diff --git a/workspaces/arborist/lib/arborist/load-actual.js b/workspaces/arborist/lib/arborist/load-actual.js
index 2356227a5baa3..56f473423ca92 100644
--- a/workspaces/arborist/lib/arborist/load-actual.js
+++ b/workspaces/arborist/lib/arborist/load-actual.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // mix-in implementing the loadActual method
 
-const { dirname, join, normalize, relative, resolve } = require('node:path')
+const { dirname, join, normalize, relative, resolve, sep } = require('node:path')
 
 const PackageJson = require('@npmcli/package-json')
 const { readdirScoped } = require('@npmcli/fs')
@@ -263,6 +263,9 @@ module.exports = cls => class ActualLoader extends cls {
         parent,
         root,
         loadOverrides,
+        // A package physically located in the linked strategy's store is a transitive dependency, not a real tree top, so it must not load its devDependencies.
+        // Never flag the loaded root itself, even if its own path happens to sit under a .store directory.
+        isInStore: path !== this.path && real.includes(`${sep}node_modules${sep}.store${sep}`),
       }
 
       try {
diff --git a/workspaces/arborist/lib/node.js b/workspaces/arborist/lib/node.js
index 451ede1e52cbf..87b0ac41740bd 100644
--- a/workspaces/arborist/lib/node.js
+++ b/workspaces/arborist/lib/node.js
@@ -927,7 +927,8 @@ class Node {
       isTop: srcTop,
       path: srcPath,
     } = sourceReference || {}
-    const thisDev = isTop && !globalTop && path
+    // A package in the linked strategy's .store is a transitive dependency that is structurally a tree top, but its devDependencies are never installed or required, so they must not be loaded.
+    const thisDev = isTop && !globalTop && path && !this.isInStore
     const srcDev = !sourceReference || srcTop && !srcGlobalTop && srcPath
     if (thisDev && srcDev) {
       this.#loadDepType(this.package.devDependencies, 'dev', ad)
diff --git a/workspaces/arborist/test/arborist/load-actual.js b/workspaces/arborist/test/arborist/load-actual.js
index 94ad4e7269286..8ab9133f13d55 100644
--- a/workspaces/arborist/test/arborist/load-actual.js
+++ b/workspaces/arborist/test/arborist/load-actual.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ const t = require('tap')
 const { format } = require('tcompare')
 const Arborist = require('../../lib/arborist')
 
-const { resolve } = require('node:path')
+const { join, resolve } = require('node:path')
 const Node = require('../../lib/node.js')
 const Shrinkwrap = require('../../lib/shrinkwrap.js')
 const fs = require('node:fs')
@@ -498,3 +498,61 @@ t.test('loading a workspace maintains overrides', async t => {
   const fooEdge = tree.edgesOut.get('foo')
   t.equal(tree.overrides, fooEdge.overrides, 'foo edge got the correct overrides')
 })
+
+t.test('store nodes do not load devDependencies as required edges', async t => {
+  // A package in the linked store is structurally a tree top, so without the isInStore guard its devDependencies would load as required edges and surface as missing (e.g. npm sbom ESBOMPROBLEMS).
+  const path = t.testdir({
+    'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+      name: 'root',
+      version: '1.0.0',
+      dependencies: { dep: '1.0.0' },
+    }),
+    node_modules: {
+      dep: t.fixture('symlink', '.store/dep@1.0.0/node_modules/dep'),
+      '.store': {
+        'dep@1.0.0': {
+          node_modules: {
+            dep: {
+              'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+                name: 'dep',
+                version: '1.0.0',
+                devDependencies: { 'a-dev-dep': '^1.0.0' },
+              }),
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  })
+
+  const tree = await loadActual(path)
+  const dep = tree.children.get('dep').target
+  t.equal(dep.isInStore, true, 'store node is flagged isInStore')
+  t.notOk(dep.edgesOut.get('a-dev-dep'), 'devDependency of a store node is not a required edge')
+})
+
+t.test('a project located under a .store path still loads its own devDependencies', async t => {
+  // The loaded root must never be treated as a store node, even when its own path happens to sit under a node_modules/.store directory.
+  const path = t.testdir({
+    node_modules: {
+      '.store': {
+        'root@1.0.0': {
+          node_modules: {
+            root: {
+              'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+                name: 'root',
+                version: '1.0.0',
+                devDependencies: { 'a-dev-dep': '^1.0.0' },
+              }),
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+    },
+  })
+  const root = join(path, 'node_modules/.store/root@1.0.0/node_modules/root')
+
+  const tree = await loadActual(root)
+  t.equal(tree.isInStore, false, 'loaded root is not flagged isInStore')
+  t.ok(tree.edgesOut.get('a-dev-dep'), 'root devDependency is a required edge')
+})