diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-release.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-release.yml
index 60e4e4144e207..bd6cbf8ab4f1d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-release.yml
@@ -162,29 +162,12 @@ jobs:
           - name: Linux
             os: ubuntu-latest
             shell: bash
-          - name: macOS
-            os: macos-latest
-            shell: bash
-          - name: macOS
-            os: macos-13
-            shell: bash
         node-version:
           - 18.17.0
           - 18.x
           - 20.5.0
           - 20.x
           - 22.x
-        exclude:
-          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-13, shell: bash }
-            node-version: 18.17.0
-          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-13, shell: bash }
-            node-version: 18.x
-          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-13, shell: bash }
-            node-version: 20.5.0
-          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-13, shell: bash }
-            node-version: 20.x
-          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-13, shell: bash }
-            node-version: 22.x
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.platform.os }}
     defaults:
       run:
@@ -221,7 +204,7 @@ jobs:
         run: ./scripts/smoke-publish-test.sh
       - name: Conclude Check
         uses: LouisBrunner/checks-action@v1.6.0
-        if: always()
+        if: steps.create-check.outputs.check-id && always()
         with:
           token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           conclusion: ${{ job.status }}
diff --git a/scripts/smoke-publish-test.sh b/scripts/smoke-publish-test.sh
index 871ff6700e232..1d08a0adf2bc8 100755
--- a/scripts/smoke-publish-test.sh
+++ b/scripts/smoke-publish-test.sh
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ node . install -w smoke-tests --ignore-scripts --no-audit --no-fund
 # debugging locally when we want to pass args to the smoke-tests to limit the
 # files being run or grep a test, etc. Also now set CI=true so we get more
 # debug output in our tap tests
-CI="true" SMOKE_PUBLISH_NPM="1" SMOKE_PUBLISH_TARBALL="$NPM_TARBALL" npm test \
+CI="true" SMOKE_PUBLISH_TARBALL="$NPM_TARBALL" npm test \
   -w smoke-tests \
   --ignore-scripts \
-  -- -Rtap "$@"
+  -- "$@"
diff --git a/scripts/template-oss/ci-release-yml.hbs b/scripts/template-oss/ci-release-yml.hbs
index 9078f02c3429f..8ff869812a331 100644
--- a/scripts/template-oss/ci-release-yml.hbs
+++ b/scripts/template-oss/ci-release-yml.hbs
@@ -10,12 +10,13 @@
       jobCheckout=(obj ref="${{ inputs.ref }}")
       jobCreateCheck=(obj sha="${{ inputs.check-sha }}")
       windowsCI=false
+      macCI=false
     }}
       - name: Smoke Publish
         run: ./scripts/smoke-publish-test.sh
       - name: Conclude Check
         uses: LouisBrunner/checks-action@v1.6.0
-        if: always()
+        if: steps.create-check.outputs.check-id && always()
         with:
           token: $\{{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
           conclusion: $\{{ job.status }}
diff --git a/smoke-tests/test/fixtures/setup.js b/smoke-tests/test/fixtures/setup.js
index e4f7dece22d6e..e5302104f2503 100644
--- a/smoke-tests/test/fixtures/setup.js
+++ b/smoke-tests/test/fixtures/setup.js
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ const MockRegistry = require('@npmcli/mock-registry')
 const http = require('http')
 const { createProxy } = require('proxy')
 
-const { SMOKE_PUBLISH_NPM, SMOKE_PUBLISH_TARBALL, CI, PATH, Path } = process.env
+const { SMOKE_PUBLISH_TARBALL, CI, PATH, Path } = process.env
 
 const DEFAULT_REGISTRY = new URL('https://registry.npmjs.org/')
 const MOCK_REGISTRY = new URL('http://smoke-test-registry.club/')
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ const getCleanPaths = async () => {
 
 module.exports = async (t, { testdir = {}, debug, mockRegistry = true, useProxy = false } = {}) => {
   const debugLog = debug || CI ? (...a) => t.comment(...a) : () => {}
-  debugLog({ SMOKE_PUBLISH_NPM, SMOKE_PUBLISH_TARBALL, CI })
+  debugLog({ SMOKE_PUBLISH_TARBALL, CI })
 
   const cleanPaths = await getCleanPaths()
 
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ module.exports = async (t, { testdir = {}, debug, mockRegistry = true, useProxy
 
   const npmLocal = async (...args) => {
     const [{ force = false }] = getOpts(...args)
-    if (SMOKE_PUBLISH_NPM && !force) {
+    if (SMOKE_PUBLISH_TARBALL && !force) {
       throw new Error('npmLocal cannot be called during smoke-publish')
     }
     return baseNpm({
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ module.exports = async (t, { testdir = {}, debug, mockRegistry = true, useProxy
   return {
     npmPath,
     npmLocal,
-    npm: SMOKE_PUBLISH_NPM ? npmPath : npm,
+    npm: SMOKE_PUBLISH_TARBALL ? npmPath : npm,
     spawn: baseSpawn,
     readFile,
     getPath,
@@ -269,6 +269,6 @@ module.exports.testdir = testdirHelper
 module.exports.getNpmRoot = getNpmRoot
 module.exports.CLI_ROOT = CLI_ROOT
 module.exports.WINDOWS = WINDOWS
-module.exports.SMOKE_PUBLISH = !!SMOKE_PUBLISH_NPM
+module.exports.SMOKE_PUBLISH = !!SMOKE_PUBLISH_TARBALL
 module.exports.SMOKE_PUBLISH_TARBALL = SMOKE_PUBLISH_TARBALL
 module.exports.MOCK_REGISTRY = MOCK_REGISTRY