diff --git a/lib/utils/config/definitions.js b/lib/utils/config/definitions.js
index 092e0fc435cb4..009f60a7bce61 100644
--- a/lib/utils/config/definitions.js
+++ b/lib/utils/config/definitions.js
@@ -2053,10 +2053,14 @@ define('user-agent', {
         .replace(/\{workspaces\}/gi, inWorkspaces)
         .replace(/\{ci\}/gi, ciName ? `ci/${ciName}` : '')
         .trim()
+
+    // We can't clobber the original or else subsequent flattening will fail
+    // (i.e. when we change the underlying config values)
+    // obj[key] = flatOptions.userAgent
+
     // user-agent is a unique kind of config item that gets set from a template
     // and ends up translated.  Because of this, the normal "should we set this
     // to process.env also doesn't work
-    obj[key] = flatOptions.userAgent
     process.env.npm_config_user_agent = flatOptions.userAgent
   },
 })
@@ -2140,6 +2144,9 @@ define('workspace', {
     a workspace which does not yet exist, to create the folder and set it
     up as a brand new workspace within the project.
   `,
+  flatten: (key, obj, flatOptions) => {
+    definitions['user-agent'].flatten('user-agent', obj, flatOptions)
+  },
 })
 
 define('workspaces', {
@@ -2151,6 +2158,9 @@ define('workspaces', {
     Enable running a command in the context of **all** the configured
     workspaces.
   `,
+  flatten: (key, obj, flatOptions) => {
+    definitions['user-agent'].flatten('user-agent', obj, flatOptions)
+  },
 })
 
 define('yes', {
diff --git a/tap-snapshots/test/lib/config.js.test.cjs b/tap-snapshots/test/lib/config.js.test.cjs
index 817f3c173f19e..b21b75cd25e11 100644
--- a/tap-snapshots/test/lib/config.js.test.cjs
+++ b/tap-snapshots/test/lib/config.js.test.cjs
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ exports[`test/lib/config.js TAP config list --json > output matches snapshot 1`]
   "unicode": false,
   "update-notifier": true,
   "usage": false,
-  "user-agent": "npm/{NPM-VERSION} node/{NODE-VERSION} {PLATFORM} {ARCH} workspaces/false",
+  "user-agent": "npm/{npm-version} node/{node-version} {platform} {arch} workspaces/{workspaces} {ci}",
   "version": false,
   "versions": false,
   "viewer": "{VIEWER}",
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ umask = 0
 unicode = false 
 update-notifier = true 
 usage = false 
-user-agent = "npm/{NPM-VERSION} node/{NODE-VERSION} {PLATFORM} {ARCH} workspaces/false" 
+user-agent = "npm/{npm-version} node/{node-version} {platform} {arch} workspaces/{workspaces} {ci}" 
 ; userconfig = "{HOME}/.npmrc" ; overridden by cli
 version = false 
 versions = false 
diff --git a/test/lib/utils/config/definitions.js b/test/lib/utils/config/definitions.js
index 65193020d050c..88993303b539c 100644
--- a/test/lib/utils/config/definitions.js
+++ b/test/lib/utils/config/definitions.js
@@ -747,7 +747,7 @@ t.test('user-agent', t => {
   definitions['user-agent'].flatten('user-agent', obj, flat)
   t.equal(flat.userAgent, expectNoCI)
   t.equal(process.env.npm_config_user_agent, flat.userAgent, 'npm_user_config environment is set')
-  t.equal(obj['user-agent'], flat.userAgent, 'config user-agent template is translated')
+  t.not(obj['user-agent'], flat.userAgent, 'config user-agent template is not translated')
 
   obj['ci-name'] = 'foo'
   obj['user-agent'] = definitions['user-agent'].default
@@ -755,7 +755,7 @@ t.test('user-agent', t => {
   definitions['user-agent'].flatten('user-agent', obj, flat)
   t.equal(flat.userAgent, expectCI)
   t.equal(process.env.npm_config_user_agent, flat.userAgent, 'npm_user_config environment is set')
-  t.equal(obj['user-agent'], flat.userAgent, 'config user-agent template is translated')
+  t.not(obj['user-agent'], flat.userAgent, 'config user-agent template is not translated')
 
   delete obj['ci-name']
   obj.workspaces = true
@@ -764,7 +764,7 @@ t.test('user-agent', t => {
   definitions['user-agent'].flatten('user-agent', obj, flat)
   t.equal(flat.userAgent, expectWorkspaces)
   t.equal(process.env.npm_config_user_agent, flat.userAgent, 'npm_user_config environment is set')
-  t.equal(obj['user-agent'], flat.userAgent, 'config user-agent template is translated')
+  t.not(obj['user-agent'], flat.userAgent, 'config user-agent template is not translated')
 
   delete obj.workspaces
   obj.workspace = ['foo']
@@ -772,7 +772,7 @@ t.test('user-agent', t => {
   definitions['user-agent'].flatten('user-agent', obj, flat)
   t.equal(flat.userAgent, expectWorkspaces)
   t.equal(process.env.npm_config_user_agent, flat.userAgent, 'npm_user_config environment is set')
-  t.equal(obj['user-agent'], flat.userAgent, 'config user-agent template is translated')
+  t.not(obj['user-agent'], flat.userAgent, 'config user-agent template is not translated')
   t.end()
 })
 
@@ -853,3 +853,25 @@ t.test('package-lock-only', t => {
   t.strictSame(flat, { packageLock: false, packageLockOnly: false })
   t.end()
 })
+
+t.test('workspaces', t => {
+  const obj = {
+    workspaces: true,
+    'user-agent': definitions['user-agent'].default,
+  }
+  const flat = {}
+  definitions.workspaces.flatten('workspaces', obj, flat)
+  t.match(flat.userAgent, /workspaces\/true/)
+  t.end()
+})
+
+t.test('workspace', t => {
+  const obj = {
+    workspace: ['workspace-a'],
+    'user-agent': definitions['user-agent'].default,
+  }
+  const flat = {}
+  definitions.workspace.flatten('workspaces', obj, flat)
+  t.match(flat.userAgent, /workspaces\/true/)
+  t.end()
+})