diff --git a/docs/lib/content/commands/npm-unpublish.md b/docs/lib/content/commands/npm-unpublish.md
index 82c4424c90d38..741fc83cee9aa 100644
--- a/docs/lib/content/commands/npm-unpublish.md
+++ b/docs/lib/content/commands/npm-unpublish.md
@@ -25,8 +25,12 @@ removing the tarball.
 The npm registry will return an error if you are not [logged
 in](/commands/npm-adduser).
 
-If you do not specify a version or if you remove all of a package's
-versions then the registry will remove the root package entry entirely.
+If you do not specify a package name at all, the name and version to be
+unpublished will be pulled from the project in the current directory.
+
+If you specify a package name but do not specify a version or if you
+remove all of a package's versions then the registry will remove the
+root package entry entirely.
 
 Even if you unpublish a package version, that specific name and version
 combination can never be reused. In order to publish the package again,
diff --git a/lib/commands/unpublish.js b/lib/commands/unpublish.js
index 402f8f30efff8..a9c20900534c3 100644
--- a/lib/commands/unpublish.js
+++ b/lib/commands/unpublish.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 const libaccess = require('libnpmaccess')
 const libunpub = require('libnpmpublish').unpublish
 const npa = require('npm-package-arg')
-const npmFetch = require('npm-registry-fetch')
+const pacote = require('pacote')
 const pkgJson = require('@npmcli/package-json')
 
 const { flatten } = require('@npmcli/config/lib/definitions')
@@ -23,12 +23,12 @@ class Unpublish extends BaseCommand {
   static ignoreImplicitWorkspace = false
 
   static async getKeysOfVersions (name, opts) {
-    const pkgUri = npa(name).escapedName
-    const json = await npmFetch.json(`${pkgUri}?write=true`, {
+    const packument = await pacote.packument(name, {
       ...opts,
       spec: name,
+      query: { write: true },
     })
-    return Object.keys(json.versions)
+    return Object.keys(packument.versions)
   }
 
   static async completion (args, npm) {
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class Unpublish extends BaseCommand {
       return pkgs
     }
 
-    const versions = await this.getKeysOfVersions(pkgs[0], opts)
+    const versions = await Unpublish.getKeysOfVersions(pkgs[0], opts)
     if (!versions.length) {
       return pkgs
     } else {
@@ -67,20 +67,35 @@ class Unpublish extends BaseCommand {
     }
   }
 
-  async exec (args) {
+  async exec (args, { localPrefix } = {}) {
     if (args.length > 1) {
       throw this.usageError()
     }
 
-    let spec = args.length && npa(args[0])
+    // workspace mode
+    if (!localPrefix) {
+      localPrefix = this.npm.localPrefix
+    }
+
     const force = this.npm.config.get('force')
     const { silent } = this.npm
     const dryRun = this.npm.config.get('dry-run')
 
+    let spec
+    if (args.length) {
+      spec = npa(args[0])
+      if (spec.type !== 'version' && spec.rawSpec !== '*') {
+        throw this.usageError(
+          'Can only unpublish a single version, or the entire project.\n' +
+          'Tags and ranges are not supported.'
+        )
+      }
+    }
+
     log.silly('unpublish', 'args[0]', args[0])
     log.silly('unpublish', 'spec', spec)
 
-    if ((!spec || !spec.rawSpec) && !force) {
+    if (spec?.rawSpec === '*' && !force) {
       throw this.usageError(
         'Refusing to delete entire project.\n' +
         'Run with --force to do this.'
@@ -89,69 +104,67 @@ class Unpublish extends BaseCommand {
 
     const opts = { ...this.npm.flatOptions }
 
-    let pkgName
-    let pkgVersion
     let manifest
-    let manifestErr
     try {
-      const { content } = await pkgJson.prepare(this.npm.localPrefix)
+      const { content } = await pkgJson.prepare(localPrefix)
       manifest = content
     } catch (err) {
-      manifestErr = err
-    }
-    if (spec) {
-      // If cwd has a package.json with a name that matches the package being
-      // unpublished, load up the publishConfig
-      if (manifest && manifest.name === spec.name && manifest.publishConfig) {
-        flatten(manifest.publishConfig, opts)
-      }
-      const versions = await Unpublish.getKeysOfVersions(spec.name, opts)
-      if (versions.length === 1 && !force) {
-        throw this.usageError(LAST_REMAINING_VERSION_ERROR)
-      }
-      pkgName = spec.name
-      pkgVersion = spec.type === 'version' ? `@${spec.rawSpec}` : ''
-    } else {
-      if (manifestErr) {
-        if (manifestErr.code === 'ENOENT' || manifestErr.code === 'ENOTDIR') {
+      if (err.code === 'ENOENT' || err.code === 'ENOTDIR') {
+        if (!spec) {
+          // We needed a local package.json to figure out what package to
+          // unpublish
           throw this.usageError()
-        } else {
-          throw manifestErr
         }
+      } else {
+        // folks should know if ANY local package.json had a parsing error.
+        // They may be relying on `publishConfig` to be loading and we don't
+        // want to ignore errors in that case.
+        throw err
       }
+    }
 
