diff --git a/tests/specs/run/no_deno_json/__test__.jsonc b/tests/specs/run/no_deno_json/__test__.jsonc
index c8e32fa19004b0..b27e3cbff1f517 100644
--- a/tests/specs/run/no_deno_json/__test__.jsonc
+++ b/tests/specs/run/no_deno_json/__test__.jsonc
@@ -29,19 +29,33 @@
       "cwd": "code"
     },
     "auto_discovered": {
-      // TODO(2.0): most likely needs to change output to not expect auto-install
-      "ignore": true,
-      // auto-discovered node_modules relative package.json
-      "args": "run -A main.js",
-      "output": "code/sub_dir/main.out",
-      "cwd": "code/sub_dir"
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "args": "install",
+          "output": "code/install.out",
+          "cwd": "code"
+        },
+        {
+          // auto-discovered node_modules relative package.json
+          "args": "run -A main.js",
+          "output": "code/sub_dir/main.out",
+          "cwd": "code/sub_dir"
+        }
+      ]
     },
     "auto_discovered_arg": {
-      // TODO(2.0): most likely needs to change output to not expect auto-install
-      "ignore": true,
-      // auto-discovered for local script arg
-      "args": "run -L debug -A code/main.ts", // notice this is not in the sub dir
-      "output": "main.out"
+      "steps": [
+        {
+          "args": "install",
+          "output": "code/install.out",
+          "cwd": "code"
+        },
+        {
+          // auto-discovered for local script arg
+          "args": "run -L debug -A code/main.ts", // notice this is not in the sub dir
+          "output": "main.out"
+        }
+      ]
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/tests/specs/run/no_deno_json/code/install.out b/tests/specs/run/no_deno_json/code/install.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..321dc8ebcb4414
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/specs/run/no_deno_json/code/install.out
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+[UNORDERED_START]
+Download http://localhost:4260/@denotest/check-error
+Download http://localhost:4260/@denotest/cjs-default-export
+Download http://localhost:4260/chalk
+Download http://localhost:4260/ansi-styles
+Download http://localhost:4260/supports-color
+Download http://localhost:4260/color-convert
+Download http://localhost:4260/has-flag
+Download http://localhost:4260/color-name
+Download http://localhost:4260/@denotest/check-error/1.0.0.tgz
+Download http://localhost:4260/@denotest/cjs-default-export/1.0.0.tgz
+Download http://localhost:4260/chalk/chalk-4.1.2.tgz
+Download http://localhost:4260/ansi-styles/ansi-styles-4.3.0.tgz
+Download http://localhost:4260/supports-color/supports-color-7.2.0.tgz
+Download http://localhost:4260/color-convert/color-convert-2.0.1.tgz
+Download http://localhost:4260/has-flag/has-flag-4.0.0.tgz
+Download http://localhost:4260/color-name/color-name-1.1.4.tgz
+Initialize @denotest/cjs-default-export@1.0.0
+Initialize color-name@1.1.4
+Initialize ansi-styles@4.3.0
+Initialize has-flag@4.0.0
+Initialize supports-color@7.2.0
+Initialize color-convert@2.0.1
+Initialize chalk@4.1.2
+Initialize @denotest/check-error@1.0.0
+[UNORDERED_END]
diff --git a/tests/specs/run/no_deno_json/code/sub_dir/main.out b/tests/specs/run/no_deno_json/code/sub_dir/main.out
index 0ec79196042a12..b34a051240f98a 100644
--- a/tests/specs/run/no_deno_json/code/sub_dir/main.out
+++ b/tests/specs/run/no_deno_json/code/sub_dir/main.out
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-Download http://[WILDCARD]
 [WILDCARD]sub_dir
 {
   [WILDCARD]