diff --git a/packages/js/src/generators/release-version/release-version.ts b/packages/js/src/generators/release-version/release-version.ts
index 2c61a92708..0334bc1257 100644
--- a/packages/js/src/generators/release-version/release-version.ts
+++ b/packages/js/src/generators/release-version/release-version.ts
@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@ Valid values are: ${validReleaseVersionPrefixes
     // Sort the projects topologically if update dependents is enabled
     // TODO: maybe move this sorting to the command level?
     const projects =
-      updateDependents === 'never'
+      updateDependents === 'never' ||
+      options.releaseGroup.projectsRelationship !== 'independent'
         ? options.projects
         : sortProjectsTopologically(options.projectGraph, options.projects);
     const projectToDependencyBumps = new Map<string, any>();
@@ -417,6 +418,7 @@ To fix this you will either need to add a package.json file at that location, or
             if (!specifier) {
               if (
                 updateDependents !== 'never' &&
+                options.releaseGroup.projectsRelationship === 'independent' &&
                 projectToDependencyBumps.has(projectName)
               ) {
                 // No applicable changes to the project directly by the user, but one or more dependencies have been bumped and updateDependents is enabled
@@ -541,6 +543,7 @@ To fix this you will either need to add a package.json file at that location, or
             if (!specifier) {
               if (
                 updateDependents !== 'never' &&
+                options.releaseGroup.projectsRelationship === 'independent' &&
                 projectToDependencyBumps.has(projectName)
               ) {
                 // No applicable changes to the project directly by the user, but one or more dependencies have been bumped and updateDependents is enabled
@@ -601,7 +604,9 @@ To fix this you will either need to add a package.json file at that location, or
           return localPackageDependency.target === project.name;
         });
 
-      const includeTransitiveDependents = updateDependents !== 'never';
+      const includeTransitiveDependents =
+        updateDependents !== 'never' &&
+        options.releaseGroup.projectsRelationship === 'independent';
       const transitiveLocalPackageDependents: LocalPackageDependency[] = [];
       if (includeTransitiveDependents) {
         for (const directDependent of allDependentProjects) {
@@ -656,7 +661,10 @@ To fix this you will either need to add a package.json file at that location, or
       }
 
       // If not always updating dependents (when they don't already appear in the batch itself), print a warning to the user about what is being skipped and how to change it
-      if (updateDependents === 'never') {
+      if (
+        updateDependents === 'never' ||
+        options.releaseGroup.projectsRelationship !== 'independent'
+      ) {
         if (dependentProjectsOutsideCurrentBatch.length > 0) {
           let logMsg = `⚠️  Warning, the following packages depend on "${project.name}"`;
           const reason =
@@ -689,7 +697,8 @@ To fix this you will either need to add a package.json file at that location, or
         currentVersion,
         newVersion: null, // will stay as null in the final result in the case that no changes are detected
         dependentProjects:
-          updateDependents === 'auto'
+          updateDependents === 'auto' &&
+          options.releaseGroup.projectsRelationship === 'independent'
             ? allDependentProjects
             : dependentProjectsInCurrentBatch,
       };
@@ -723,7 +732,8 @@ To fix this you will either need to add a package.json file at that location, or
 
       if (allDependentProjects.length > 0) {
         const totalProjectsToUpdate =
-          updateDependents === 'auto'
+          updateDependents === 'auto' &&
+          options.releaseGroup.projectsRelationship === 'independent'
             ? allDependentProjects.length +
               transitiveLocalPackageDependents.length -
               // There are two entries per circular dep
@@ -855,7 +865,10 @@ To fix this you will either need to add a package.json file at that location, or
         });
       }
 
-      if (updateDependents === 'auto') {
+      if (
+        updateDependents === 'auto' &&
+        options.releaseGroup.projectsRelationship === 'independent'
+      ) {
         for (const dependentProject of dependentProjectsOutsideCurrentBatch) {
           if (
             options.specifierSource === 'version-plans' &&