diff --git a/packages/package-utils/package.json b/packages/package-utils/package.json
index 730aedfc282..da83a6f72b3 100644
--- a/packages/package-utils/package.json
+++ b/packages/package-utils/package.json
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@
     "@types/cross-spawn": "6.0.1"
   },
   "peerDependenciesMeta": {
+    "webpack": {
+      "optional": true
+    },
     "@webpack-cli/info": {
       "optional": true
     },
diff --git a/packages/webpack-cli/bin/cli.js b/packages/webpack-cli/bin/cli.js
index 960fc1fad39..3cc31f043ec 100755
--- a/packages/webpack-cli/bin/cli.js
+++ b/packages/webpack-cli/bin/cli.js
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 require('v8-compile-cache');
 const importLocal = require('import-local');
 const runCLI = require('../lib/bootstrap');
+const { yellow } = require('colorette');
+const { error } = require('../lib/utils/logger');
+const { packageExists, promptInstallation } = require('@webpack-cli/package-utils');
 
 // Prefer the local installation of webpack-cli
 if (importLocal(__filename)) {
@@ -11,6 +14,12 @@ if (importLocal(__filename)) {
 }
 process.title = 'webpack';
 
-const [, , ...rawArgs] = process.argv;
-
-runCLI(rawArgs);
+if (packageExists('webpack')) {
+    const [, , ...rawArgs] = process.argv;
+    runCLI(rawArgs);
+} else {
+    promptInstallation('webpack', () => {
+        error(`It looks like ${yellow('webpack')} is not installed.`);
+    });
+    return;
+}
diff --git a/packages/webpack-cli/lib/utils/Compiler.js b/packages/webpack-cli/lib/utils/Compiler.js
index 7b34f078b28..7c18dd25e5a 100644
--- a/packages/webpack-cli/lib/utils/Compiler.js
+++ b/packages/webpack-cli/lib/utils/Compiler.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-const webpack = require('webpack');
+const { packageExists } = require('@webpack-cli/package-utils');
+const webpack = packageExists('webpack') ? require('webpack') : undefined;
 const logger = require('./logger');
 const bailAndWatchWarning = require('./warnings/bailAndWatchWarning');
 const { CompilerOutput } = require('./CompilerOutput');
diff --git a/packages/webpack-cli/lib/utils/cli-flags.js b/packages/webpack-cli/lib/utils/cli-flags.js
index edb1b1860c2..85f30cab7d8 100644
--- a/packages/webpack-cli/lib/utils/cli-flags.js
+++ b/packages/webpack-cli/lib/utils/cli-flags.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-const { cli } = require('webpack');
+const { packageExists } = require('@webpack-cli/package-utils');
+const cli = packageExists('webpack') ? require('webpack').cli : undefined;
 
 const HELP_GROUP = 'help';
 const BASIC_GROUP = 'basic';