diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/src/rules/enforce-module-boundaries.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/src/rules/enforce-module-boundaries.ts
index 6d047c102f..e7835ec99a 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/src/rules/enforce-module-boundaries.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/src/rules/enforce-module-boundaries.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { createESLintRule } from '../utils/create-eslint-rule';
 import { normalize } from '@angular-devkit/core';
 import {
   createProjectGraph,
+  isNpmProject,
   ProjectGraph,
   ProjectType,
 } from '@nrwl/workspace/src/core/project-graph';
@@ -169,6 +170,10 @@ export default createESLintRule<Options, MessageIds>({
           return;
         }
 
+        // project => npm package
+        if (isNpmProject(targetProject)) {
+          return;
+        }
         // check constraints between libs and apps
         // check for circular dependency
         const circularPath = checkCircularPath(
diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/tests/rules/enforce-module-boundaries.spec.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/tests/rules/enforce-module-boundaries.spec.ts
index 5bb1a043b5..8f83447bcc 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/tests/rules/enforce-module-boundaries.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin-nx/tests/rules/enforce-module-boundaries.spec.ts
@@ -248,6 +248,15 @@ describe('Enforce Module Boundaries', () => {
             files: [createFile(`libs/untagged/src/index.ts`)],
           },
         },
+        npmPackage: {
+          name: 'npm:npm-package',
+          type: 'npm',
+          data: {
+            packageName: 'npm-package',
+            version: '0.0.0',
+            files: [],
+          },
+        },
       },
       dependencies: {},
     };
@@ -280,6 +289,18 @@ describe('Enforce Module Boundaries', () => {
       );
     });
 
+    it('should allow imports to npm packages', () => {
+      const failures = runRule(
+        depConstraints,
+        `${process.cwd()}/proj/libs/api/src/index.ts`,
+        `
+            import 'npm-package';
+          `,
+        graph
+      );
+      expect(failures.length).toEqual(0);
+    });
+
     it('should error when the target library is untagged', () => {
       const failures = runRule(
         depConstraints,
diff --git a/packages/workspace/src/tslint/nxEnforceModuleBoundariesRule.spec.ts b/packages/workspace/src/tslint/nxEnforceModuleBoundariesRule.spec.ts
index 061655d12a..984afbc772 100644
--- a/packages/workspace/src/tslint/nxEnforceModuleBoundariesRule.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/workspace/src/tslint/nxEnforceModuleBoundariesRule.spec.ts
@@ -244,6 +244,18 @@ describe('Enforce Module Boundaries', () => {
             files: [createFile(`libs/untagged/src/index.ts`)],
           },
         },
+        npmPackage: {
+          name: 'npmPackage',
+          type: 'npm',
+          data: {
+            packageName: 'npm-package',
+            version: '0.0.0',
+            tags: [],
+            implicitDependencies: [],
+            architect: {},
+            files: [],
+          },
+        },
       },
       dependencies: {},
     };
@@ -276,6 +288,19 @@ describe('Enforce Module Boundaries', () => {
       );
     });
 
+    it('should allow imports to npm projects', () => {
+      const failures = runRule(
+        depConstraints,
+        `${process.cwd()}/proj/libs/api/src/index.ts`,
+        `
+        import 'npm-package';
+      `,
+        graph
+      );
+
+      expect(failures.length).toEqual(0);
+    });
+
     it('should error when the target library is untagged', () => {
       const failures = runRule(
         depConstraints,
diff --git a/packages/workspace/src/tslint/nxEnforceModuleBoundariesRule.ts b/packages/workspace/src/tslint/nxEnforceModuleBoundariesRule.ts
index 2413727f0a..78bf682673 100644
--- a/packages/workspace/src/tslint/nxEnforceModuleBoundariesRule.ts
+++ b/packages/workspace/src/tslint/nxEnforceModuleBoundariesRule.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { IOptions } from 'tslint';
 import * as ts from 'typescript';
 import {
   createProjectGraph,
+  isNpmProject,
   ProjectGraph,
   ProjectType,
 } from '../core/project-graph';
@@ -160,6 +161,12 @@ class EnforceModuleBoundariesWalker extends Lint.RuleWalker {
       return;
     }
 
+    // project => npm package
+    if (isNpmProject(targetProject)) {
+      super.visitImportDeclaration(node);
+      return;
+    }
+
     // check for circular dependency
     const circularPath = checkCircularPath(
       this.projectGraph,