diff --git a/src/DependencyUpdated.Projects.Npm/Models/PackageRoot.cs b/src/DependencyUpdated.Projects.Npm/Models/PackageRoot.cs
index b16df89..6c26e90 100644
--- a/src/DependencyUpdated.Projects.Npm/Models/PackageRoot.cs
+++ b/src/DependencyUpdated.Projects.Npm/Models/PackageRoot.cs
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 namespace DependencyUpdated.Projects.Npm.Models;
 
-public record PackageRoot(Dictionary<string, string> Dependencies, Dictionary<string, string> DevDependencies);
\ No newline at end of file
+public record PackageRoot(Dictionary<string, string>? Dependencies, Dictionary<string, string>? DevDependencies);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/DependencyUpdated.Projects.Npm/NpmUpdater.cs b/src/DependencyUpdated.Projects.Npm/NpmUpdater.cs
index 9a0b12e..5e6ff7b 100644
--- a/src/DependencyUpdated.Projects.Npm/NpmUpdater.cs
+++ b/src/DependencyUpdated.Projects.Npm/NpmUpdater.cs
@@ -25,8 +25,11 @@ internal sealed class NpmUpdater : IProjectUpdater
     
     public IReadOnlyCollection<string> GetAllProjectFiles(string searchPath)
     {
-        return ValidNpmPatterns.SelectMany(dotnetPattern =>
+        var allPaths = ValidNpmPatterns.SelectMany(dotnetPattern =>
             Directory.GetFiles(searchPath, dotnetPattern, SearchOption.AllDirectories)).ToList();
+        allPaths.RemoveAll(x => x.Contains("node_modules"));
+        allPaths.RemoveAll(x => x.Contains("dist"));
+        return allPaths;
     }
 
     public IReadOnlyCollection<UpdateResult> HandleProjectUpdate(IReadOnlyCollection<string> fullPath,
@@ -45,6 +48,11 @@ public IReadOnlyCollection<UpdateResult> HandleProjectUpdate(IReadOnlyCollection
             var projectDeps = ParseProject(path);
             foreach (var dependency in dependenciesToUpdate)
             {
+                if (projectDeps.All(x => x.Name != dependency.Name))
+                {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                
                 var process = GetProcess(directory, dependency);
                 process.WaitForExit();
                 var oldDep = projectDeps.First(x => x.Name == dependency.Name);
@@ -182,13 +190,26 @@ private static HashSet<DependencyDetails> ParseProject(string path)
             return new HashSet<DependencyDetails>();
         }
 
-        var dependencies = package.Dependencies
-            .Where(x => IsValidVersion(x.Value))
-            .Select(d => new DependencyDetails(d.Key, ParseVersion(d.Value))).ToList();
-        var devDependencies = package.DevDependencies
+        var dependencies = ConvertToDependencies(package.Dependencies);
+        var devDependencies = ConvertToDependencies(package.DevDependencies); 
+        return dependencies.Concat(devDependencies).ToHashSet();
+    }
+
+    private static ICollection<DependencyDetails> ConvertToDependencies(Dictionary<string, string>? dependencies)
+    {
+        if (dependencies is null)
+        {
+            return Array.Empty<DependencyDetails>();
+        }
+
+        if (dependencies.Count == 0)
+        {
+            return Array.Empty<DependencyDetails>();
+        }
+
+        return dependencies
             .Where(x => IsValidVersion(x.Value))
             .Select(d => new DependencyDetails(d.Key, ParseVersion(d.Value))).ToList();
-        return dependencies.Concat(devDependencies).ToHashSet();
     }
 
     private static Version ParseVersion(string data)
diff --git a/tests/DependencyUpdated.Projects.Npm.UnitTests/DependencyUpdated.Projects.Npm.UnitTests.csproj b/tests/DependencyUpdated.Projects.Npm.UnitTests/DependencyUpdated.Projects.Npm.UnitTests.csproj
index 14ce2e1..173dea2 100644
--- a/tests/DependencyUpdated.Projects.Npm.UnitTests/DependencyUpdated.Projects.Npm.UnitTests.csproj
+++ b/tests/DependencyUpdated.Projects.Npm.UnitTests/DependencyUpdated.Projects.Npm.UnitTests.csproj
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
       <None Update="Projects\package.json">
         <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
       </None>
+      <None Include="Projects\node_modules\package.json">
+        <CopyToOutputDirectory>Always</CopyToOutputDirectory>
+      </None>
     </ItemGroup>
 
 </Project>