diff --git a/packages/nx/src/config/nx-json.ts b/packages/nx/src/config/nx-json.ts
index 99d14ff39bc7b..49a94461b98db 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/config/nx-json.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/config/nx-json.ts
@@ -182,3 +182,8 @@ export function readNxJson(root: string = workspaceRoot): NxJsonConfiguration {
     }
   }
 }
+
+export function hasNxJson(root: string): boolean {
+  const nxJson = join(root, 'nx.json');
+  return existsSync(nxJson);
+}
diff --git a/packages/nx/src/config/workspaces.ts b/packages/nx/src/config/workspaces.ts
index 1576a3ef84d76..340e60285a8a1 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/config/workspaces.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/config/workspaces.ts
@@ -154,11 +154,6 @@ export class Workspaces {
     }
     return projects;
   }
-
-  hasNxJson(): boolean {
-    const nxJson = path.join(this.root, 'nx.json');
-    return existsSync(nxJson);
-  }
 }
 
 function findMatchingProjectInCwd(
diff --git a/packages/nx/src/daemon/client/client.ts b/packages/nx/src/daemon/client/client.ts
index 4eb0eb310c6ee..925d7d507f922 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/daemon/client/client.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/daemon/client/client.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import { isCI } from '../../utils/is-ci';
 import { NxJsonConfiguration } from '../../config/nx-json';
 import { readNxJson } from '../../config/configuration';
 import { PromisedBasedQueue } from '../../utils/promised-based-queue';
-import { Workspaces } from '../../config/workspaces';
+import { hasNxJson } from '../../config/nx-json';
 import { Message, SocketMessenger } from './socket-messenger';
 import { safelyCleanUpExistingProcess } from '../cache';
 import { Hash } from '../../hasher/task-hasher';
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ function isDocker() {
 }
 
 function nxJsonIsNotPresent() {
-  return !new Workspaces(workspaceRoot).hasNxJson();
+  return !hasNxJson(workspaceRoot);
 }
 
 function daemonProcessException(message: string) {