diff --git a/node_modules/@npmcli/config/lib/parse-field.js b/node_modules/@npmcli/config/lib/parse-field.js
index 216295a5f81d8..95b8d9f272003 100644
--- a/node_modules/@npmcli/config/lib/parse-field.js
+++ b/node_modules/@npmcli/config/lib/parse-field.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ const parseField = (f, key, opts, listElement = false) => {
   const typeList = new Set([].concat(types[key]))
   const isPath = typeList.has(typeDefs.path.type)
   const isBool = typeList.has(typeDefs.Boolean.type)
-  const isString = typeList.has(typeDefs.String.type)
+  const isString = isPath || typeList.has(typeDefs.String.type)
   const isUmask = typeList.has(typeDefs.Umask.type)
   const isNumber = typeList.has(typeDefs.Number.type)
   const isList = !listElement && typeList.has(Array)
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ const parseField = (f, key, opts, listElement = false) => {
 
   // string types can be the string 'true', 'false', etc.
   // otherwise, parse these values out
-  if (!isString) {
+  if (!isString && !isPath && !isNumber) {
     switch (f) {
       case 'true': return true
       case 'false': return false
diff --git a/node_modules/@npmcli/config/lib/type-defs.js b/node_modules/@npmcli/config/lib/type-defs.js
index 07703206c5743..049945a3e5812 100644
--- a/node_modules/@npmcli/config/lib/type-defs.js
+++ b/node_modules/@npmcli/config/lib/type-defs.js
@@ -10,6 +10,13 @@ const validateSemver = (data, k, val) => {
   data[k] = valid
 }
 
+const noptValidatePath = nopt.typeDefs.path.validate
+const validatePath = (data, k, val) => {
+  if (typeof val !== 'string')
+    return false
+  return noptValidatePath(data, k, val)
+}
+
 // add descriptions so we can validate more usefully
 module.exports = {
   ...nopt.typeDefs,
@@ -29,6 +36,7 @@ module.exports = {
   },
   path: {
     ...nopt.typeDefs.path,
+    validate: validatePath,
     description: 'valid filesystem path',
   },
   Number: {
diff --git a/node_modules/@npmcli/config/package.json b/node_modules/@npmcli/config/package.json
index 579acd5b28371..eebb8d23e914d 100644
--- a/node_modules/@npmcli/config/package.json
+++ b/node_modules/@npmcli/config/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@npmcli/config",
-  "version": "1.2.3",
+  "version": "1.2.4",
   "files": [
     "lib"
   ],
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 00662a98247c5..da79f7cb469a0 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@
       "dependencies": {
         "@npmcli/arborist": "^2.0.0",
         "@npmcli/ci-detect": "^1.2.0",
-        "@npmcli/config": "^1.2.3",
+        "@npmcli/config": "^1.2.4",
         "@npmcli/run-script": "^1.8.1",
         "abbrev": "~1.1.1",
         "ansicolors": "~0.3.2",
@@ -700,9 +700,9 @@
       "license": "ISC"
     },
     "node_modules/@npmcli/config": {
-      "version": "1.2.3",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@npmcli/config/-/config-1.2.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-rRggEgNdsG4QohT+PEErKKRqyfxqKQSs4Bm46uOQW16FwSMlHWrJo7NEB4oNrgRwjMU4bDFjuoDWpot6DQi8xw==",
+      "version": "1.2.4",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@npmcli/config/-/config-1.2.4.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-q68HN9krNkBO93oIN4+FHEwc+hhskGtmniCfR5rY4HX8Bfet85o+eaXFy08mWpzoZDhh5WkkZm2BStcvFp3iBQ==",
       "inBundle": true,
       "dependencies": {
         "ini": "^1.3.5",
@@ -9517,9 +9517,9 @@
       "version": "1.3.0"
     },
     "@npmcli/config": {
-      "version": "1.2.3",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@npmcli/config/-/config-1.2.3.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-rRggEgNdsG4QohT+PEErKKRqyfxqKQSs4Bm46uOQW16FwSMlHWrJo7NEB4oNrgRwjMU4bDFjuoDWpot6DQi8xw==",
+      "version": "1.2.4",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@npmcli/config/-/config-1.2.4.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-q68HN9krNkBO93oIN4+FHEwc+hhskGtmniCfR5rY4HX8Bfet85o+eaXFy08mWpzoZDhh5WkkZm2BStcvFp3iBQ==",
       "requires": {
         "ini": "^1.3.5",
         "mkdirp-infer-owner": "^2.0.0",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 299c628afbbe0..ea1379c4cfb0a 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@npmcli/arborist": "^2.0.0",
     "@npmcli/ci-detect": "^1.2.0",
-    "@npmcli/config": "^1.2.3",
+    "@npmcli/config": "^1.2.4",
     "@npmcli/run-script": "^1.8.1",
     "abbrev": "~1.1.1",
     "ansicolors": "~0.3.2",