diff --git a/packages/playground/nested-deps/__tests__/nested-deps.spec.ts b/packages/playground/nested-deps/__tests__/nested-deps.spec.ts
index 4db6a5fc9406d8..69f80bbcf4c6eb 100644
--- a/packages/playground/nested-deps/__tests__/nested-deps.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/playground/nested-deps/__tests__/nested-deps.spec.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
-// TODO: Rework #3753, taking into account issues with #4005, #4012, #4014
-test.skip('handle nested package', async () => {
+test('handle nested package', async () => {
   expect(await page.textContent('.a')).toBe('A@2.0.0')
   expect(await page.textContent('.b')).toBe('B@1.0.0')
   expect(await page.textContent('.nested-a')).toBe('A@1.0.0')
+  const c = await page.textContent('.c')
+  expect(c).toBe('es-C@1.0.0')
+  expect(await page.textContent('.side-c')).toBe(c)
 })
diff --git a/packages/playground/nested-deps/index.html b/packages/playground/nested-deps/index.html
index 9759e87db4df54..86a7268cd169d7 100644
--- a/packages/playground/nested-deps/index.html
+++ b/packages/playground/nested-deps/index.html
@@ -7,14 +7,25 @@ <h2>direct dependency B</h2>
 <h2>nested dependency A</h2>
 <pre class="nested-a"></pre>
 
+<h2>direct dependency C</h2>
+<pre class="c"></pre>
+
+<h2>side dependency C</h2>
+<pre class="side-c"></pre>
+
 <script type="module">
   import A from 'test-package-a'
   import B, { A as nestedA } from 'test-package-b'
+  import C from 'test-package-c'
+  import { C as sideC } from 'test-package-c/side'
 
   text('.a', A)
   text('.b', B)
   text('.nested-a', nestedA)
 
+  text('.c', C)
+  text('.side-c', sideC)
+
   function text(sel, text) {
     document.querySelector(sel).textContent = text
   }
diff --git a/packages/playground/nested-deps/package.json b/packages/playground/nested-deps/package.json
index 5c9c814a5252a6..d6276f4c5185b8 100644
--- a/packages/playground/nested-deps/package.json
+++ b/packages/playground/nested-deps/package.json
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "test-package-a": "link:./test-package-a",
-    "test-package-b": "link:./test-package-b"
+    "test-package-b": "link:./test-package-b",
+    "test-package-c": "link:./test-package-c"
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/playground/nested-deps/test-package-c/index-es.js b/packages/playground/nested-deps/test-package-c/index-es.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..d0cd1ae3e404dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/playground/nested-deps/test-package-c/index-es.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export default 'es-C@1.0.0'
diff --git a/packages/playground/nested-deps/test-package-c/index.js b/packages/playground/nested-deps/test-package-c/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..e01c55b7ea0a22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/playground/nested-deps/test-package-c/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+// this module should not be resolved
+export default 'C@1.0.0'
diff --git a/packages/playground/nested-deps/test-package-c/package.json b/packages/playground/nested-deps/test-package-c/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..b90462db110bfc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/playground/nested-deps/test-package-c/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+  "name": "test-package-c",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "main": "index.js",
+  "module": "index-es.js"
+}
diff --git a/packages/playground/nested-deps/test-package-c/side.js b/packages/playground/nested-deps/test-package-c/side.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..4d46da7c26e02e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/playground/nested-deps/test-package-c/side.js
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export { default as C } from 'test-package-c'
diff --git a/packages/playground/nested-deps/vite.config.js b/packages/playground/nested-deps/vite.config.js
index e512df128f26bf..203f02e001a06c 100644
--- a/packages/playground/nested-deps/vite.config.js
+++ b/packages/playground/nested-deps/vite.config.js
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
  */
 module.exports = {
   optimizeDeps: {
-    include: ['test-package-a', 'test-package-b']
+    include: [
+      'test-package-a',
+      'test-package-b',
+      'test-package-c',
+      'test-package-c/side'
+    ]
   }
 }
diff --git a/packages/vite/src/node/optimizer/esbuildDepPlugin.ts b/packages/vite/src/node/optimizer/esbuildDepPlugin.ts
index 7459c3b21e613a..ad67e812e756b6 100644
--- a/packages/vite/src/node/optimizer/esbuildDepPlugin.ts
+++ b/packages/vite/src/node/optimizer/esbuildDepPlugin.ts
@@ -85,35 +85,29 @@ export function esbuildDepPlugin(
         }
       )
 
-      function resolveEntry(id: string, isEntry: boolean, resolveDir: string) {
+      function resolveEntry(id: string) {
         const flatId = flattenId(id)
         if (flatId in qualified) {
-          return isEntry
-            ? {
-                path: flatId,
-                namespace: 'dep'
-              }
-            : {
-                path: require.resolve(qualified[flatId], {
-                  paths: [resolveDir]
-                })
-              }
+          return {
+            path: flatId,
+            namespace: 'dep'
+          }
         }
       }
 
       build.onResolve(
         { filter: /^[\w@][^:]/ },
-        async ({ path: id, importer, kind, resolveDir }) => {
-          const isEntry = !importer
+        async ({ path: id, importer, kind }) => {
           // ensure esbuild uses our resolved entries
           let entry
           // if this is an entry, return entry namespace resolve result
-          if ((entry = resolveEntry(id, isEntry, resolveDir))) return entry
-
-          // check if this is aliased to an entry - also return entry namespace
-          const aliased = await _resolve(id, undefined, true)
-          if (aliased && (entry = resolveEntry(aliased, isEntry, resolveDir))) {
-            return entry
+          if (!importer) {
+            if ((entry = resolveEntry(id))) return entry
+            // check if this is aliased to an entry - also return entry namespace
+            const aliased = await _resolve(id, undefined, true)
+            if (aliased && (entry = resolveEntry(aliased))) {
+              return entry
+            }
           }
 
           // use vite's own resolver
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 9a94dc49df7746..91fbfe56a681d0 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -7021,6 +7021,10 @@ test-exclude@^6.0.0:
   version "0.0.0"
   uid ""
 
+"test-package-c@link:./packages/playground/nested-deps/test-package-c":
+  version "0.0.0"
+  uid ""
+
 text-extensions@^1.0.0:
   version "1.9.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/text-extensions/-/text-extensions-1.9.0.tgz#1853e45fee39c945ce6f6c36b2d659b5aabc2a26"