diff --git a/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/link.ts b/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/link.ts
index 55a89d1a380..078c78f9411 100644
--- a/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/link.ts
+++ b/code/lib/cli-storybook/src/link.ts
@@ -86,10 +86,6 @@ export const link = async ({ target, local, start }: LinkOptions) => {
     reproDir = join(reprosDir, reproName);
   }
 
-  const reproPackageJson = JSON.parse(
-    await readFile(join(reproDir, 'package.json'), { encoding: 'utf8' })
-  );
-
   const version = spawnSync('yarn', ['--version'], {
     cwd: reproDir,
     stdio: 'pipe',
@@ -109,6 +105,10 @@ export const link = async ({ target, local, start }: LinkOptions) => {
 
   logger.info(`Installing ${reproName}`);
 
+  const reproPackageJson = JSON.parse(
+    await readFile(join(reproDir, 'package.json'), { encoding: 'utf8' })
+  );
+
   if (!reproPackageJson.devDependencies?.vite) {
     reproPackageJson.devDependencies = {
       ...reproPackageJson.devDependencies,
diff --git a/scripts/tasks/sandbox.ts b/scripts/tasks/sandbox.ts
index 06d9d8e0418..c9ae7fea847 100644
--- a/scripts/tasks/sandbox.ts
+++ b/scripts/tasks/sandbox.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import path from 'node:path';
+
 import dirSize from 'fast-folder-size';
 // eslint-disable-next-line depend/ban-dependencies
 import { pathExists, remove } from 'fs-extra';
@@ -49,7 +51,8 @@ export const sandbox: Task = {
 
       options.link = false;
     }
-    if (await this.ready(details, options)) {
+
+    if (!(await this.ready(details, options))) {
       logger.info('🗑  Removing old sandbox dir');
       await remove(details.sandboxDir);
     }
@@ -151,6 +154,7 @@ export const sandbox: Task = {
 
     const packageManager = JsPackageManagerFactory.getPackageManager({}, details.sandboxDir);
 
+    await remove(path.join(details.sandboxDir, 'node_modules'));
     await packageManager.installDependencies();
 
     logger.info(`✅ Storybook sandbox created at ${details.sandboxDir}`);