diff --git a/lib/is-server-package.js b/lib/is-server-package.js
deleted file mode 100644
index c36c40d..0000000
--- a/lib/is-server-package.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-const { stat } = require('node:fs/promises')
-const { resolve } = require('node:path')
-
-module.exports = async path => {
-  try {
-    const st = await stat(resolve(path, 'server.js'))
-    return st.isFile()
-  } catch (er) {
-    return false
-  }
-}
diff --git a/lib/run-script-pkg.js b/lib/run-script-pkg.js
index 161caeb..64018b0 100644
--- a/lib/run-script-pkg.js
+++ b/lib/run-script-pkg.js
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ const promiseSpawn = require('@npmcli/promise-spawn')
 const packageEnvs = require('./package-envs.js')
 const { isNodeGypPackage, defaultGypInstallScript } = require('@npmcli/node-gyp')
 const signalManager = require('./signal-manager.js')
-const isServerPackage = require('./is-server-package.js')
 
 const runScriptPkg = async options => {
   const {
@@ -37,8 +36,6 @@ const runScriptPkg = async options => {
     await isNodeGypPackage(path)
   ) {
     cmd = defaultGypInstallScript
-  } else if (event === 'start' && await isServerPackage(path)) {
-    cmd = 'node server.js'
   }
 
   if (!cmd) {
diff --git a/lib/run-script.js b/lib/run-script.js
index b00304c..625f2e4 100644
--- a/lib/run-script.js
+++ b/lib/run-script.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 const PackageJson = require('@npmcli/package-json')
 const runScriptPkg = require('./run-script-pkg.js')
 const validateOptions = require('./validate-options.js')
-const isServerPackage = require('./is-server-package.js')
 
 const runScript = async options => {
   validateOptions(options)
@@ -12,4 +11,4 @@ const runScript = async options => {
   return runScriptPkg({ ...options, pkg })
 }
 
-module.exports = Object.assign(runScript, { isServerPackage })
+module.exports = runScript
diff --git a/test/run-script.js b/test/run-script.js
index c63a4cb..abc6230 100644
--- a/test/run-script.js
+++ b/test/run-script.js
@@ -74,9 +74,8 @@ t.test('run-script', async t => {
     t.strictSame(res, { code: 0, signal: null })
   })
 
-  await t.test('start event, pkg has server.js but no start script', async t => {
+  await t.test('start event, pkg has no start script, early exit', async t => {
     const path = t.testdir({ 'server.js': '' })
-    spawk.spawn(/.*/, a => a.includes('node server.js'))
     const res = await runScript({
       event: 'start',
       path,
@@ -85,11 +84,7 @@ t.test('run-script', async t => {
         scripts: {},
       },
     })
-    t.match(res, {
-      event: 'start',
-      script: 'node server.js',
-      pkgid: '@npmcli/run-script-test@1.2.3',
-    })
+    t.strictSame(res, { code: 0, signal: null })
   })
 
   await t.test('pkg does not have requested script, with custom cmd', async t => {
@@ -111,22 +106,3 @@ t.test('run-script', async t => {
     t.ok(spawk.done())
   })
 })
-
-t.test('isServerPackage', async t => {
-  await t.test('is server package', async t => {
-    const testdir = t.testdir({
-      'server.js': '',
-    })
-    await t.resolves(runScript.isServerPackage(testdir), true)
-  })
-  await t.test('is not server package - no server.js', async t => {
-    const testdir = t.testdir({})
-    await t.resolves(runScript.isServerPackage(testdir), false)
-  })
-  await t.test('is not server package - invalid server.js', async t => {
-    const testdir = t.testdir({
-      'server.js': {},
-    })
-    await t.resolves(runScript.isServerPackage(testdir), false)
-  })
-})