diff --git a/workspaces/arborist/lib/arborist/rebuild.js b/workspaces/arborist/lib/arborist/rebuild.js
index 49b70f72ae534..a99d328f5d294 100644
--- a/workspaces/arborist/lib/arborist/rebuild.js
+++ b/workspaces/arborist/lib/arborist/rebuild.js
@@ -199,10 +199,21 @@ module.exports = cls => class Builder extends cls {
       const { package: { bin, scripts = {} } } = node.target
       const { preinstall, install, postinstall, prepare } = scripts
       const tests = { bin, preinstall, install, postinstall, prepare }
+      // A denied package (allowScripts resolves to `false`) still gets its
+      // bins linked; only its lifecycle scripts are skipped, matching
+      // --ignore-scripts (npm/cli#9681). --dangerously-allow-all-scripts
+      // bypasses the gate.
+      const scriptsDenied =
+        !this.options.dangerouslyAllowAllScripts &&
+        isScriptAllowed(node, this.options.allowScripts) === false
       for (const [key, has] of Object.entries(tests)) {
-        if (has) {
-          this.#queues[key].push(node)
+        if (!has) {
+          continue
         }
+        if (key !== 'bin' && scriptsDenied) {
+          continue
+        }
+        this.#queues[key].push(node)
       }
     }
     timeEnd()
@@ -226,18 +237,6 @@ module.exports = cls => class Builder extends cls {
       return
     }
 
-    // Phase 1 allowScripts gate: a `false` verdict from the policy matcher
-    // means the user explicitly denied install scripts for this node, so skip
-    // it. `true` and `null` (unreviewed) both fall through to the existing
-    // detection logic — unreviewed nodes still run their scripts in Phase 1
-    // and are surfaced via the post-reify advisory warning. The global
-    // --ignore-scripts kill switch in #build() still takes precedence, and
-    // --dangerously-allow-all-scripts bypasses this gate entirely.
-    if (!this.options.dangerouslyAllowAllScripts &&
-        isScriptAllowed(node, this.options.allowScripts) === false) {
-      return
-    }
-
     if (this.#oldMeta === null) {
       const { root: { meta } } = node
       this.#oldMeta = meta && meta.loadedFromDisk &&
diff --git a/workspaces/arborist/test/arborist/rebuild.js b/workspaces/arborist/test/arborist/rebuild.js
index df2eac9eec25b..737d04d91545b 100644
--- a/workspaces/arborist/test/arborist/rebuild.js
+++ b/workspaces/arborist/test/arborist/rebuild.js
@@ -114,10 +114,9 @@ t.test('do not run scripts if ignoreScripts=true', async t => {
   t.throws(() => fs.statSync(file), 'bundle build script not run')
 })
 
-t.test('allowScripts deny entry skips the build set entry for that node', async t => {
-  // Verifies the deny gate in #addToBuildSet: when `allowScripts` resolves
-  // a node's policy to `false`, that node's scripts are skipped while
-  // others continue to run.
+t.test('allowScripts deny entry skips scripts for the denied node', async t => {
+  // Deny gate in #buildQueues: a `false` policy skips that node's
+  // scripts while others still run.
   const path = fixture(t, 'testing-rebuild-script-env-flags')
   const arb = newArb({
     path,
@@ -154,6 +153,46 @@ t.test('dangerouslyAllowAllScripts bypasses the deny gate', async t => {
   )
 })
 
+t.test('allowScripts deny keeps the bin link (npm/cli#9681)', async t => {
+  // Denying a package's scripts must not drop its bin links: the script
+  // is skipped but `.bin/<name>` is still created, like --ignore-scripts.
+  const path = t.testdir({
+    'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+      name: 'project',
+      version: '1.0.0',
+      dependencies: { 'denied-dep': '1.0.0' },
+    }),
+    node_modules: {
+      'denied-dep': {
+        'package.json': JSON.stringify({
+          name: 'denied-dep',
+          version: '1.0.0',
+          bin: { 'denied-bin': 'index.js' },
+          scripts: {
+            postinstall: `node -e "require('fs').writeFileSync('ran', '1')"`,
+          },
+        }),
+        'index.js': '#!/usr/bin/env node\nconsole.log("hi")\n',
+      },
+    },
+  })
+  const arb = newArb({
+    path,
+    allowScripts: { 'denied-dep': false },
+  })
+  await arb.rebuild()
+
+  t.throws(
+    () => fs.statSync(resolve(path, 'node_modules/denied-dep/ran')),
+    'denied postinstall did not run'
+  )
+  t.equal(
+    fs.statSync(resolve(path, 'node_modules/.bin/denied-bin')).isFile(),
+    true,
+    'denied package bin link is still created'
+  )
+})
+
 t.test('do nothing if ignoreScripts=true and binLinks=false', async t => {
   const path = fixture(t, 'testing-rebuild-bundle-reified')
   const file = resolve(path, 'node_modules/@isaacs/testing-rebuild-bundle-a/node_modules/@isaacs/testing-rebuild-bundle-b/cwd')