diff --git a/src/compiler/moduleSpecifiers.ts b/src/compiler/moduleSpecifiers.ts
index 0afff755d15b7..484dd069f4fed 100644
--- a/src/compiler/moduleSpecifiers.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/moduleSpecifiers.ts
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ import {
     pathIsBareSpecifier,
     pathIsRelative,
     PropertyAccessExpression,
+    readJson,
     removeExtension,
     removeFileExtension,
     removeSuffix,
@@ -907,11 +908,11 @@ function tryGetModuleNameFromPackageJsonImports(moduleFileName: string, sourceDi
     }
     const packageJsonPath = combinePaths(ancestorDirectoryWithPackageJson, "package.json");
     const cachedPackageJson = host.getPackageJsonInfoCache?.()?.getPackageJsonInfo(packageJsonPath);
-    if (typeof cachedPackageJson !== "object" && cachedPackageJson !== undefined || !host.fileExists(packageJsonPath)) {
+    if (typeof cachedPackageJson !== "object" && cachedPackageJson !== undefined) {
         return undefined;
     }
-    const packageJsonContent = cachedPackageJson?.contents.packageJsonContent || JSON.parse(host.readFile(packageJsonPath)!);
-    const imports = packageJsonContent?.imports;
+    const packageJsonContent = cachedPackageJson?.contents.packageJsonContent || readJson(packageJsonPath, host as { readFile(path: string): string | undefined; });
+    const imports = (packageJsonContent as any).imports;
     if (!imports) {
         return undefined;
     }