json changes trigger rebuilds
     global.meteorConfig = {
       ...(this._config || {}),
-      modern: normalizeModern(modernForced || this._config?.modern),
+      modern: normalizeModern(modernForced || this._config?.modern || false),
     };
     return this._config;
   }