diff --git a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/internal/Load.scala b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/internal/Load.scala
index 2c98145e1..cd3dc674c 100755
--- a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/internal/Load.scala
+++ b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/internal/Load.scala
@@ -1120,11 +1120,11 @@ private[sbt] object Load {
           buildBase
         )
         val discoveredIdsStr = discovered.map(_.id).mkString(",")
-        val (root, expand, moreProjects, otherProjects) =
+        val (root, moreProjects, otherProjects) =
           rootOpt match
             case Some(root) =>
               log.debug(s"[Loading] Found root project ${root.id} w/ remaining $discoveredIdsStr")
-              (root, true, discovered, LoadedProjects(Nil, Nil))
+              (root, discovered, LoadedProjects(Nil, Nil))
             case None =>
               log.debug(s"[Loading] Found non-root projects $discoveredIdsStr")
               // Here we do something interesting... We need to create an aggregate root project
@@ -1144,10 +1144,10 @@ private[sbt] object Load {
                 )
               val existingIds = otherProjects.projects.map(_.id)
               val refs = existingIds.map(id => ProjectRef(buildUri, id))
-              (root.aggregate(refs*), false, Nil, otherProjects)
+              (root.aggregate(refs*), Nil, otherProjects)
         val (finalRoot, projectLevelExtra) =
           timed(s"Load.loadTransitive: processProject($root)", log) {
-            processProject(root, files, extraFiles, expand)
+            processProject(root, files, extraFiles, true)
           }
         val newProjects = moreProjects ++ projectLevelExtra
         val newAcc = finalRoot +: (acc ++ otherProjects.projects)
diff --git a/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/project/derived-no-explicit-root/build.sbt b/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/project/derived-no-explicit-root/build.sbt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..450e2b142
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/project/derived-no-explicit-root/build.sbt
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+@transient
+lazy val check = taskKey[Unit]("check")
+
+check := {
+  val v = (LocalProject("foo") / DerivedProjectPlugin.value1).value
+  assert(v == 3, s"Expected 3 but got $v")
+}
diff --git a/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/project/derived-no-explicit-root/project/DerivedProjectPlugin.scala b/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/project/derived-no-explicit-root/project/DerivedProjectPlugin.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f2cc528bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/project/derived-no-explicit-root/project/DerivedProjectPlugin.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import sbt._
+import sbt.Keys._
+
+object DerivedProjectPlugin extends AutoPlugin {
+  val value1 = settingKey[Int]("value1")
+
+  override def derivedProjects(proj: ProjectDefinition[?]) =
+    proj.projectOrigin match {
+      case ProjectOrigin.DerivedProject =>
+        Nil
+      case _ =>
+        Seq(
+          Project("foo", file("foo")).settings(
+            value1 := 3,
+            name := "foo",
+          )
+        )
+    }
+
+  override def trigger = allRequirements
+}
diff --git a/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/project/derived-no-explicit-root/test b/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/project/derived-no-explicit-root/test
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..54cab8268
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/project/derived-no-explicit-root/test
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# derivedProjects should work even without an explicit root project
+> check