diff --git a/docs/usage/self-hosted-configuration.md b/docs/usage/self-hosted-configuration.md
index da534135fb132d..29ad00fbf4be45 100644
--- a/docs/usage/self-hosted-configuration.md
+++ b/docs/usage/self-hosted-configuration.md
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ module.exports = {
 
 In the `renovate.json` file, define the commands and files to be included in the final commit.
 
-The command to install dependencies (`npm ci --ignore-scripts`) is needed because, by default, the installation of dependencies is skipped.
+The command to install dependencies (`npm ci --ignore-scripts`) is needed because, by default, the installation of dependencies is skipped (see the `skipInstalls` global option).
 
 ```json
 {
@@ -798,6 +798,12 @@ It could then be used in a repository config or preset like so:
 
 Secret names must start with an upper or lower case character and can have only characters, digits, or underscores.
 
+## skipInstalls
+
+By default, Renovate will use the most efficient approach to updating package files and lock files, which in most cases skips the need to perform a full module install by the bot.
+If this is set to false, then a full install of modules will be done.
+This is currently applicable to `npm` and `lerna`/`npm` only, and only used in cases where bugs in `npm` result in incorrect lock files being updated.
+
 ## token
 
 ## unicodeEmoji
diff --git a/lib/config/options/index.ts b/lib/config/options/index.ts
index 82bae582950210..eb314221a872df 100644
--- a/lib/config/options/index.ts
+++ b/lib/config/options/index.ts
@@ -729,6 +729,14 @@ const options: RenovateOptions[] = [
     description: 'Set to `false` to disable lock file updating.',
     type: 'boolean',
   },
+  {
+    name: 'skipInstalls',
+    description:
+      'Skip installing modules/dependencies if lock file updating is possible without a full install.',
+    type: 'boolean',
+    default: null,
+    globalOnly: true,
+  },
   {
     name: 'autodiscover',
     description: 'Autodiscover all repositories.',
diff --git a/lib/config/types.ts b/lib/config/types.ts
index ad00ee60404919..9fbabb40fa68ac 100644
--- a/lib/config/types.ts
+++ b/lib/config/types.ts
@@ -262,6 +262,7 @@ export interface RenovateConfig
   secrets?: Record<string, string>;
 
   constraints?: Record<string, string>;
+  skipInstalls?: boolean | null;
 
   constraintsFiltering?: ConstraintsFilter;
 
diff --git a/lib/modules/manager/npm/extract/index.spec.ts b/lib/modules/manager/npm/extract/index.spec.ts
index 170f4ff30d151a..d43e4702551c73 100644
--- a/lib/modules/manager/npm/extract/index.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/modules/manager/npm/extract/index.spec.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const realFs = jest.requireActual<typeof import('../../../../util/fs')>(
 );
 
 const defaultExtractConfig = {
-  skipInstalls: true,
+  skipInstalls: null,
 } satisfies ExtractConfig;
 
 const input01Content = Fixtures.get('inputs/01.json', '..');
diff --git a/lib/modules/manager/npm/extract/index.ts b/lib/modules/manager/npm/extract/index.ts
index 6db976a92e5316..467cdef6b849fc 100644
--- a/lib/modules/manager/npm/extract/index.ts
+++ b/lib/modules/manager/npm/extract/index.ts
@@ -473,15 +473,19 @@ export async function extractPackageFile(
       return null;
     }
   }
-  let skipInstalls = true; // skip installing modules by default
-  if ((hasFancyRefs && lockFiles.npmLock) || yarnZeroInstall) {
-    // https://github.com/npm/cli/issues/1432
-    // Explanation:
-    //  - npm install --package-lock-only is buggy for transitive deps in file: and npm: references
-    //  - So we set skipInstalls to false if file: or npm: refs are found *and* the user hasn't explicitly set the value already
-    //  - Also, do not skip install if Yarn zero-install is used
-    logger.debug('Automatically setting skipInstalls to false');
-    skipInstalls = false;
+  let skipInstalls = config.skipInstalls;
+  if (skipInstalls === null) {
+    if ((hasFancyRefs && lockFiles.npmLock) || yarnZeroInstall) {
+      // https://github.com/npm/cli/issues/1432
+      // Explanation:
+      //  - npm install --package-lock-only is buggy for transitive deps in file: and npm: references
+      //  - So we set skipInstalls to false if file: or npm: refs are found *and* the user hasn't explicitly set the value already
+      //  - Also, do not skip install if Yarn zero-install is used
+      logger.debug('Automatically setting skipInstalls to false');
+      skipInstalls = false;
+    } else {
+      skipInstalls = true;
+    }
   }
 
   return {
diff --git a/lib/modules/manager/types.ts b/lib/modules/manager/types.ts
index f037a97f1afaef..311288b6bf9369 100644
--- a/lib/modules/manager/types.ts
+++ b/lib/modules/manager/types.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export interface ExtractConfig extends CustomExtractConfig {
   registryAliases?: Record<string, string>;
   npmrc?: string;
   npmrcMerge?: boolean;
-  skipInstalls?: boolean;
+  skipInstalls?: boolean | null;
 }
 
 export interface CustomExtractConfig extends RegexManagerTemplates {
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ export interface PackageFileContent<T = Record<string, any>>
   lockFiles?: string[];
   npmrc?: string;
   packageFileVersion?: string;
-  skipInstalls?: boolean;
+  skipInstalls?: boolean | null;
   matchStrings?: string[];
   matchStringsStrategy?: MatchStringsStrategy;
 }
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ export interface PostUpdateConfig<T = Record<string, any>>
     ManagerData<T> {
   updatedPackageFiles?: FileChange[];
   postUpdateOptions?: string[];
-  skipInstalls?: boolean;
+  skipInstalls?: boolean | null;
   ignoreScripts?: boolean;
 
   packageFile?: string;
diff --git a/lib/workers/repository/extract/extract-fingerprint-config.spec.ts b/lib/workers/repository/extract/extract-fingerprint-config.spec.ts
index e3d252ba282147..c0ac40404f4e46 100644
--- a/lib/workers/repository/extract/extract-fingerprint-config.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/workers/repository/extract/extract-fingerprint-config.spec.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ describe('workers/repository/extract/extract-fingerprint-config', () => {
       registryAliases: {
         notStable: 'http://some.link.2',
       },
+      skipInstalls: null,
     });
     expect(
       fingerprintConfig.managers.find((manager) => manager.manager === 'regex')
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ describe('workers/repository/extract/extract-fingerprint-config', () => {
       registryAliases: {
         stable: 'http://some.link',
       },
+      skipInstalls: null,
     });
   });
 
@@ -88,6 +90,7 @@ describe('workers/repository/extract/extract-fingerprint-config', () => {
       npmrc: 'some-string',
       npmrcMerge: true,
       registryAliases: {},
+      skipInstalls: null,
     });
     expect(
       fingerprintConfig.managers.find(
@@ -106,6 +109,7 @@ describe('workers/repository/extract/extract-fingerprint-config', () => {
       npmrc: 'some-string',
       npmrcMerge: true,
       registryAliases: {},
+      skipInstalls: null,
     });
     expect(
       fingerprintConfig.managers.find((manager) => manager.manager === 'regex')