diff --git a/templates/_template/package.json b/templates/_template/package.json
index 9ad6cc4690..3b9d361843 100644
--- a/templates/_template/package.json
+++ b/templates/_template/package.json
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@
     "typescript": "5.7.3"
   },
   "engines": {
-    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0"
+    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0",
+    "pnpm": "^9"
   },
   "pnpm": {
     "onlyBuiltDependencies": [
diff --git a/templates/blank/package.json b/templates/blank/package.json
index 9ad6cc4690..3b9d361843 100644
--- a/templates/blank/package.json
+++ b/templates/blank/package.json
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@
     "typescript": "5.7.3"
   },
   "engines": {
-    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0"
+    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0",
+    "pnpm": "^9"
   },
   "pnpm": {
     "onlyBuiltDependencies": [
diff --git a/templates/plugin/package.json b/templates/plugin/package.json
index 89feb63353..c3ea3bc6b7 100644
--- a/templates/plugin/package.json
+++ b/templates/plugin/package.json
@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@
     "payload": "^3.17.1"
   },
   "engines": {
-    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0"
+    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0",
+    "pnpm": "^9"
   },
   "publishConfig": {
     "exports": {
diff --git a/templates/website/package.json b/templates/website/package.json
index aa4753ea4c..dca1773bd8 100644
--- a/templates/website/package.json
+++ b/templates/website/package.json
@@ -69,7 +69,8 @@
     "typescript": "5.7.3"
   },
   "engines": {
-    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0"
+    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0",
+    "pnpm": "^9"
   },
   "pnpm": {
     "onlyBuiltDependencies": [
diff --git a/templates/with-payload-cloud/package.json b/templates/with-payload-cloud/package.json
index d8487d0d6f..b593c468a0 100644
--- a/templates/with-payload-cloud/package.json
+++ b/templates/with-payload-cloud/package.json
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@
     "typescript": "5.7.3"
   },
   "engines": {
-    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0"
+    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0",
+    "pnpm": "^9"
   },
   "pnpm": {
     "onlyBuiltDependencies": [
diff --git a/templates/with-postgres/package.json b/templates/with-postgres/package.json
index 74141f3db6..7ab08b9dd2 100644
--- a/templates/with-postgres/package.json
+++ b/templates/with-postgres/package.json
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@
     "typescript": "5.7.3"
   },
   "engines": {
-    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0"
+    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0",
+    "pnpm": "^9"
   },
   "pnpm": {
     "onlyBuiltDependencies": [
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-mongodb/package.json b/templates/with-vercel-mongodb/package.json
index 463631c295..3d20eecd97 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-mongodb/package.json
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-mongodb/package.json
@@ -19,13 +19,13 @@
     "@payloadcms/next": "latest",
     "@payloadcms/payload-cloud": "latest",
     "@payloadcms/richtext-lexical": "latest",
+    "@payloadcms/storage-vercel-blob": "latest",
     "cross-env": "^7.0.3",
     "graphql": "^16.8.1",
     "next": "15.1.5",
     "payload": "latest",
     "react": "19.0.0",
-    "react-dom": "19.0.0",
-    "@payloadcms/storage-vercel-blob": "latest"
+    "react-dom": "19.0.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@eslint/eslintrc": "^3.2.0",
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@
     "typescript": "5.7.3"
   },
   "engines": {
-    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0"
+    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0",
+    "pnpm": "^9"
   },
   "pnpm": {
     "onlyBuiltDependencies": [
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-postgres/package.json b/templates/with-vercel-postgres/package.json
index c702856e7f..96c4ad9935 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-postgres/package.json
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-postgres/package.json
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@
     "typescript": "5.7.3"
   },
   "engines": {
-    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0"
+    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0",
+    "pnpm": "^9"
   },
   "pnpm": {
     "onlyBuiltDependencies": [
diff --git a/templates/with-vercel-website/package.json b/templates/with-vercel-website/package.json
index 452a5f53d3..d1f8e6b671 100644
--- a/templates/with-vercel-website/package.json
+++ b/templates/with-vercel-website/package.json
@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@
     "typescript": "5.7.3"
   },
   "engines": {
-    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0"
+    "node": "^18.20.2 || >=20.9.0",
+    "pnpm": "^9"
   },
   "pnpm": {
     "onlyBuiltDependencies": [