diff --git a/.github/workflows/deprecate_release.yml b/.github/workflows/deprecate_release.yml
index b25a6705de..f47f809ee0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deprecate_release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deprecate_release.yml
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@f43a0e5ff2bd294095638e18286ca9a3d1956744 # version 3.6.0
       - uses: ./.github/actions/setup_node
       - uses: ./.github/actions/restore_install_cache
+      # TODO remove proxy before merging -- for testing only
+      - run: npm run start:npm-proxy
       - name: Deprecate release versions
         # TODO remove defaults before merging -- for testing only
         run: npx tsx scripts/deprecate_release.ts --commit-hash ${{ inputs.commitHash || 'e81b212ab' }} --deprecation-message "${{ inputs.deprecationMessage || 'test deprecation message' }}"
diff --git a/scripts/deprecate_release.ts b/scripts/deprecate_release.ts
index 09e75bd05f..c0cea95201 100644
--- a/scripts/deprecate_release.ts
+++ b/scripts/deprecate_release.ts
@@ -177,17 +177,19 @@ const prResult = await ghClient.pulls.create({
   base: baseBranch,
   head: prBranch,
   title: `Deprecate release ${commitHash}`,
-  body: `Restores the contents of the .changeset directory to the previous release commit state ${previousReleaseCommitHash}.`,
+  body: `Restores the contents of the \`.changeset\` directory to the previous release commit state ${previousReleaseCommitHash}.`,
   ...ghContext.repo,
 });
 
-console.log(`Created rollback PR at ${prResult.data.url}`);
+console.log(`Created rollback PR at ${prResult.data.html_url}`);
 
 // setup the .npmrc file using NPM_TOKEN
 await fsp.writeFile(
   '.npmrc',
   // eslint-disable-next-line spellcheck/spell-checker
-  `//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken=${process.env.NPM_TOKEN}${EOL}`
+  // `//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken=${process.env.NPM_TOKEN}${EOL}`
+  // eslint-disable-next-line spellcheck/spell-checker
+  `//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken=garbage${EOL}`
 );
 
 console.log(
@@ -209,14 +211,12 @@ for (const packageVersion of packageVersionsToRestore) {
   console.log(
     `Restoring dist tag "${distTag}" to package version ${packageVersion}`
   );
-  // TODO uncomment but testing in "dry-run" mode for now
-  // await $(inheritIO)`npm dist-tag add ${packageVersion} ${distTag}`;
+  await $(inheritIO)`npm dist-tag add ${packageVersion} ${distTag}`;
   console.log(`Done!${EOL}`);
 }
 
 for (const packageVersion of packageVersionsToDeprecate) {
   console.log(`Deprecating package version ${packageVersion}`);
-  // TODO uncomment but testing in "dry-run" mode for now
-  // await $(inheritIO)`npm deprecate ${packageVersion} "${deprecationMessage}"`;
+  await $(inheritIO)`npm deprecate ${packageVersion} "${deprecationMessage}"`;
   console.log(`Done!${EOL}`);
 }