-      log.verbose('unpublish', manifest)
-
+    let pkgVersion // for cli output
+    if (spec) {
+      pkgVersion = spec.type === 'version' ? `@${spec.rawSpec}` : ''
+    } else {
       spec = npa.resolve(manifest.name, manifest.version)
-      if (manifest.publishConfig) {
-        flatten(manifest.publishConfig, opts)
+      log.verbose('unpublish', manifest)
+      pkgVersion = manifest.version ? `@${manifest.version}` : ''
+      if (!manifest.version && !force) {
+        throw this.usageError(
+          'Refusing to delete entire project.\n' +
+          'Run with --force to do this.'
+        )
       }
+    }
 
-      pkgName = manifest.name
-      pkgVersion = manifest.version ? `@${manifest.version}` : ''
+    // If localPrefix has a package.json with a name that matches the package
+    // being unpublished, load up the publishConfig
+    if (manifest?.name === spec.name && manifest.publishConfig) {
+      flatten(manifest.publishConfig, opts)
+    }
+
+    const versions = await Unpublish.getKeysOfVersions(spec.name, opts)
+    if (versions.length === 1 && spec.rawSpec === versions[0] && !force) {
+      throw this.usageError(LAST_REMAINING_VERSION_ERROR)
+    }
+    if (versions.length === 1) {
+      pkgVersion = ''
     }
 
     if (!dryRun) {
       await otplease(this.npm, opts, o => libunpub(spec, o))
     }
     if (!silent) {
-      this.npm.output(`- ${pkgName}${pkgVersion}`)
+      this.npm.output(`- ${spec.name}${pkgVersion}`)
     }
   }
 
   async execWorkspaces (args) {
     await this.setWorkspaces()
 
-    const force = this.npm.config.get('force')
-    if (!force) {
-      throw this.usageError(
-        'Refusing to delete entire project(s).\n' +
-        'Run with --force to do this.'
-      )
-    }
-
-    for (const name of this.workspaceNames) {
-      await this.exec([name])
+    for (const path of this.workspacePaths) {
+      await this.exec(args, { localPrefix: path })
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/lib/commands/unpublish.js b/test/lib/commands/unpublish.js
index 6e898bd3d07e4..097309393a258 100644
--- a/test/lib/commands/unpublish.js
+++ b/test/lib/commands/unpublish.js
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ t.test('no args --force success', async t => {
     authorization: 'test-auth-token',
   })
   const manifest = registry.manifest({ name: pkg })
-  await registry.package({ manifest, query: { write: true } })
+  await registry.package({ manifest, query: { write: true }, times: 2 })
   registry.unpublish({ manifest })
   await npm.exec('unpublish', [])
-  t.equal(joinedOutput(), '- test-package@1.0.0')
+  t.equal(joinedOutput(), '- test-package')
 })
 
 t.test('no args --force missing package.json', async t => {
@@ -63,11 +63,28 @@ t.test('no args --force error reading package.json', async t => {
   )
 })
 
-t.test('no args entire project', async t => {
+t.test('with args --force error reading package.json', async t => {
+  const { npm } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
+    config: {
+      force: true,
+    },
+    prefixDir: {
+      'package.json': '{ not valid json ]',
+    },
+  })
+
+  await t.rejects(
+    npm.exec('unpublish', [pkg]),
+    /Invalid package.json/,
+    'should throw error from reading package.json'
+  )
+})
+
+t.test('no force entire project', async t => {
   const { npm } = await loadMockNpm(t)
 
   await t.rejects(
-    npm.exec('unpublish', []),
+    npm.exec('unpublish', ['@npmcli/unpublish-test']),
     /Refusing to delete entire project/
   )
 })
@@ -82,6 +99,26 @@ t.test('too many args', async t => {
   )
 })
 
+t.test('range', async t => {
+  const { npm } = await loadMockNpm(t)
+
+  await t.rejects(
+    npm.exec('unpublish', ['a@>1.0.0']),
+    { code: 'EUSAGE' },
+    /single version/
+  )
+})
+
+t.test('tag', async t => {
+  const { npm } = await loadMockNpm(t)
+
+  await t.rejects(
+    npm.exec('unpublish', ['a@>1.0.0']),
+    { code: 'EUSAGE' },
+    /single version/
+  )
+})
+
 t.test('unpublish <pkg>@version not the last version', async t => {
   const { joinedOutput, npm } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
     config: {
@@ -129,7 +166,24 @@ t.test('unpublish <pkg>@version last version', async t => {
   )
 })
 
