diff --git a/workspaces/arborist/lib/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js b/workspaces/arborist/lib/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js
index f20a554bd5ee8..df4f5015919db 100644
--- a/workspaces/arborist/lib/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js
+++ b/workspaces/arborist/lib/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ module.exports = cls => class IdealTreeBuilder extends cls {
       // Load on a new Arborist object, so the Nodes aren't the same,
       // or else it'll get super confusing when we change them!
       .then(async root => {
-        if (!this[_updateAll] && !this[_global] && !root.meta.loadedFromDisk) {
+        if ((!this[_updateAll] && !this[_global] && !root.meta.loadedFromDisk) || (this[_global] && this[_updateNames].length)) {
           await new this.constructor(this.options).loadActual({ root })
           const tree = root.target
           // even though we didn't load it from a package-lock.json FILE,
diff --git a/workspaces/arborist/tap-snapshots/test/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js.test.cjs b/workspaces/arborist/tap-snapshots/test/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js.test.cjs
index 93ea45862e8f8..b743dab958ffe 100644
--- a/workspaces/arborist/tap-snapshots/test/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js.test.cjs
+++ b/workspaces/arborist/tap-snapshots/test/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js.test.cjs
@@ -121522,6 +121522,66 @@ ArboristNode {
 exports[`test/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js TAP update global > update a single dep 1`] = `
 ArboristNode {
   "children": Map {
+    "@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags" => ArboristNode {
+      "children": Map {
+        "own-or" => ArboristNode {
+          "edgesIn": Set {
+            EdgeIn {
+              "from": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+              "name": "own-or",
+              "spec": "^1.0.0",
+              "type": "prod",
+            },
+          },
+          "location": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/own-or",
+          "name": "own-or",
+          "path": "{CWD}/test/arborist/tap-testdir-build-ideal-tree-update-global/node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/own-or",
+          "version": "1.0.0",
+        },
+        "wrappy" => ArboristNode {
+          "edgesIn": Set {
+            EdgeIn {
+              "error": "INVALID",
+              "from": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+              "name": "wrappy",
+              "spec": "^1.0.2",
+              "type": "prod",
+            },
+          },
+          "location": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/wrappy",
+          "name": "wrappy",
+          "path": "{CWD}/test/arborist/tap-testdir-build-ideal-tree-update-global/node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/wrappy",
+          "version": "1.0.0",
+        },
+      },
+      "edgesIn": Set {
+        EdgeIn {
+          "from": "",
+          "name": "@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+          "spec": "*",
+          "type": "prod",
+        },
+      },
+      "edgesOut": Map {
+        "own-or" => EdgeOut {
+          "name": "own-or",
+          "spec": "^1.0.0",
+          "to": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/own-or",
+          "type": "prod",
+        },
+        "wrappy" => EdgeOut {
+          "error": "INVALID",
+          "name": "wrappy",
+          "spec": "^1.0.2",
+          "to": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/wrappy",
+          "type": "prod",
+        },
+      },
+      "location": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+      "name": "@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+      "path": "{CWD}/test/arborist/tap-testdir-build-ideal-tree-update-global/node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+      "version": "1.0.0",
+    },
     "once" => ArboristNode {
       "children": Map {
         "wrappy" => ArboristNode {
@@ -121536,8 +121596,7 @@ ArboristNode {
           "location": "node_modules/once/node_modules/wrappy",
           "name": "wrappy",
           "path": "{CWD}/test/arborist/tap-testdir-build-ideal-tree-update-global/node_modules/once/node_modules/wrappy",
-          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/wrappy/-/wrappy-1.0.2.tgz",
-          "version": "1.0.2",
+          "version": "1.0.1",
         },
       },
       "edgesIn": Set {
@@ -121564,6 +121623,12 @@ ArboristNode {
     },
   },
   "edgesOut": Map {
+    "@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags" => EdgeOut {
