diff --git a/packages/store/src/index.ts b/packages/store/src/index.ts
index c1eef8b2b..49313a8a8 100644
--- a/packages/store/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/store/src/index.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-export { Storage } from './storage';
+export { OVERWRITE_MODE, Storage } from './storage';
 export * from './lib/storage-utils';
 export * from './lib/versions-utils';
 export * from './lib/star-utils';
diff --git a/packages/store/src/storage.ts b/packages/store/src/storage.ts
index 8330d0bae..3f763cb39 100644
--- a/packages/store/src/storage.ts
+++ b/packages/store/src/storage.ts
@@ -91,12 +91,11 @@ import { IGetPackageOptionsNext, OwnerManifestBody, StarManifestBody } from './t
 
 const debug = buildDebug('verdaccio:storage');
 
-const OVERWRITE_MODE = 'allow_overwrite';
-
 export type Filters = pluginUtils.ManifestFilter<Config>[];
 export const noSuchFile = 'ENOENT';
 export const resourceNotAvailable = 'EAGAIN';
 export const PROTO_NAME = '__proto__';
+export const OVERWRITE_MODE = 'allow_overwrite';
 
 class Storage {
   public localStorage: LocalStorage;
@@ -105,6 +104,8 @@ class Storage {
   public readonly logger: Logger;
   public readonly uplinks: ProxyInstanceList;
   private searchService: Search;
+  private allowPackageOverwrite: boolean;
+
   public constructor(config: Config, logger: Logger) {
     this.config = config;
     this.logger = logger.child({ module: 'storage' });
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ class Storage {
     // @ts-ignore
     this.localStorage = null;
     debug('uplinks available %o', Object.keys(this.uplinks));
+    this.allowPackageOverwrite = false;
   }
 
   static ABBREVIATED_HEADER = 'application/vnd.npm.install-v1+json';
@@ -692,12 +694,15 @@ class Storage {
 
   /**
    * Check if developer mode is enabled via environment variable.
+   *
+   * Overwrite mode is only allowed when the storage is empty.
    */
   private async checkDevMode() {
     if (process.env.VERDACCIO_DEV_MODE === OVERWRITE_MODE) {
       const packages = await this.localStorage.getStoragePlugin().get();
       if (packages.length === 0) {
         this.logger.warn('Developer mode is enabled; you can overwrite packages');
+        this.allowPackageOverwrite = true;
       } else {
         this.logger.warn('Storage must be empty to enable developer mode');
       }
@@ -1188,7 +1193,7 @@ class Storage {
       // if continue, the version to be published does not exist
       if (localManifest?.versions[versionToPublish] != null) {
         debug('%s version %s already exists (locally)', name, versionToPublish);
-        if (process.env.VERDACCIO_DEV_MODE === OVERWRITE_MODE) {
+        if (this.allowPackageOverwrite) {
           const filename = composeTarballFromPackage(name, versionToPublish);
           await this.removeTarball(name, filename, localManifest._rev, username!);
           delete localManifest.versions[versionToPublish];
@@ -1202,7 +1207,7 @@ class Storage {
       const remoteManifest = await this.checkPackageRemote(name, uplinksLook);
       if (remoteManifest?.versions[versionToPublish] != null) {
         debug('%s version %s already exists (upstream)', name, versionToPublish);
-        if (process.env.VERDACCIO_DEV_MODE !== OVERWRITE_MODE) {
+        if (!this.allowPackageOverwrite) {
           throw errorUtils.getConflict();
         }
       }
diff --git a/packages/store/test/storage.spec.ts b/packages/store/test/storage.spec.ts
index 0002bdf25..e94c36811 100644
--- a/packages/store/test/storage.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/store/test/storage.spec.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ import {
   Version,
 } from '@verdaccio/types';
 
-import { Storage } from '../src';
+import { OVERWRITE_MODE, Storage } from '../src';
 import manifestFooRemoteNpmjs from './fixtures/manifests/foo-npmjs.json';
 import { configExample } from './helpers';
 
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ describe('storage', () => {
             __dirname
           )
         );
-        process.env.VERDACCIO_DEV_MODE = 'allow_overwrite';
+        process.env.VERDACCIO_DEV_MODE = OVERWRITE_MODE;
         const storage = new Storage(config, logger);
         await storage.init(config);
         const bodyNewManifest1 = generatePackageMetadata(pkgName, '1.0.0');