diff --git a/cli/args/flags.rs b/cli/args/flags.rs
index c08d81abb05fb7..cdeaa1b335682c 100644
--- a/cli/args/flags.rs
+++ b/cli/args/flags.rs
@@ -5277,8 +5277,15 @@ fn task_parse(
   unstable_args_parse(flags, matches, UnstableArgsConfig::ResolutionAndRuntime);
   node_modules_arg_parse(flags, matches);
 
-  let filter = matches.remove_one::<String>("filter");
-  let recursive = matches.get_flag("recursive") || filter.is_some();
+  let mut recursive = matches.get_flag("recursive");
+  let filter = if let Some(filter) = matches.remove_one::<String>("filter") {
+    recursive = false;
+    Some(filter)
+  } else if recursive {
+    Some("*".to_string())
+  } else {
+    None
+  };
 
   let mut task_flags = TaskFlags {
     cwd: matches.remove_one::<String>("cwd"),
@@ -10538,7 +10545,7 @@ mod tests {
           cwd: None,
           task: Some("build".to_string()),
           is_run: false,
-          recursive: true,
+          recursive: false,
           filter: Some("*".to_string()),
           eval: false,
         }),
@@ -10555,7 +10562,7 @@ mod tests {
           task: Some("build".to_string()),
           is_run: false,
           recursive: true,
-          filter: None,
+          filter: Some("*".to_string()),
           eval: false,
         }),
         ..Flags::default()
@@ -10571,7 +10578,7 @@ mod tests {
           task: Some("build".to_string()),
           is_run: false,
           recursive: true,
-          filter: None,
+          filter: Some("*".to_string()),
           eval: false,
         }),
         ..Flags::default()
diff --git a/cli/tools/task.rs b/cli/tools/task.rs
index 01d6ac16ee5fc3..fc1410aa0e2f6d 100644
--- a/cli/tools/task.rs
+++ b/cli/tools/task.rs
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ pub async fn execute_script(
         &package_regex,
         filter,
         force_use_pkg_json,
+        task_flags.recursive,
       )?;
 
       return Ok(0);
@@ -97,7 +98,9 @@ pub async fn execute_script(
     let mut packages_task_info: Vec<PackageTaskInfo> = vec![];
 
     for folder in workspace.config_folders() {
-      if !matches_package(folder.1, force_use_pkg_json, &package_regex) {
+      if !task_flags.recursive
+        && !matches_package(folder.1, force_use_pkg_json, &package_regex)
+      {
         continue;
       }
 
@@ -700,12 +703,15 @@ fn print_available_tasks_workspace(
   package_regex: &Regex,
   filter: &str,
   force_use_pkg_json: bool,
+  recursive: bool,
 ) -> Result<(), AnyError> {
   let workspace = cli_options.workspace();
 
   let mut matched = false;
   for folder in workspace.config_folders() {
-    if !matches_package(folder.1, force_use_pkg_json, package_regex) {
+    if !recursive
+      && !matches_package(folder.1, force_use_pkg_json, package_regex)
+    {
       continue;
     }
     matched = true;
diff --git a/tests/specs/task/filter/__test__.jsonc b/tests/specs/task/filter/__test__.jsonc
index 45f4e7d7d8b163..10e2e8f6db9b77 100644
--- a/tests/specs/task/filter/__test__.jsonc
+++ b/tests/specs/task/filter/__test__.jsonc
@@ -40,6 +40,21 @@
       "args": "task --filter *",
       "output": "npm_filter_no_task.out"
     },
+    "npm_recursive": {
+      "cwd": "./npm",
+      "args": "task -r dev",
+      "output": "npm_recursive.out"
+    },
+    "npm_recursive_no_pkg": {
+      "cwd": "./npm_recursive_no_pkg",
+      "args": "task -r dev",
+      "output": "npm_recursive_no_pkg.out"
+    },
+    "npm_filter_recursive": {
+      "cwd": "./npm",
+      "args": "task -r --filter foo dev",
+      "output": "npm_filter_recursive.out"
+    },
     "deno_all": {
       "cwd": "./deno",
       "args": "task --filter * dev",
@@ -74,6 +89,21 @@
       "cwd": "./deno",
       "args": "task --filter *",
       "output": "deno_filter_no_task.out"
+    },
+    "deno_recursive": {
+      "cwd": "./deno",
+      "args": "task -r dev",
+      "output": "deno_recursive.out"
+    },
+    "deno_recursive_no_pkg": {
+      "cwd": "./deno_recursive_no_pkg",
+      "args": "task -r dev",
+      "output": "deno_recursive_no_pkg.out"
+    },
+    "deno_filter_recursive": {
+      "cwd": "./deno",
+      "args": "task -r --filter @deno/foo dev",
+      "output": "deno_filter_recursive.out"
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_filter_recursive.out b/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_filter_recursive.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..4bfebd6e929077
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_filter_recursive.out
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Task dev echo '@deno/foo'
+@deno/foo
diff --git a/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_recursive.out b/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_recursive.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..c3c34415597c3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_recursive.out
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Task dev echo '@deno/bar'
+@deno/bar
+Task dev echo '@deno/foo'
+@deno/foo
diff --git a/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_recursive_no_pkg.out b/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_recursive_no_pkg.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..592d4640cd1e25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_recursive_no_pkg.out
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Task dev echo 'bar'
+bar
+Task dev echo 'foo'
+foo
diff --git a/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_recursive_no_pkg/bar/deno.json b/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_recursive_no_pkg/bar/deno.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..6a93295d979b2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_recursive_no_pkg/bar/deno.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "tasks": {
+    "dev": "echo 'bar'"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_recursive_no_pkg/deno.json b/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_recursive_no_pkg/deno.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..133ab666b4abd5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_recursive_no_pkg/deno.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+  "workspace": [
+    "./foo",
+    "./bar"
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_recursive_no_pkg/foo/deno.json b/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_recursive_no_pkg/foo/deno.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..64a4cbccf01048
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/specs/task/filter/deno_recursive_no_pkg/foo/deno.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "tasks": {
+    "dev": "echo 'foo'"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_filter_recursive.out b/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_filter_recursive.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..f879b66df86830
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_filter_recursive.out
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Task dev echo 'foo'
+foo
diff --git a/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_recursive.out b/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_recursive.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..592d4640cd1e25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_recursive.out
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Task dev echo 'bar'
+bar
+Task dev echo 'foo'
+foo
diff --git a/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_recursive_no_pkg.out b/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_recursive_no_pkg.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..592d4640cd1e25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_recursive_no_pkg.out
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Task dev echo 'bar'
+bar
+Task dev echo 'foo'
+foo
diff --git a/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_recursive_no_pkg/bar/package.json b/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_recursive_no_pkg/bar/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..cc1907fab4d3d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_recursive_no_pkg/bar/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "scripts": {
+    "dev": "echo 'bar'"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_recursive_no_pkg/foo/package.json b/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_recursive_no_pkg/foo/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..636dcd13bd3cbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_recursive_no_pkg/foo/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+{
+  "scripts": {
+    "dev": "echo 'foo'"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_recursive_no_pkg/package.json b/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_recursive_no_pkg/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..2d70009f2ca46b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/specs/task/filter/npm_recursive_no_pkg/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+  "workspaces": ["./foo", "./bar"]
+}