+      "name": "@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+      "spec": "*",
+      "to": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+      "type": "prod",
+    },
     "once" => EdgeOut {
       "name": "once",
       "spec": "*",
@@ -121706,8 +121771,245 @@ ArboristNode {
 }
 `
 
+exports[`test/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js TAP update global > updating missing dep should have no effect 1`] = `
+ArboristNode {
+  "children": Map {
+    "@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags" => ArboristNode {
+      "children": Map {
+        "own-or" => ArboristNode {
+          "edgesIn": Set {
+            EdgeIn {
+              "from": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+              "name": "own-or",
+              "spec": "^1.0.0",
+              "type": "prod",
+            },
+          },
+          "location": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/own-or",
+          "name": "own-or",
+          "path": "{CWD}/test/arborist/tap-testdir-build-ideal-tree-update-global/node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/own-or",
+          "version": "1.0.0",
+        },
+        "wrappy" => ArboristNode {
+          "edgesIn": Set {
+            EdgeIn {
+              "error": "INVALID",
+              "from": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+              "name": "wrappy",
+              "spec": "^1.0.2",
+              "type": "prod",
+            },
+          },
+          "location": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/wrappy",
+          "name": "wrappy",
+          "path": "{CWD}/test/arborist/tap-testdir-build-ideal-tree-update-global/node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/wrappy",
+          "version": "1.0.0",
+        },
+      },
+      "edgesIn": Set {
+        EdgeIn {
+          "from": "",
+          "name": "@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+          "spec": "*",
+          "type": "prod",
+        },
+      },
+      "edgesOut": Map {
+        "own-or" => EdgeOut {
+          "name": "own-or",
+          "spec": "^1.0.0",
+          "to": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/own-or",
+          "type": "prod",
+        },
+        "wrappy" => EdgeOut {
+          "error": "INVALID",
+          "name": "wrappy",
+          "spec": "^1.0.2",
+          "to": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/wrappy",
+          "type": "prod",
+        },
+      },
+      "location": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+      "name": "@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+      "path": "{CWD}/test/arborist/tap-testdir-build-ideal-tree-update-global/node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+      "version": "1.0.0",
+    },
+    "once" => ArboristNode {
+      "children": Map {
+        "wrappy" => ArboristNode {
+          "edgesIn": Set {
+            EdgeIn {
+              "from": "node_modules/once",
+              "name": "wrappy",
+              "spec": "1",
+              "type": "prod",
+            },
+          },
+          "location": "node_modules/once/node_modules/wrappy",
+          "name": "wrappy",
+          "path": "{CWD}/test/arborist/tap-testdir-build-ideal-tree-update-global/node_modules/once/node_modules/wrappy",
+          "version": "1.0.1",
+        },
+      },
+      "edgesIn": Set {
+        EdgeIn {
+          "from": "",
+          "name": "once",
+          "spec": "*",
+          "type": "prod",
+        },
+      },
+      "edgesOut": Map {
+        "wrappy" => EdgeOut {
+          "name": "wrappy",
+          "spec": "1",
+          "to": "node_modules/once/node_modules/wrappy",
+          "type": "prod",
+        },
+      },
+      "location": "node_modules/once",
+      "name": "once",
+      "path": "{CWD}/test/arborist/tap-testdir-build-ideal-tree-update-global/node_modules/once",
+      "version": "1.3.1",
+    },
+  },
+  "edgesOut": Map {
+    "@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags" => EdgeOut {
+      "name": "@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+      "spec": "*",
+      "to": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+      "type": "prod",
+    },
+    "once" => EdgeOut {
+      "name": "once",
+      "spec": "*",
+      "to": "node_modules/once",
+      "type": "prod",
+    },
+  },
+  "isProjectRoot": true,
+  "location": "",
+  "name": "tap-testdir-build-ideal-tree-update-global",
+  "path": "{CWD}/test/arborist/tap-testdir-build-ideal-tree-update-global",
+}
+`
+
 exports[`test/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js TAP update global > updating sub-dep has no effect 1`] = `
 ArboristNode {
+  "children": Map {
+    "@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags" => ArboristNode {
