diff --git a/src/package_json.rs b/src/package_json.rs
index b4a9a673df..61785f67d2 100644
--- a/src/package_json.rs
+++ b/src/package_json.rs
@@ -356,4 +356,20 @@ mod tests {
             Some("1.2.0".to_string())
         );
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_deno_dev_engines() {
+        let pkg: PackageJson = serde_json::from_str(
+            r#"{
+                "devEngines": {
+                    "runtime": {
+                        "name": "deno",
+                        "version": "1.40.0"
+                    }
+                }
+            }"#,
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(pkg.runtime_version("deno"), Some("1.40.0".to_string()));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/core/deno.rs b/src/plugins/core/deno.rs
index 9314e43dc2..6b6e610ada 100644
--- a/src/plugins/core/deno.rs
+++ b/src/plugins/core/deno.rs
@@ -120,7 +120,18 @@ impl Backend for DenoPlugin {
     }
 
     async fn idiomatic_filenames(&self) -> Result<Vec<String>> {
-        Ok(vec![".deno-version".into()])
+        Ok(vec![".deno-version".into(), "package.json".into()])
+    }
+
+    async fn parse_idiomatic_file(&self, path: &Path) -> Result<String> {
+        if path.file_name().is_some_and(|f| f == "package.json") {
+            let pkg = crate::package_json::PackageJson::parse(path)?;
+            return pkg
+                .runtime_version("deno")
+                .ok_or_else(|| eyre::eyre!("no deno version found in package.json"));
+        }
+        let body = file::read_to_string(path)?;
+        Ok(body.trim().to_string())
     }
 
     async fn install_version_(