diff --git a/code/builders/builder-webpack5/src/preview/iframe-webpack.config.ts b/code/builders/builder-webpack5/src/preview/iframe-webpack.config.ts
index 461a36aec648..ea8b55d4973c 100644
--- a/code/builders/builder-webpack5/src/preview/iframe-webpack.config.ts
+++ b/code/builders/builder-webpack5/src/preview/iframe-webpack.config.ts
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ export default async (
         inject: false,
         template,
         templateParameters: {
-          version: packageJson.version,
+          version: packageJson?.version,
           globals: {
             CONFIG_TYPE: configType,
             LOGLEVEL: logLevel,
diff --git a/code/core/src/core-server/build-dev.ts b/code/core/src/core-server/build-dev.ts
index fc07aa11ab95..5c87a7d9ccd8 100644
--- a/code/core/src/core-server/build-dev.ts
+++ b/code/core/src/core-server/build-dev.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { join, relative, resolve } from 'node:path';
 
 import {
+  getConfigInfo,
   getProjectRoot,
   loadAllPresets,
   loadMainConfig,
@@ -8,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   resolvePathInStorybookCache,
   serverResolve,
   validateFrameworkName,
+  versions,
 } from '@storybook/core/common';
 import { oneWayHash, telemetry } from '@storybook/core/telemetry';
 import type { BuilderOptions, CLIOptions, LoadOptions, Options } from '@storybook/core/types';
@@ -32,18 +34,33 @@ import { warnOnIncompatibleAddons } from './utils/warnOnIncompatibleAddons';
 import { warnWhenUsingArgTypesRegex } from './utils/warnWhenUsingArgTypesRegex';
 
 export async function buildDevStandalone(
-  options: CLIOptions & LoadOptions & BuilderOptions
+  options: CLIOptions &
+    LoadOptions &
+    BuilderOptions & {
+      storybookVersion?: string;
+      previewConfigPath?: string;
+    }
 ): Promise<{ port: number; address: string; networkAddress: string }> {
   const { packageJson, versionUpdates } = options;
-  invariant(
-    packageJson.version !== undefined,
-    `Expected package.json#version to be defined in the "${packageJson.name}" package}`
-  );
+  let { storybookVersion, previewConfigPath } = options;
+  const configDir = resolve(options.configDir);
+  if (packageJson) {
+    invariant(
+      packageJson.version !== undefined,
+      `Expected package.json#version to be defined in the "${packageJson.name}" package}`
+    );
+    storybookVersion = packageJson.version;
+    previewConfigPath = getConfigInfo(packageJson, configDir).previewConfig ?? undefined;
+  } else {
+    if (!storybookVersion) {
+      storybookVersion = versions.storybook;
+    }
+  }
   // updateInfo are cached, so this is typically pretty fast
   const [port, versionCheck] = await Promise.all([
     getServerPort(options.port, { exactPort: options.exactPort }),
     versionUpdates
-      ? updateCheck(packageJson.version)
+      ? updateCheck(storybookVersion)
       : Promise.resolve({ success: false, cached: false, data: {}, time: Date.now() }),
   ]);
 
@@ -60,7 +77,6 @@ export async function buildDevStandalone(
   }
 
   const rootDir = getProjectRoot();
-  const configDir = resolve(options.configDir);
   const cacheKey = oneWayHash(relative(rootDir, configDir));
 
   const cacheOutputDir = resolvePathInStorybookCache('public', cacheKey);
@@ -92,13 +108,13 @@ export async function buildDevStandalone(
   frameworkName = frameworkName || 'custom';
 
   try {
-    await warnOnIncompatibleAddons(packageJson.version);
+    await warnOnIncompatibleAddons(storybookVersion);
   } catch (e) {
     console.warn('Storybook failed to check addon compatibility', e);
   }
 
   try {
-    await warnWhenUsingArgTypesRegex(packageJson, configDir, config);
+    await warnWhenUsingArgTypesRegex(previewConfigPath, config);
   } catch (e) {}
 
