diff --git a/src/plugins/node-workspace.ts b/src/plugins/node-workspace.ts
index 1e12698b0..713f5ecb1 100644
--- a/src/plugins/node-workspace.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/node-workspace.ts
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ interface NodeWorkspaceOptions extends WorkspacePluginOptions {
  * into a single node package.
  */
 export class NodeWorkspace extends WorkspacePlugin<Package> {
-  private alwaysLinkLocal: boolean;
+  readonly alwaysLinkLocal: boolean;
   private packageGraph?: PackageGraph;
   constructor(
     github: GitHub,
diff --git a/test/fixtures/manifest/config/node-workspace-plugins-deprecated.json b/test/fixtures/manifest/config/node-workspace-plugins-deprecated.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4d48afd4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/manifest/config/node-workspace-plugins-deprecated.json
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+  "release-type": "node",
+  "always-link-local": false,
+  "plugins": [
+    {
+      "type": "node-workspace"
+    }
+  ],
+  "packages": {
+    "pkg1": {
+      "component": "pkg1"
+    },
+    "pkg2": {
+      "component": "pkg2"
+    },
+    "pkg3": {
+      "component": "pkg3"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/fixtures/manifest/config/node-workspace-plugins.json b/test/fixtures/manifest/config/node-workspace-plugins.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fc07278d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/manifest/config/node-workspace-plugins.json
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+{
+  "release-type": "node",
+  "plugins": [
+    {
+      "type": "node-workspace",
+      "alwaysLinkLocal": false
+    }
+  ],
+  "packages": {
+    "pkg1": {
+      "component": "pkg1"
+    },
+    "pkg2": {
+      "component": "pkg2"
+    },
+    "pkg3": {
+      "component": "pkg3"
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/test/manifest.ts b/test/manifest.ts
index f43115d0b..cf5722da0 100644
--- a/test/manifest.ts
+++ b/test/manifest.ts
@@ -619,6 +619,64 @@ describe('Manifest', () => {
       const plugin = manifest.plugins[0] as MavenWorkspace;
       expect(plugin.considerAllArtifacts).to.be.true;
     });
+    it('should build node-workspace from manifest', async () => {
+      const getFileContentsStub = sandbox.stub(
+        github,
+        'getFileContentsOnBranch'
+      );
+      getFileContentsStub
+        .withArgs('release-please-config.json', 'main')
+        .resolves(
+          buildGitHubFileContent(
+            fixturesPath,
+            'manifest/config/node-workspace-plugins.json'
+          )
+        )
+        .withArgs('.release-please-manifest.json', 'main')
+        .resolves(
+          buildGitHubFileContent(
+            fixturesPath,
+            'manifest/versions/versions.json'
+          )
+        );
+      const manifest = await Manifest.fromManifest(
+        github,
+        github.repository.defaultBranch
+      );
+      expect(manifest.plugins).lengthOf(1);
+      expect(manifest.plugins[0]).instanceOf(NodeWorkspace);
+      const plugin = manifest.plugins[0] as NodeWorkspace;
+      expect(plugin.alwaysLinkLocal).to.be.false;
+    });
+    it('should build node-workspace from manifest with deprecated always-link-local', async () => {
+      const getFileContentsStub = sandbox.stub(
+        github,
+        'getFileContentsOnBranch'
+      );
+      getFileContentsStub
+        .withArgs('release-please-config.json', 'main')
+        .resolves(
+          buildGitHubFileContent(
+            fixturesPath,
+            'manifest/config/node-workspace-plugins-deprecated.json'
+          )
+        )
+        .withArgs('.release-please-manifest.json', 'main')
+        .resolves(
+          buildGitHubFileContent(
+            fixturesPath,
+            'manifest/versions/versions.json'
+          )
+        );
+      const manifest = await Manifest.fromManifest(
+        github,
+        github.repository.defaultBranch
+      );
+      expect(manifest.plugins).lengthOf(1);
+      expect(manifest.plugins[0]).instanceOf(NodeWorkspace);
+      const plugin = manifest.plugins[0] as NodeWorkspace;
+      expect(plugin.alwaysLinkLocal).to.be.false;
+    });
     it('should configure search depth from manifest', async () => {
       const getFileContentsStub = sandbox.stub(
         github,