diff --git a/test/common/README.md b/test/common/README.md
index 539bbd9cd8f825..07bc3e180df3f2 100644
--- a/test/common/README.md
+++ b/test/common/README.md
@@ -377,6 +377,11 @@ const { spawn } = require('child_process');
 spawn(...common.pwdCommand, { stdio: ['pipe'] });
 ```
 
+### `requireNoPackageJSONAbove()`
+
+Throws an `AssertionError` if a `package.json` file is in any ancestor
+directory. Such files may interfere with proper test functionality.
+
 ### `runWithInvalidFD(func)`
 
 * `func` [<Function>][]
diff --git a/test/common/index.js b/test/common/index.js
index 1351a18d4118eb..95ffa28a2cc3d4 100644
--- a/test/common/index.js
+++ b/test/common/index.js
@@ -699,6 +699,20 @@ function gcUntil(name, condition) {
   });
 }
 
+function requireNoPackageJSONAbove() {
+  let possiblePackage = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'package.json');
+  let lastPackage = null;
+  while (possiblePackage !== lastPackage) {
+    if (fs.existsSync(possiblePackage)) {
+      assert.fail(
+        'This test shouldn\'t load properties from a package.json above ' +
+        `its file location. Found package.json at ${possiblePackage}.`);
+    }
+    lastPackage = possiblePackage;
+    possiblePackage = path.join(possiblePackage, '..', '..', 'package.json');
+  }
+}
+
 const common = {
   allowGlobals,
   buildType,
@@ -737,6 +751,7 @@ const common = {
   platformTimeout,
   printSkipMessage,
   pwdCommand,
+  requireNoPackageJSONAbove,
   runWithInvalidFD,
   skip,
   skipIf32Bits,
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-policy-dependencies.js b/test/parallel/test-policy-dependencies.js
index e7b2289714dff4..4486e0f8aa08c0 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-policy-dependencies.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-policy-dependencies.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 const common = require('../common');
 if (!common.hasCrypto)
   common.skip('missing crypto');
+common.requireNoPackageJSONAbove();
 
 const fixtures = require('../common/fixtures');
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-policy-dependency-conditions.js b/test/parallel/test-policy-dependency-conditions.js
index c9db95929daeec..dec17aa22984b0 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-policy-dependency-conditions.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-policy-dependency-conditions.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 const common = require('../common');
 
 if (!common.hasCrypto) common.skip('missing crypto');
+common.requireNoPackageJSONAbove();
 
 const Manifest = require('internal/policy/manifest').Manifest;
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-policy-integrity-flag.js b/test/parallel/test-policy-integrity-flag.js
index d97ef86cbe9d0f..ddcd02236d27c0 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-policy-integrity-flag.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-policy-integrity-flag.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 const common = require('../common');
 if (!common.hasCrypto)
   common.skip('missing crypto');
+common.requireNoPackageJSONAbove();
 
 const fixtures = require('../common/fixtures');
 
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-policy-parse-integrity.js b/test/parallel/test-policy-parse-integrity.js
index d042ccee0a49af..3a31d0d57f25db 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-policy-parse-integrity.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-policy-parse-integrity.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 const common = require('../common');
 if (!common.hasCrypto) common.skip('missing crypto');
+common.requireNoPackageJSONAbove();
 
 const tmpdir = require('../common/tmpdir');
 const assert = require('assert');
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-policy-scopes-dependencies.js b/test/parallel/test-policy-scopes-dependencies.js
index 202e6459a6543e..a5a9302ac69629 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-policy-scopes-dependencies.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-policy-scopes-dependencies.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 const common = require('../common');
 
 if (!common.hasCrypto) common.skip('missing crypto');
+common.requireNoPackageJSONAbove();
 
 const Manifest = require('internal/policy/manifest').Manifest;
 const assert = require('assert');
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-policy-scopes-integrity.js b/test/parallel/test-policy-scopes-integrity.js
index b61fc3199cd4e0..8c91cea142b903 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-policy-scopes-integrity.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-policy-scopes-integrity.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 const common = require('../common');
 
 if (!common.hasCrypto) common.skip('missing crypto');
+common.requireNoPackageJSONAbove();
 
 const Manifest = require('internal/policy/manifest').Manifest;
 const assert = require('assert');
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-policy-scopes.js b/test/parallel/test-policy-scopes.js
index b1ba160bdde3f1..129287c73c7659 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-policy-scopes.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-policy-scopes.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 const common = require('../common');
 if (!common.hasCrypto)
   common.skip('missing crypto');
+common.requireNoPackageJSONAbove();
 
 const fixtures = require('../common/fixtures');
 
diff --git a/test/pummel/test-policy-integrity.js b/test/pummel/test-policy-integrity.js
index 57625268fae4d0..15124aefd46904 100644
--- a/test/pummel/test-policy-integrity.js
+++ b/test/pummel/test-policy-integrity.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 const common = require('../common');
 if (!common.hasCrypto) common.skip('missing crypto');
+common.requireNoPackageJSONAbove();
 
 const { debuglog } = require('util');
 const debug = debuglog('test');