   // Load first pass: We need to determine the builder
@@ -224,7 +240,7 @@ export async function buildDevStandalone(
     if (!options.quiet) {
       outputStartupInformation({
         updateInfo: versionCheck,
-        version: packageJson.version,
+        version: storybookVersion,
         name,
         address,
         networkAddress,
diff --git a/code/core/src/core-server/presets/common-preset.ts b/code/core/src/core-server/presets/common-preset.ts
index 506ceb55ea2a..bca9a1c9cfe6 100644
--- a/code/core/src/core-server/presets/common-preset.ts
+++ b/code/core/src/core-server/presets/common-preset.ts
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ export const babel = async (_: unknown, options: Options) => {
 };
 
 export const title = (previous: string, options: Options) =>
-  previous || options.packageJson.name || false;
+  previous || options.packageJson?.name || false;
 
 export const logLevel = (previous: any, options: Options) => previous || options.loglevel || 'info';
 
diff --git a/code/core/src/core-server/utils/warnWhenUsingArgTypesRegex.ts b/code/core/src/core-server/utils/warnWhenUsingArgTypesRegex.ts
index b36755fcd6ab..207e762ede60 100644
--- a/code/core/src/core-server/utils/warnWhenUsingArgTypesRegex.ts
+++ b/code/core/src/core-server/utils/warnWhenUsingArgTypesRegex.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-import { getConfigInfo } from '@storybook/core/common';
-import type { PackageJson, StorybookConfig } from '@storybook/core/types';
+import type { StorybookConfig } from '@storybook/core/types';
 
 import { babelParse } from '@storybook/core/csf-tools';
 
@@ -10,12 +9,10 @@ import { readFile } from 'fs-extra';
 import { dedent } from 'ts-dedent';
 
 export async function warnWhenUsingArgTypesRegex(
-  packageJson: PackageJson,
-  configDir: string,
+  previewConfigPath: string | undefined,
   config: StorybookConfig
 ) {
-  const { previewConfig } = getConfigInfo(packageJson, configDir);
-  const previewContent = previewConfig ? await readFile(previewConfig, 'utf8') : '';
+  const previewContent = previewConfigPath ? await readFile(previewConfigPath, 'utf8') : '';
 
   const hasVisualTestAddon =
     config?.addons?.some((it) =>
@@ -24,10 +21,10 @@ export async function warnWhenUsingArgTypesRegex(
         : it.name === '@chromatic-com/storybook'
     ) ?? false;
 
-  if (hasVisualTestAddon && previewConfig && previewContent.includes('argTypesRegex')) {
+  if (hasVisualTestAddon && previewConfigPath && previewContent.includes('argTypesRegex')) {
     // @ts-expect-error File is not yet exposed, see https://github.com/babel/babel/issues/11350#issuecomment-644118606
     const file: BabelFile = new babel.File(
-      { filename: previewConfig },
+      { filename: previewConfigPath },
       { code: previewContent, ast: babelParse(previewContent) }
     );
 
@@ -39,7 +36,7 @@ export async function warnWhenUsingArgTypesRegex(
               'actions.argTypesRegex'
             )} together with the visual test addon:
             
-            ${path.buildCodeFrameError(previewConfig).message}
+            ${path.buildCodeFrameError(previewConfigPath).message}
             
             We recommend removing the ${chalk.cyan(
               'argTypesRegex'
diff --git a/code/core/src/types/modules/core-common.ts b/code/core/src/types/modules/core-common.ts
index fb2f8542d514..8e71a4cadb2a 100644
--- a/code/core/src/types/modules/core-common.ts
+++ b/code/core/src/types/modules/core-common.ts
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ export type PackageJson = PackageJsonFromTypeFest & Record<string, any>;
 // TODO: This could be exported to the outside world and used in `options.ts` file of each `@storybook/APP`
 // like it's described in docs/api/new-frameworks.md
 export interface LoadOptions {
-  packageJson: PackageJson;
+  packageJson?: PackageJson;
   outputDir?: string;
   configDir?: string;
   cacheKey?: string;
diff --git a/code/presets/create-react-app/src/helpers/processCraConfig.ts b/code/presets/create-react-app/src/helpers/processCraConfig.ts
index befe78f217b7..eeb28fe91b2e 100644
--- a/code/presets/create-react-app/src/helpers/processCraConfig.ts
+++ b/code/presets/create-react-app/src/helpers/processCraConfig.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export const processCraConfig = async (
    *
    * See: https://github.com/storybookjs/storybook/pull/9157
    */
-  const storybookVersion = semver.coerce(options.packageJson.version) || '';
+  const storybookVersion = semver.coerce(options.packageJson?.version) || '';
   const isStorybook530 = semver.gte(storybookVersion, '5.3.0');
   const babelOptions = await options.presets.apply('babel');