diff --git a/anago b/anago
index 861803b17fac..e54515d8bd05 100755
--- a/anago
+++ b/anago
@@ -259,12 +259,11 @@ copy_logs_to_workdir () {
 }
 
 ###############################################################################
-# Ensures all registries that will be used during both mock and --nomock
-# runs allow write access so we don't fall over later
-# @param registries - A space separated list of registries
+# Ensures we have write access to a specified registry
+# @param registry - A registry to check the ACLs for
 #
 ensure_registry_acls () {
-  local registries=($1)
+  local registry="$1"
   local emptyfile="$TMPDIR/empty-file.$$"
   local gs_path
   local r
@@ -276,27 +275,30 @@ ensure_registry_acls () {
 
   # Short of creating a hardcoded map of project-id to registry, translating
   # _ to - seems to be a simple rule to keep this, well, simple.
-  for r in ${registries[*]//_/-}; do
-    # In this context, "google-containers" is still used
-    if [[ "$r" == "$GCRIO_PATH_PROD" ]]; then
-      artifact_namespace="google-containers"
-    else
-      artifact_namespace="${r/gcr.io\//}"
-    fi
+  r=${registry//_/-}
 
-    gs_path="gs://artifacts.$artifact_namespace.appspot.com/containers"
-    logecho -n "Checking write access to registry $r: "
-    if logrun $GSUTIL -q cp $emptyfile $gs_path && \
-       logrun $GSUTIL -q rm $gs_path/${emptyfile##*/}; then
-      logecho $OK
-    else
-      logecho $FAILED
-      ((retcode++))
-    fi
+  # When we are no-mock mode we need to perform an image promotion, so it's
+  # unnecessary to check for write access to the production container registry.
+  if ((FLAGS_nomock)); then
+    logecho -n "Skipping container registry ACL check on $GCRIO_PATH_PROD in no-mock mode: "
+    logecho $OK
+    return 0
+  else
+    artifact_namespace="${r/gcr.io\//}"
+  fi
 
-    # Always reset back to $USER
-    ((FLAGS_gcb)) || logrun $GCLOUD config set account $GCP_USER
-  done
+  gs_path="gs://artifacts.$artifact_namespace.appspot.com/containers"
+  logecho -n "Checking write access to registry $r: "
+  if logrun $GSUTIL -q cp $emptyfile $gs_path && \
+      logrun $GSUTIL -q rm $gs_path/${emptyfile##*/}; then
+    logecho $OK
+  else
+    logecho $FAILED
+    ((retcode++))
+  fi
+
+  # Always reset back to $USER
+  ((FLAGS_gcb)) || logrun $GCLOUD config set account $GCP_USER
 
   logrun rm -f $emptyfile
 
@@ -378,7 +380,7 @@ check_prerequisites () {
 
   # Verify write access to all container registries that might be used
   # to ensure both mock and --nomock runs will work.
-  ensure_registry_acls "${ALL_CONTAINER_REGISTRIES[*]}" || return 1
+  ensure_registry_acls "$GCRIO_PATH" || return 1
 
   logecho -n "Checking cloud project state: "
   GCLOUD_PROJECT=$($GCLOUD config get-value project 2>/dev/null)
@@ -1444,8 +1446,13 @@ push_all_artifacts () {
        gs://$RELEASE_BUCKET/$BUCKET_TYPE/$version || return 1
     fi
 
-    common::runstep release::docker::release \
+    # When we are no-mock mode we need to perform an image promotion, so
+    # instead of pushing to the production container registry, we validate
+    # that the manifest is populated on the remote registry.
+    if ! ((FLAGS_nomock)); then
+      common::runstep release::docker::release \
       $KUBE_DOCKER_REGISTRY $version $BUILD_OUTPUT-$version || return 1
+    fi
 
     common::runstep release::docker::validate_remote_manifests \
       $KUBE_DOCKER_REGISTRY $version $BUILD_OUTPUT-$version || return 1
diff --git a/lib/releaselib.sh b/lib/releaselib.sh
index 91bb42204fed..ad9f8b4c4991 100644
--- a/lib/releaselib.sh
+++ b/lib/releaselib.sh
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ readonly GCRIO_PATH_PROD="k8s.gcr.io"
 # TODO(vdf): Remove all GCRIO_PATH_PROD_PUSH logic once the k8s.gcr.io vanity
 #            domain flip (VDF) is successful
 readonly GCRIO_PATH_PROD_PUSH="gcr.io/google-containers"
-readonly GCRIO_PATH_TEST="gcr.io/$TEST_PROJECT"
+readonly GCRIO_PATH_TEST="gcr.io/k8s-staging-kubernetes"
 
 readonly KUBE_CROSS_REGISTRY="us.gcr.io/k8s-artifacts-prod/build-image"
 readonly KUBE_CROSS_IMAGE="${KUBE_CROSS_REGISTRY}/kube-cross"
@@ -1358,9 +1358,6 @@ release::send_announcement () {
 # READ_RELEASE_BUCKETS - array of readable buckets for multiple sourcing of
 #                        mock staged builds
 # GCRIO_PATH - GCR path based on mock or --nomock
-# ALL_CONTAINER_REGISTRIES - when running mock (via GCB) this array also
-#                            contains k8s.gcr.io so we can check access in mock
-#                            mode before an actual release occurs
 release::set_globals () {
   logecho -n "Setting global variables: "
 
@@ -1387,7 +1384,6 @@ release::set_globals () {
   fi
 
   GCRIO_PATH="${FLAGS_gcrio_path:-$GCRIO_PATH_TEST}"
-  ALL_CONTAINER_REGISTRIES=("$GCRIO_PATH")
 
   if ((FLAGS_nomock)); then
     RELEASE_BUCKET="$PROD_BUCKET"
@@ -1420,8 +1416,6 @@ release::set_globals () {
   WRITE_RELEASE_BUCKETS=("$RELEASE_BUCKET")
   READ_RELEASE_BUCKETS+=("$RELEASE_BUCKET")
 
-  ALL_CONTAINER_REGISTRIES=("$GCRIO_PATH")
-
   # TODO:
   # These KUBE_ globals extend beyond the scope of the new release refactored
   # tooling so to pass these through as flags will require fixes across