diff --git a/packages/core/package.json b/packages/core/package.json
index dac9dcb131c45..50f5f03b52b53 100644
--- a/packages/core/package.json
+++ b/packages/core/package.json
@@ -49,6 +49,12 @@
       "types": "./dist-types/submodules/protocols/index.d.ts"
     }
   },
+  "files": [
+    "dist-*/**",
+    "./client.js",
+    "./httpAuthSchemes.js",
+    "./protocols.js"
+  ],
   "sideEffects": false,
   "author": {
     "name": "AWS SDK for JavaScript Team",
diff --git a/packages/core/scripts/lint.js b/packages/core/scripts/lint.js
index eb60b3c329039..8766fc133807f 100644
--- a/packages/core/scripts/lint.js
+++ b/packages/core/scripts/lint.js
@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ for (const submodule of submodules) {
       };
       fs.writeFileSync(path.join(root, "package.json"), JSON.stringify(pkgJson, null, 2) + "\n");
     }
+    if (!pkgJson.files.includes(`./${submodule}.js`)) {
+      pkgJson.files.push(`./${submodule}.js`);
+      errors.push(`package.json files array missing ${submodule}.js compatibility redirect file.`);
+      fs.writeFileSync(path.join(root, "package.json"), JSON.stringify(pkgJson, null, 2) + "\n");
+    }
     // tsconfig metadata.
     for (const [kind, tsconfig] of Object.entries(tsconfigs)) {
       if (!tsconfig.compilerOptions.paths?.[`@aws-sdk/core/${submodule}`]) {