diff --git a/workspaces/arborist/lib/arborist/load-actual.js b/workspaces/arborist/lib/arborist/load-actual.js
index d6615caa42fb2..cfdca0aa3d538 100644
--- a/workspaces/arborist/lib/arborist/load-actual.js
+++ b/workspaces/arborist/lib/arborist/load-actual.js
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ module.exports = cls => class ActualLoader extends cls {
       transplantFilter = () => true,
       ignoreMissing = false,
       forceActual = false,
+      // always present: the public loadActual merges this.options, which sets installStrategy
+      installStrategy,
     } = options
     this.#filter = filter
     this.#transplantFilter = transplantFilter
@@ -173,6 +175,20 @@ module.exports = cls => class ActualLoader extends cls {
         }
       }
       await Promise.all(promises)
+
+      // Linked undeclared workspaces aren't symlinked into root node_modules, so their edges resolve to null and flags never propagate.
+      // Synthesize the links from the loaded targets. Gated to linked; under hoisted a null workspace edge is a real missing link.
+      if (installStrategy === 'linked') {
+        for (const [name, path] of this.#actualTree.workspaces.entries()) {
+          const edge = this.#actualTree.edgesOut.get(name)
+          // skip workspaces already linked into root node_modules (declared deps)
+          if (edge.to) {
+            continue
+          }
+          const target = this.#cache.get(path)
+          new Link({ parent: this.#actualTree, name, realpath: path, target, pkg: target.package })
+        }
+      }
     }
 
     // .npm-extension runs before packageExtensions, matching the ideal-tree resolution order
diff --git a/workspaces/arborist/lib/calc-dep-flags.js b/workspaces/arborist/lib/calc-dep-flags.js
index 5f2484858094d..965127f5ac9dd 100644
--- a/workspaces/arborist/lib/calc-dep-flags.js
+++ b/workspaces/arborist/lib/calc-dep-flags.js
@@ -35,12 +35,32 @@ const calcDepFlags = (tree, resetRoot = true) => {
       if (node.target == null) {
         continue
       }
-      node.target.dev = node.dev
-      node.target.optional = node.optional
-      node.target.devOptional = node.devOptional
-      node.target.peer = node.peer
-      node.target.extraneous = node.extraneous
-      queue.push(node.target)
+      // Only unset flags, matching the edge walk below, so multiple links to one target can't clobber a correct value.
+      let changed = false
+      if (node.target.dev && !node.dev) {
+        node.target.dev = false
+        changed = true
+      }
+      if (node.target.optional && !node.optional) {
+        node.target.optional = false
+        changed = true
+      }
+      if (node.target.devOptional && !node.devOptional) {
+        node.target.devOptional = false
+        changed = true
+      }
+      if (node.target.peer && !node.peer) {
+        node.target.peer = false
+        changed = true
+      }
+      if (node.target.extraneous && !node.extraneous) {
+        node.target.extraneous = false
+        changed = true
+      }
+      // queue target on first visit so its deps are walked
+      if (changed || !seen.has(node.target)) {
+        queue.push(node.target)
+      }
       continue
     }
 
diff --git a/workspaces/arborist/test/arborist/load-actual.js b/workspaces/arborist/test/arborist/load-actual.js
index 9d724e934fdca..d21a9421d86b9 100644
--- a/workspaces/arborist/test/arborist/load-actual.js
+++ b/workspaces/arborist/test/arborist/load-actual.js
@@ -303,6 +303,49 @@ t.test('transplant workspace targets, even if links not present', async t => {
   }), 'do not transplant node named "a"')
 })
 
+t.test('linked strategy propagates dep flags into undeclared workspaces', async t => {
+  // Undeclared workspaces aren't in root node_modules under linked; without the fix their edges resolve to null and stay dev.
+  // `tools` is also a devDependency of `app`, so it is reached by both a prod root link and a dev `app` link.
+  // `app` is linked into root node_modules, so its edge already resolves and the synthesis is skipped.
+  const path = t.testdir({
+    'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+      name: 'root',
+      workspaces: ['packages/*'],
+    }),
+    node_modules: {
+      '@test': {
+        app: t.fixture('symlink', '../../packages/app'),
+      },
+    },
+    packages: {
+      app: {
+        'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+          name: '@test/app',
+          version: '1.0.0',
+          devDependencies: { '@test/tools': '*' },
+        }),
+        node_modules: {
+          '@test': {
+            tools: t.fixture('symlink', '../../../tools'),
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      tools: {
+        'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+          name: '@test/tools',
+          version: '1.0.0',
+        }),
+      },
+    },
+  })
+  const tree = await loadActual(path, { installStrategy: 'linked' })
+  const byLocation = loc => [...tree.inventory.values()].find(n => n.location === loc)
+  const app = byLocation('packages/app')
+  const tools = byLocation('packages/tools')
+  t.equal(app.dev, false, 'app workspace is prod')
+  t.equal(tools.dev, false, 'tools workspace is prod, not overwritten by the dev app link')
+})
+
 t.test('load workspaces when loading from hidden lockfile', async t => {
   const path = t.testdir({
     'package.json': JSON.stringify({
diff --git a/workspaces/arborist/test/calc-dep-flags.js b/workspaces/arborist/test/calc-dep-flags.js
index b371ae55f6e4b..70a5ec48b6a46 100644
--- a/workspaces/arborist/test/calc-dep-flags.js
+++ b/workspaces/arborist/test/calc-dep-flags.js
@@ -343,6 +343,37 @@ t.test('set parents to not extraneous when visiting', t => {
   t.end()
 })
 
+t.test('multiple links to one target keep the most permissive flags', async t => {
+  // `tools` is reached by a prod root link and a dev `app` link; the dev link must not overwrite the prod dev flag.
+  const root = new Node({
+    path: '/r',
+    realpath: '/r',
+    pkg: { name: 'root', workspaces: ['app', 'tools'] },
+  })
+  const app = new Node({
+    path: '/r/app',
+    realpath: '/r/app',
+    root,
+    pkg: { name: 'app', version: '1.0.0', devDependencies: { tools: '*' } },
+  })
+  const tools = new Node({
+    path: '/r/tools',
+    realpath: '/r/tools',
+    root,
+    pkg: { name: 'tools', version: '1.0.0' },
+  })
+  new Link({ name: 'app', parent: root, realpath: '/r/app', target: app })
+  new Link({ name: 'tools', parent: root, realpath: '/r/tools', target: tools })
+  new Link({ name: 'tools', parent: app, realpath: '/r/tools', target: tools })
+  root.workspaces = new Map([['app', '/r/app'], ['tools', '/r/tools']])
+
+  calcDepFlags(root)
+
+  t.equal(tools.dev, false, 'tools is prod via the root workspace link')
+  t.equal(app.dev, false, 'app is prod via the root workspace link')
+  t.end()
+})
+
 t.test('check null target in link', async t => {
   const root = new Link({
     path: '/some/path',