diff --git a/packages/schematics/angular/application/index.ts b/packages/schematics/angular/application/index.ts
index 825f98c04158..14c0688cf334 100644
--- a/packages/schematics/angular/application/index.ts
+++ b/packages/schematics/angular/application/index.ts
@@ -149,6 +149,14 @@ function addDependenciesToPackageJson(options: ApplicationOptions) {
       },
     ].forEach((dependency) => addPackageJsonDependency(host, dependency));
 
+    if (!options.zoneless) {
+      addPackageJsonDependency(host, {
+        type: NodeDependencyType.Default,
+        name: 'zone.js',
+        version: latestVersions['zone.js'],
+      });
+    }
+
     if (!options.skipInstall) {
       context.addTask(new NodePackageInstallTask());
     }
diff --git a/packages/schematics/angular/application/index_spec.ts b/packages/schematics/angular/application/index_spec.ts
index 458f91d6eef0..60700c9f45ff 100644
--- a/packages/schematics/angular/application/index_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/schematics/angular/application/index_spec.ts
@@ -268,6 +268,48 @@ describe('Application Schematic', () => {
       expect(pkg.devDependencies['typescript']).toEqual(latestVersions['typescript']);
     });
 
+    it('should include zone.js if "zoneless" option is false', async () => {
+      const tree = await schematicRunner.runSchematic(
+        'application',
+        {
+          ...defaultOptions,
+          zoneless: false,
+        },
+        workspaceTree,
+      );
+
+      const pkg = JSON.parse(tree.readContent('/package.json'));
+      expect(pkg.dependencies['zone.js']).toEqual(latestVersions['zone.js']);
+    });
+
+    it('should include zone.js if "zoneless" option is not present', async () => {
+      const tree = await schematicRunner.runSchematic(
+        'application',
+        {
+          ...defaultOptions,
+          zoneless: undefined,
+        },
+        workspaceTree,
+      );
+
+      const pkg = JSON.parse(tree.readContent('/package.json'));
+      expect(pkg.dependencies['zone.js']).toEqual(latestVersions['zone.js']);
+    });
+
+    it('should not include zone.js if "zoneless" option is true', async () => {
+      const tree = await schematicRunner.runSchematic(
+        'application',
+        {
+          ...defaultOptions,
+          zoneless: true,
+        },
+        workspaceTree,
+      );
+
+      const pkg = JSON.parse(tree.readContent('/package.json'));
+      expect(pkg.dependencies['zone.js']).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+
     it(`should not override existing users dependencies`, async () => {
       const oldPackageJson = workspaceTree.readContent('package.json');
       workspaceTree.overwrite(
diff --git a/packages/schematics/angular/library/index.ts b/packages/schematics/angular/library/index.ts
index b409d986dd57..d96cc8b505a8 100644
--- a/packages/schematics/angular/library/index.ts
+++ b/packages/schematics/angular/library/index.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,11 @@ import {
 } from '@angular-devkit/schematics';
 import { NodePackageInstallTask } from '@angular-devkit/schematics/tasks';
 import { join } from 'node:path/posix';
-import { NodeDependencyType, addPackageJsonDependency } from '../utility/dependencies';
+import {
+  NodeDependencyType,
+  addPackageJsonDependency,
+  getPackageJsonDependency,
+} from '../utility/dependencies';
 import { JSONFile } from '../utility/json-file';
 import { latestVersions } from '../utility/latest-versions';
 import { relativePathToWorkspaceRoot } from '../utility/paths';
@@ -96,6 +100,7 @@ function addLibToWorkspaceFile(
   options: LibraryOptions,
   projectRoot: string,
   projectName: string,
+  hasZoneDependency: boolean,
 ): Rule {
   return updateWorkspace((workspace) => {
     workspace.projects.add({
@@ -121,7 +126,7 @@ function addLibToWorkspaceFile(
           builder: Builders.BuildKarma,
           options: {
             tsConfig: `${projectRoot}/tsconfig.spec.json`,
-            polyfills: ['zone.js', 'zone.js/testing'],
+            polyfills: hasZoneDependency ? ['zone.js', 'zone.js/testing'] : undefined,
           },
         },
       },
@@ -172,9 +177,11 @@ export default function (options: LibraryOptions): Rule {
       move(libDir),
     ]);
 
+    const hasZoneDependency = getPackageJsonDependency(host, 'zone.js') !== null;
+
     return chain([
       mergeWith(templateSource),
-      addLibToWorkspaceFile(options, libDir, packageName),
+      addLibToWorkspaceFile(options, libDir, packageName, hasZoneDependency),
       options.skipPackageJson ? noop() : addDependenciesToPackageJson(),
       options.skipTsConfig ? noop() : updateTsConfig(packageName, './' + distRoot),
       options.skipTsConfig
diff --git a/packages/schematics/angular/library/index_spec.ts b/packages/schematics/angular/library/index_spec.ts
index 1d5503d70b38..97e517767f1f 100644
--- a/packages/schematics/angular/library/index_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/schematics/angular/library/index_spec.ts
@@ -195,6 +195,13 @@ describe('Library Schematic', () => {
     expect(workspace.projects.foo.prefix).toEqual('pre');
   });
 
+  it(`should not add zone.js to test polyfills when no zone.js dependency`, async () => {
+    const tree = await schematicRunner.runSchematic('library', defaultOptions, workspaceTree);
+
+    const workspace = getJsonFileContent(tree, '/angular.json');
+    expect(workspace.projects.foo.architect.test.options.polyfills).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
   it('should handle a pascalCasedName', async () => {
     const options = { ...defaultOptions, name: 'pascalCasedName' };
     const tree = await schematicRunner.runSchematic('library', options, workspaceTree);
diff --git a/packages/schematics/angular/workspace/files/package.json.template b/packages/schematics/angular/workspace/files/package.json.template
index 4ee0cdd9ab73..dcbe6939829d 100644
--- a/packages/schematics/angular/workspace/files/package.json.template
+++ b/packages/schematics/angular/workspace/files/package.json.template
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@
     "@angular/platform-browser": "<%= latestVersions.Angular %>",
     "@angular/router": "<%= latestVersions.Angular %>",
     "rxjs": "<%= latestVersions['rxjs'] %>",
-    "tslib": "<%= latestVersions['tslib'] %>",
-    "zone.js": "<%= latestVersions['zone.js'] %>"
+    "tslib": "<%= latestVersions['tslib'] %>"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@angular/cli": "<%= '^' + version %>",
diff --git a/packages/schematics/angular/workspace/index_spec.ts b/packages/schematics/angular/workspace/index_spec.ts
index 520452e71b89..21efd7275b82 100644
--- a/packages/schematics/angular/workspace/index_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/schematics/angular/workspace/index_spec.ts
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ describe('Workspace Schematic', () => {
     const pkg = JSON.parse(tree.readContent('/package.json'));
     expect(pkg.dependencies['@angular/core']).toEqual(latestVersions.Angular);
     expect(pkg.dependencies['rxjs']).toEqual(latestVersions['rxjs']);
-    expect(pkg.dependencies['zone.js']).toEqual(latestVersions['zone.js']);
     expect(pkg.devDependencies['typescript']).toEqual(latestVersions['typescript']);
   });