diff --git a/lib/config.js b/lib/config.js
index a56dd92ffbde6..2df7bf513437c 100644
--- a/lib/config.js
+++ b/lib/config.js
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ class Config extends BaseCommand {
           break
         case 'list':
         case 'ls':
-          await (this.npm.config.get('json') ? this.listJson() : this.list())
+          await (this.npm.flatOptions.json ? this.listJson() : this.list())
           break
         case 'edit':
           await this.edit()
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ class Config extends BaseCommand {
     if (!args.length)
       throw this.usageError()
 
-    const where = this.npm.config.get('location')
+    const where = this.npm.flatOptions.location
     for (const [key, val] of Object.entries(keyValues(args))) {
       this.npm.log.info('config', 'set %j %j', key, val)
       this.npm.config.set(key, val || '', where)
@@ -168,15 +168,15 @@ class Config extends BaseCommand {
     if (!keys.length)
       throw this.usageError()
 
-    const where = this.npm.config.get('location')
+    const where = this.npm.flatOptions.location
     for (const key of keys)
       this.npm.config.delete(key, where)
     await this.npm.config.save(where)
   }
 
   async edit () {
-    const e = this.npm.config.get('editor')
-    const where = this.npm.config.get('location')
+    const e = this.npm.flatOptions.editor
+    const where = this.npm.flatOptions.location
     const file = this.npm.config.data.get(where).source
 
     // save first, just to make sure it's synced up
@@ -232,6 +232,7 @@ ${defData}
 
   async list () {
     const msg = []
+    // long does not have a flattener
     const long = this.npm.config.get('long')
     for (const [where, { data, source }] of this.npm.config.data.entries()) {
       if (where === 'default' && !long)
diff --git a/lib/utils/config/definitions.js b/lib/utils/config/definitions.js
index 36b8a84a61c47..86e07aee74e71 100644
--- a/lib/utils/config/definitions.js
+++ b/lib/utils/config/definitions.js
@@ -798,7 +798,11 @@ define('global', {
     * bin files are linked to \`{prefix}/bin\`
     * man pages are linked to \`{prefix}/share/man\`
   `,
-  flatten,
+  flatten: (key, obj, flatOptions) => {
+    flatten(key, obj, flatOptions)
+    if (flatOptions.global)
+      flatOptions.location = 'global'
+  },
 })
 
 define('global-style', {
@@ -1125,15 +1129,7 @@ define('location', {
   description: `
     When passed to \`npm config\` this refers to which config file to use.
   `,
-  // NOTE: the flattener here deliberately does not alter the value of global
-  // for now, this is to avoid inadvertently causing any breakage. the value of
-  // global, however, does modify this flag.
-  flatten (key, obj, flatOptions) {
-    // if global is set, we override ourselves
-    if (obj.global)
-      obj.location = 'global'
-    flatOptions.location = obj.location
-  },
+  flatten,
 })
 
 define('loglevel', {