-t.test('no version found in package.json', async t => {
+t.test('no version found in package.json no force', async t => {
+  const { npm } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
+    config: {
+      ...auth,
+    },
+    prefixDir: {
+      'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+        name: pkg,
+      }, null, 2),
+    },
+  })
+  await t.rejects(
+    npm.exec('unpublish', []),
+    /Refusing to delete entire project/
+  )
+})
+
+t.test('no version found in package.json with force', async t => {
   const { joinedOutput, npm } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
     config: {
       force: true,
@@ -147,7 +201,7 @@ t.test('no version found in package.json', async t => {
     authorization: 'test-auth-token',
   })
   const manifest = registry.manifest({ name: pkg })
-  await registry.package({ manifest, query: { write: true } })
+  await registry.package({ manifest, query: { write: true }, times: 2 })
   registry.unpublish({ manifest })
 
   await npm.exec('unpublish', [])
@@ -219,7 +273,7 @@ t.test('workspaces', async t => {
     'workspace-b': {
       'package.json': JSON.stringify({
         name: 'workspace-b',
-        version: '1.2.3-n',
+        version: '1.2.3-b',
         repository: 'https://github.com/npm/workspace-b',
       }),
     },
@@ -231,20 +285,20 @@ t.test('workspaces', async t => {
     },
   }
 
-  t.test('no force', async t => {
+  t.test('with package name no force', async t => {
     const { npm } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
       config: {
-        workspaces: true,
+        workspace: ['workspace-a'],
       },
       prefixDir,
     })
     await t.rejects(
-      npm.exec('unpublish', []),
+      npm.exec('unpublish', ['workspace-a']),
       /Refusing to delete entire project/
     )
   })
 
-  t.test('all workspaces --force', async t => {
+  t.test('all workspaces last version --force', async t => {
     const { joinedOutput, npm } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
       config: {
         workspaces: true,
@@ -258,9 +312,9 @@ t.test('workspaces', async t => {
       registry: npm.config.get('registry'),
       authorization: 'test-auth-token',
     })
-    const manifestA = registry.manifest({ name: 'workspace-a' })
-    const manifestB = registry.manifest({ name: 'workspace-b' })
-    const manifestN = registry.manifest({ name: 'workspace-n' })
+    const manifestA = registry.manifest({ name: 'workspace-a', versions: ['1.2.3-a'] })
+    const manifestB = registry.manifest({ name: 'workspace-b', versions: ['1.2.3-b'] })
+    const manifestN = registry.manifest({ name: 'workspace-n', versions: ['1.2.3-n'] })
     await registry.package({ manifest: manifestA, query: { write: true }, times: 2 })
     await registry.package({ manifest: manifestB, query: { write: true }, times: 2 })
     await registry.package({ manifest: manifestN, query: { write: true }, times: 2 })
@@ -271,28 +325,6 @@ t.test('workspaces', async t => {
     await npm.exec('unpublish', [])
     t.equal(joinedOutput(), '- workspace-a\n- workspace-b\n- workspace-n')
   })
-
-  t.test('one workspace --force', async t => {
-    const { joinedOutput, npm } = await loadMockNpm(t, {
-      config: {
-        workspace: ['workspace-a'],
-        force: true,
-        ...auth,
-      },
-      prefixDir,
-    })
-    const registry = new MockRegistry({
-      tap: t,
-      registry: npm.config.get('registry'),
-      authorization: 'test-auth-token',
-    })
-    const manifestA = registry.manifest({ name: 'workspace-a' })
-    await registry.package({ manifest: manifestA, query: { write: true }, times: 2 })
-    registry.nock.delete(`/workspace-a/-rev/${manifestA._rev}`).reply(201)
-
-    await npm.exec('unpublish', [])
-    t.equal(joinedOutput(), '- workspace-a')
-  })
 })
 
 t.test('dryRun with spec', async t => {
@@ -331,6 +363,16 @@ t.test('dryRun with no args', async t => {
       }, null, 2),
     },
   })
+  const registry = new MockRegistry({
+    tap: t,
+    registry: npm.config.get('registry'),
+    authorization: 'test-auth-token',
+  })
+  const manifest = registry.manifest({
+    name: pkg,
+    packuments: ['1.0.0', '1.0.1'],
+  })
+  await registry.package({ manifest, query: { write: true } })
 
   await npm.exec('unpublish', [])
   t.equal(joinedOutput(), '- test-package@1.0.0')
@@ -360,10 +402,10 @@ t.test('publishConfig no spec', async t => {
     authorization: 'test-other-token',
   })
   const manifest = registry.manifest({ name: pkg })
-  await registry.package({ manifest, query: { write: true } })
+  await registry.package({ manifest, query: { write: true }, times: 2 })
   registry.unpublish({ manifest })
   await npm.exec('unpublish', [])
-  t.equal(joinedOutput(), '- test-package@1.0.0')
+  t.equal(joinedOutput(), '- test-package')
 })
 
 t.test('publishConfig with spec', async t => {
@@ -421,7 +463,7 @@ t.test('scoped registry config', async t => {
     authorization: 'test-other-token',
   })
   const manifest = registry.manifest({ name: scopedPkg })
-  await registry.package({ manifest, query: { write: true } })
+  await registry.package({ manifest, query: { write: true }, times: 2 })
   registry.unpublish({ manifest })
   await npm.exec('unpublish', [scopedPkg])
 })