diff --git a/packages/nx/src/utils/nx-plugin.ts b/packages/nx/src/utils/nx-plugin.ts
index 50de25666e8bd..52abe15072d04 100644
--- a/packages/nx/src/utils/nx-plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/nx/src/utils/nx-plugin.ts
@@ -47,34 +47,30 @@ export function loadNxPlugins(
     ? nxPluginCache ||
         (nxPluginCache = plugins.map((moduleName) => {
           let pluginPath: string;
-          let pluginName: string;
-          if (['.js', '.ts'].includes(path.extname(moduleName))) {
-            if (
-              path.extname(moduleName) === '.ts' &&
-              !tsNodeAndPathsRegistered
-            ) {
-              registerTSTranspiler();
-            }
-            pluginPath = require.resolve(moduleName, { paths });
-            pluginName = path.basename(moduleName);
-          } else {
-            const localPlugin = resolveLocalNxPlugin(moduleName);
-            pluginName = moduleName;
-            if (localPlugin) {
+          try {
+            pluginPath = require.resolve(moduleName, {
+              paths,
+            });
+          } catch (e) {
+            if (e.code === 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND') {
+              const plugin = resolveLocalNxPlugin(moduleName);
               const main = readPluginMainFromProjectConfiguration(
-                localPlugin.projectConfig
+                plugin.projectConfig
               );
-              pluginPath = main
-                ? path.join(workspaceRoot, main)
-                : localPlugin.path;
+              pluginPath = main ? path.join(workspaceRoot, main) : plugin.path;
             } else {
-              pluginPath = require.resolve(moduleName, {
-                paths,
-              });
+              throw e;
             }
           }
+          const packageJsonPath = path.join(pluginPath, 'package.json');
+          const { name } =
+            !['.ts', '.js'].some((x) => x === path.extname(pluginPath)) && // Not trying to point to a ts or js file
+            existsSync(packageJsonPath) // plugin has a package.json
+              ? readJsonFile(packageJsonPath) // read name from package.json
+              : { name: path.basename(pluginPath) }; // use the name of the file we point to
           const plugin = require(pluginPath) as NxPlugin;
-          plugin.name = pluginName;
+          plugin.name = name;
+
           return plugin;
         }))
     : [];
@@ -111,23 +107,27 @@ export function readPluginPackageJson(
   path: string;
   json: PackageJson;
 } {
-  // Check for matching local plugin
-  const localPluginPath = resolveLocalNxPlugin(pluginName);
-  if (localPluginPath) {
-    const localPluginPackageJson = path.join(
-      localPluginPath.path,
-      'package.json'
-    );
-    return {
-      path: localPluginPackageJson,
-      json: readJsonFile(localPluginPackageJson),
-    };
+  let packageJsonPath: string;
+  try {
+    packageJsonPath = require.resolve(`${pluginName}/package.json`, {
+      paths,
+    });
+  } catch (e) {
+    if (e.code === 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND') {
+      const localPluginPath = resolveLocalNxPlugin(pluginName);
+      if (localPluginPath) {
+        const localPluginPackageJson = path.join(
+          localPluginPath.path,
+          'package.json'
+        );
+        return {
+          path: localPluginPackageJson,
+          json: readJsonFile(localPluginPackageJson),
+        };
+      }
+    }
+    throw e;
   }
-
-  // Fallback to installed plugins
-  const packageJsonPath = require.resolve(`${pluginName}/package.json`, {
-    paths,
-  });
   return { json: readJsonFile(packageJsonPath), path: packageJsonPath };
 }
 
@@ -223,8 +223,7 @@ function readTsConfigPaths(root: string = workspaceRoot) {
       .map((x) => path.join(root, x))
       .filter((x) => existsSync(x))[0];
     if (!tsconfigPath) {
-      tsconfigPaths = {};
-      return {};
+      throw new Error('unable to find tsconfig.base.json or tsconfig.json');
     }
     const { compilerOptions } = readJsonFile(tsconfigPath);
     tsconfigPaths = compilerOptions?.paths;