diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cli/named_args.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cli/named_args.rb
index 4a8fbbd847..cd49751f48 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cli/named_args.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cli/named_args.rb
@@ -45,18 +45,18 @@ module Homebrew
       # the formula and prints a warning unless `only` is specified.
       sig {
         params(
-          only:               T.nilable(Symbol),
-          ignore_unavailable: T.nilable(T::Boolean),
-          method:             T.nilable(Symbol),
-          uniq:               T::Boolean,
-          load_from_json:     T::Boolean,
+          only:                     T.nilable(Symbol),
+          ignore_unavailable:       T.nilable(T::Boolean),
+          method:                   T.nilable(Symbol),
+          uniq:                     T::Boolean,
+          prefer_loading_from_json: T::Boolean,
         ).returns(T::Array[T.any(Formula, Keg, Cask::Cask)])
       }
       def to_formulae_and_casks(only: parent&.only_formula_or_cask, ignore_unavailable: nil, method: nil, uniq: true,
-                                load_from_json: false)
+                                prefer_loading_from_json: false)
         @to_formulae_and_casks ||= {}
         @to_formulae_and_casks[only] ||= downcased_unique_named.flat_map do |name|
-          load_formula_or_cask(name, only: only, method: method, load_from_json: load_from_json)
+          load_formula_or_cask(name, only: only, method: method, prefer_loading_from_json: prefer_loading_from_json)
         rescue FormulaUnreadableError, FormulaClassUnavailableError,
                TapFormulaUnreadableError, TapFormulaClassUnavailableError,
                Cask::CaskUnreadableError
@@ -90,10 +90,14 @@ module Homebrew
         end.uniq.freeze
       end
 
-      def load_formula_or_cask(name, only: nil, method: nil, load_from_json: false)
+      def load_formula_or_cask(name, only: nil, method: nil, prefer_loading_from_json: false)
         unreadable_error = nil
 
         if only != :cask
+          if prefer_loading_from_json && ENV["HOMEBREW_JSON_CORE"].present? && BottleAPI.bottle_available?(name)
+            BottleAPI.fetch_bottles(name)
+          end
+
           begin
             formula = case method
             when nil, :factory
@@ -123,12 +127,6 @@ module Homebrew
             # The formula was found, but there's a problem with its implementation
             unreadable_error ||= e
           rescue NoSuchKegError, FormulaUnavailableError => e
-            if load_from_json && ENV["HOMEBREW_JSON_CORE"].present? && !CoreTap.instance.installed? &&
-               BottleAPI.bottle_available?(name)
-              BottleAPI.fetch_bottles(name)
-              retry
-            end
-
             raise e if only == :formula
           end
         end
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/install.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/install.rb
index 3582770b30..e3fd35a1b1 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/install.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/install.rb
@@ -154,10 +154,8 @@ module Homebrew
       EOS
     end
 
-    allow_loading_from_json = ENV["HOMEBREW_JSON_CORE"].present? && !CoreTap.instance.installed?
-
     begin
-      formulae, casks = args.named.to_formulae_and_casks(load_from_json: allow_loading_from_json)
+      formulae, casks = args.named.to_formulae_and_casks(prefer_loading_from_json: true)
                             .partition { |formula_or_cask| formula_or_cask.is_a?(Formula) }
     rescue FormulaOrCaskUnavailableError, Cask::CaskUnavailableError => e
       retry if Tap.install_default_cask_tap_if_necessary(force: args.cask?)
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/outdated.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/outdated.rb
index f2079fae56..af7fb7a915 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/outdated.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/outdated.rb
@@ -92,14 +92,14 @@ module Homebrew
         if verbose?
           outdated_kegs = f.outdated_kegs(fetch_head: args.fetch_HEAD?)
 
-          current_version = if f.alias_changed? && !f.latest_formula.latest_version_installed?
+          current_version = if ENV["HOMEBREW_JSON_CORE"].present? && (f.core_formula? || f.tap.blank?)
+            BottleAPI.latest_pkg_version(f.name)&.to_s || f.pkg_version.to_s
+          elsif f.alias_changed? && !f.latest_formula.latest_version_installed?
             latest = f.latest_formula
             "#{latest.name} (#{latest.pkg_version})"
           elsif f.head? && outdated_kegs.any? { |k| k.version.to_s == f.pkg_version.to_s }
             # There is a newer HEAD but the version number has not changed.
             "latest HEAD"
-          elsif f.tap.blank? && ENV["HOMEBREW_JSON_CORE"].present?
-            BottleAPI.latest_pkg_version(f.name)&.to_s || f.pkg_version.to_s
           else
             f.pkg_version.to_s
           end
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/reinstall.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/reinstall.rb
index bd64922c22..f1dfac9caf 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/reinstall.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/reinstall.rb
@@ -85,11 +85,11 @@ module Homebrew
   def reinstall
     args = reinstall_args.parse
 
-    if ENV["HOMEBREW_JSON_CORE"].present? && !CoreTap.instance.installed?
+    if ENV["HOMEBREW_JSON_CORE"].present?
       args.named.each do |name|
         formula = Formulary.factory(name)
         next unless formula.any_version_installed?
-        next if formula.tap.present?
+        next if formula.tap.present? && !formula.core_formula?
         next unless BottleAPI.bottle_available?(name)
 
         BottleAPI.fetch_bottles(name)
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/upgrade.rb b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/upgrade.rb
index 3e8ff5c935..9c05976a51 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/cmd/upgrade.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/cmd/upgrade.rb
@@ -160,9 +160,9 @@ module Homebrew
       puts pinned.map { |f| "#{f.full_specified_name} #{f.pkg_version}" } * ", "
     end
 
-    if ENV["HOMEBREW_JSON_CORE"].present? && !CoreTap.instance.installed?
+    if ENV["HOMEBREW_JSON_CORE"].present?
       formulae_to_install.map! do |formula|
-        next formula if formula.tap.present?
+        next formula if formula.tap.present? && !formula.core_formula?
         next formula unless BottleAPI.bottle_available?(formula.name)
 
         BottleAPI.fetch_bottles(formula.name)
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/formula.rb b/Library/Homebrew/formula.rb
index ec14f8d450..370551988b 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/formula.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/formula.rb
@@ -1326,7 +1326,7 @@ class Formula
     Formula.cache[:outdated_kegs][cache_key] ||= begin
       all_kegs = []
       current_version = T.let(false, T::Boolean)
-      latest_version = if tap.blank? && ENV["HOMEBREW_JSON_CORE"].present?
+      latest_version = if ENV["HOMEBREW_JSON_CORE"].present? && (core_formula? || tap.blank?)
         BottleAPI.latest_pkg_version(name) || pkg_version
       else
         pkg_version