diff --git a/plugins/npm/__tests__/npm-next.test.ts b/plugins/npm/__tests__/npm-next.test.ts
index 1ffeeb57f..2a4338540 100644
--- a/plugins/npm/__tests__/npm-next.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/npm/__tests__/npm-next.test.ts
@@ -262,6 +262,7 @@ describe("next", () => {
       },
     ]);
     execPromise.mockResolvedValueOnce("");
+    execPromise.mockResolvedValueOnce("");
     execPromise.mockResolvedValueOnce("1.2.4-next.0");
 
     plugin.apply(({
@@ -330,6 +331,7 @@ describe("next", () => {
     ]);
     // isMonorepo
     execPromise.mockResolvedValueOnce("");
+    execPromise.mockResolvedValueOnce("");
     execPromise.mockResolvedValueOnce("1.2.4-next.0");
 
     plugin.apply(({
diff --git a/plugins/npm/__tests__/npm.test.ts b/plugins/npm/__tests__/npm.test.ts
index 00c360f2f..576868595 100644
--- a/plugins/npm/__tests__/npm.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/npm/__tests__/npm.test.ts
@@ -824,7 +824,7 @@ describe("canary", () => {
       canaryIdentifier: "canary.123.1",
     });
     expect(execPromise.mock.calls[1]).toContain("npm");
-    expect(execPromise.mock.calls[1][1]).toContain("1.2.4-canary.123.1.0");
+    expect(execPromise.mock.calls[2][1]).toContain("1.2.4-canary.123.1.0");
   });
 
   test("prints canary version in dry run", async () => {
@@ -924,6 +924,7 @@ describe("canary", () => {
 
     // first version exists
     execPromise.mockReturnValueOnce(true);
+    execPromise.mockReturnValueOnce(true);
     // second doesn't
     execPromise.mockReturnValueOnce(false);
 
@@ -931,8 +932,8 @@ describe("canary", () => {
       bump: Auto.SEMVER.patch,
       canaryIdentifier: "canary.123.1",
     });
-    expect(execPromise.mock.calls[2]).toContain("npm");
-    expect(execPromise.mock.calls[2][1]).toContain("1.2.4-canary.123.1.1");
+    expect(execPromise.mock.calls[3]).toContain("npm");
+    expect(execPromise.mock.calls[3][1]).toContain("1.2.4-canary.123.1.1");
   });
 
   test("legacy auth work", async () => {
@@ -1000,8 +1001,8 @@ describe("canary", () => {
       bump: Auto.SEMVER.patch,
       canaryIdentifier: "canary.123.1",
     });
-    expect(execPromise.mock.calls[1]).toContain("npm");
-    expect(execPromise.mock.calls[1][1]).toContain("1.2.4-canary.123.1.0");
+    expect(execPromise.mock.calls[2]).toContain("npm");
+    expect(execPromise.mock.calls[2][1]).toContain("1.2.4-canary.123.1.0");
   });
 
   test("use lerna for monorepo package", async () => {
@@ -1040,7 +1041,7 @@ describe("canary", () => {
       bump: Auto.SEMVER.patch,
       canaryIdentifier: "",
     });
-    expect(execPromise.mock.calls[1][1]).toContain("lerna");
+    expect(execPromise.mock.calls[2][1]).toContain("lerna");
     // @ts-ignore
     expect(value.newVersion).toBe("1.2.3-canary.0");
   });
diff --git a/plugins/npm/src/index.ts b/plugins/npm/src/index.ts
index dd127e899..2acae069c 100644
--- a/plugins/npm/src/index.ts
+++ b/plugins/npm/src/index.ts
@@ -1501,6 +1501,8 @@ export default class NPMPlugin implements IPlugin {
   private async setTokenOnCI(auto: Auto) {
     try {
       await setTokenOnCI(auto.logger);
+      // This will make NPM actually check if the npmrc is valid for the env
+      await execPromise("npm", ["root"]);
     } catch (error) {
       if (
         // eslint-disable-next-line no-template-curly-in-string