+      "children": Map {
+        "own-or" => ArboristNode {
+          "edgesIn": Set {
+            EdgeIn {
+              "from": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+              "name": "own-or",
+              "spec": "^1.0.0",
+              "type": "prod",
+            },
+          },
+          "location": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/own-or",
+          "name": "own-or",
+          "path": "{CWD}/test/arborist/tap-testdir-build-ideal-tree-update-global/node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/own-or",
+          "version": "1.0.0",
+        },
+        "wrappy" => ArboristNode {
+          "edgesIn": Set {
+            EdgeIn {
+              "error": "INVALID",
+              "from": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+              "name": "wrappy",
+              "spec": "^1.0.2",
+              "type": "prod",
+            },
+          },
+          "location": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/wrappy",
+          "name": "wrappy",
+          "path": "{CWD}/test/arborist/tap-testdir-build-ideal-tree-update-global/node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/wrappy",
+          "version": "1.0.0",
+        },
+      },
+      "edgesIn": Set {
+        EdgeIn {
+          "from": "",
+          "name": "@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+          "spec": "*",
+          "type": "prod",
+        },
+      },
+      "edgesOut": Map {
+        "own-or" => EdgeOut {
+          "name": "own-or",
+          "spec": "^1.0.0",
+          "to": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/own-or",
+          "type": "prod",
+        },
+        "wrappy" => EdgeOut {
+          "error": "INVALID",
+          "name": "wrappy",
+          "spec": "^1.0.2",
+          "to": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags/node_modules/wrappy",
+          "type": "prod",
+        },
+      },
+      "location": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+      "name": "@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+      "path": "{CWD}/test/arborist/tap-testdir-build-ideal-tree-update-global/node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+      "version": "1.0.0",
+    },
+    "once" => ArboristNode {
+      "children": Map {
+        "wrappy" => ArboristNode {
+          "edgesIn": Set {
+            EdgeIn {
+              "from": "node_modules/once",
+              "name": "wrappy",
+              "spec": "1",
+              "type": "prod",
+            },
+          },
+          "location": "node_modules/once/node_modules/wrappy",
+          "name": "wrappy",
+          "path": "{CWD}/test/arborist/tap-testdir-build-ideal-tree-update-global/node_modules/once/node_modules/wrappy",
+          "version": "1.0.1",
+        },
+      },
+      "edgesIn": Set {
+        EdgeIn {
+          "from": "",
+          "name": "once",
+          "spec": "*",
+          "type": "prod",
+        },
+      },
+      "edgesOut": Map {
+        "wrappy" => EdgeOut {
+          "name": "wrappy",
+          "spec": "1",
+          "to": "node_modules/once/node_modules/wrappy",
+          "type": "prod",
+        },
+      },
+      "location": "node_modules/once",
+      "name": "once",
+      "path": "{CWD}/test/arborist/tap-testdir-build-ideal-tree-update-global/node_modules/once",
+      "version": "1.3.1",
+    },
+  },
+  "edgesOut": Map {
+    "@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags" => EdgeOut {
+      "name": "@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+      "spec": "*",
+      "to": "node_modules/@isaacs/testing-dev-optional-flags",
+      "type": "prod",
+    },
+    "once" => EdgeOut {
+      "name": "once",
+      "spec": "*",
+      "to": "node_modules/once",
+      "type": "prod",
+    },
+  },
   "isProjectRoot": true,
   "location": "",
   "name": "tap-testdir-build-ideal-tree-update-global",
diff --git a/workspaces/arborist/test/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js b/workspaces/arborist/test/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js
index 2c058a6a3283e..d8bfe8200c71c 100644
--- a/workspaces/arborist/test/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js
+++ b/workspaces/arborist/test/arborist/build-ideal-tree.js
@@ -2092,6 +2092,10 @@ t.test('update global', async t => {
       },
     },
   })
+
+  t.matchSnapshot(await printIdeal(path, { global: true, update: ['abbrev'] }),
+    'updating missing dep should have no effect')
+
   t.matchSnapshot(await printIdeal(path, { global: true, update: ['wrappy'] }),
     'updating sub-dep has no effect')
   t.matchSnapshot(await printIdeal(path, { global: true, update: ['once'] }),