diff --git a/packages/create-gatsby/src/init-starter.ts b/packages/create-gatsby/src/init-starter.ts
index 25a23f49ec5bf..c06f84c315e1c 100644
--- a/packages/create-gatsby/src/init-starter.ts
+++ b/packages/create-gatsby/src/init-starter.ts
@@ -92,13 +92,7 @@ const install = async (
       }
     }
     if (getPackageManager() === `yarn` && checkForYarn()) {
-      if (await fs.pathExists(`package-lock.json`)) {
-        if (!(await fs.pathExists(`yarn.lock`))) {
-          await execa(`yarnpkg`, [`import`])
-        }
-        await fs.remove(`package-lock.json`)
-      }
-
+      await fs.remove(`package-lock.json`)
       const args = packages.length ? [`add`, silent, ...packages] : [silent]
       await execa(`yarnpkg`, args)
     } else {
diff --git a/packages/gatsby-cli/src/init-starter.ts b/packages/gatsby-cli/src/init-starter.ts
index 2d7bea11b203e..9846aaad2791a 100644
--- a/packages/gatsby-cli/src/init-starter.ts
+++ b/packages/gatsby-cli/src/init-starter.ts
@@ -111,12 +111,7 @@ const install = async (rootPath: string): Promise<void> => {
       }
     }
     if (getPackageManager() === `yarn` && checkForYarn()) {
-      if (await fs.pathExists(`package-lock.json`)) {
-        if (!(await fs.pathExists(`yarn.lock`))) {
-          await spawn(`yarnpkg import`)
-        }
-        await fs.remove(`package-lock.json`)
-      }
+      await fs.remove(`package-lock.json`)
       await spawn(`yarnpkg`)
     } else {
       await fs.remove(`yarn.lock`)