diff --git a/core/project/__fixtures__/basic/packages/pkg-1/package.json b/core/project/__fixtures__/basic/packages/pkg-1/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8b0c3e7dc2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/project/__fixtures__/basic/packages/pkg-1/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+  "name": "pkg-1",
+  "version": "1.0.0"
+}
diff --git a/core/project/__fixtures__/basic/packages/pkg-2/package.json b/core/project/__fixtures__/basic/packages/pkg-2/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bc90fce816
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/project/__fixtures__/basic/packages/pkg-2/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "name": "pkg-2",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "dependencies": {
+    "pkg-1": "^1.0.0"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/core/project/__tests__/project.test.js b/core/project/__tests__/project.test.js
index d4f6e9d91c..69619b73bf 100644
--- a/core/project/__tests__/project.test.js
+++ b/core/project/__tests__/project.test.js
@@ -258,6 +258,31 @@ Object {
     });
   });
 
+  describe(".getPackagesSync()", () => {
+    it("returns a list of package instances synchronously", () => {
+      const project = new Project(testDir);
+      expect(project.getPackagesSync()).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+        Array [
+          Object {
+            "name": "pkg-1",
+            "version": "1.0.0",
+          },
+          Object {
+            "dependencies": Object {
+              "pkg-1": "^1.0.0",
+            },
+            "name": "pkg-2",
+            "version": "1.0.0",
+          },
+        ]
+      `);
+    });
+
+    it("is available from a static named export", () => {
+      expect(Project.getPackagesSync(testDir)).toMatchObject(new Project(testDir).getPackagesSync());
+    });
+  });
+
   describe("get .manifest", () => {
     it("returns a Package instance", () => {
       const project = new Project(testDir);
diff --git a/core/project/index.js b/core/project/index.js
index a647473321..94d0b530c9 100644
--- a/core/project/index.js
+++ b/core/project/index.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ const ValidationError = require("@lerna/validation-error");
 const Package = require("@lerna/package");
 const applyExtends = require("./lib/apply-extends");
 const deprecateConfig = require("./lib/deprecate-config");
-const { makeFileFinder } = require("./lib/make-file-finder");
+const { makeFileFinder, makeSyncFileFinder } = require("./lib/make-file-finder");
 
 class Project {
   constructor(cwd) {
@@ -175,6 +175,16 @@ class Project {
     return this.fileFinder("package.json", filePaths => pMap(filePaths, mapper, { concurrency: 50 }));
   }
 
+  getPackagesSync() {
+    return makeSyncFileFinder(this.rootPath, this.packageConfigs)("package.json", packageConfigPath => {
+      return new Package(
+        loadJsonFile.sync(packageConfigPath),
+        path.dirname(packageConfigPath),
+        this.rootPath
+      );
+    });
+  }
+
   getPackageLicensePaths() {
     return this.fileFinder(Project.LICENSE_GLOB, null, { case: false });
   }
@@ -196,3 +206,4 @@ Project.LICENSE_GLOB = "LICEN{S,C}E{,.*}";
 
 module.exports = Project;
 module.exports.getPackages = cwd => new Project(cwd).getPackages();
+module.exports.getPackagesSync = cwd => new Project(cwd).getPackagesSync();
diff --git a/core/project/lib/make-file-finder.js b/core/project/lib/make-file-finder.js
index 79360b1d2a..9d1b40a177 100644
--- a/core/project/lib/make-file-finder.js
+++ b/core/project/lib/make-file-finder.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const path = require("path");
 const ValidationError = require("@lerna/validation-error");
 
 module.exports.makeFileFinder = makeFileFinder;
+module.exports.makeSyncFileFinder = makeSyncFileFinder;
 
 function getGlobOpts(rootPath, packageConfigs) {
   const globOpts = {
@@ -61,3 +62,21 @@ function makeFileFinder(rootPath, packageConfigs) {
     return promise.then(results => results.reduce((acc, result) => acc.concat(result), []));
   };
 }
+
+function makeSyncFileFinder(rootPath, packageConfigs) {
+  const globOpts = getGlobOpts(rootPath, packageConfigs);
+
+  return (fileName, fileMapper, customGlobOpts) => {
+    const options = Object.assign({}, customGlobOpts, globOpts);
+    const patterns = packageConfigs.map(globPath => path.join(globPath, fileName)).sort();
+
+    let results = globby.sync(patterns, options);
+
+    /* istanbul ignore else */
+    if (fileMapper) {
+      results = results.map(fileMapper);
+    }
+
+    return results;
+  };
+}