diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f23bfa05951d..cd1be1573a5f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ test-results
 /bench
 .verdaccio-cache
 .next
+/.npmrc
 
 # Yarn stuff
 /**/.yarn/*
diff --git a/scripts/run-registry.ts b/scripts/run-registry.ts
index 8393dc4f7416..e8d75a83e97c 100755
--- a/scripts/run-registry.ts
+++ b/scripts/run-registry.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { PACKS_DIRECTORY } from './utils/constants';
 
 import { maxConcurrentTasks } from './utils/concurrency';
 import { getWorkspaces } from './utils/workspace';
+import { execa, execaSync } from 'execa';
 
 program
   .option('-O, --open', 'keep process open')
@@ -21,6 +22,8 @@ program.parse(process.argv);
 
 const logger = console;
 
+const root = path.resolve(__dirname, '..');
+
 const startVerdaccio = async () => {
   let resolved = false;
   return Promise.race([
@@ -108,19 +111,6 @@ const publish = async (packages: { name: string; location: string }[], url: stri
   );
 };
 
-const addUser = (url: string) =>
-  new Promise<void>((res, rej) => {
-    logger.log(`👤 add temp user to verdaccio`);
-
-    exec(`npx npm-cli-adduser -r "${url}" -a -u user -p password -e user@example.com`, (e) => {
-      if (e) {
-        rej(e);
-      } else {
-        res();
-      }
-    });
-  });
-
 const run = async () => {
   const verdaccioUrl = `http://localhost:6001`;
 
@@ -146,12 +136,15 @@ const run = async () => {
 
   logger.log(`🌿 verdaccio running on ${verdaccioUrl}`);
 
-  // in some environments you need to add a dummy user. always try to add & catch on failure
-  try {
-    await addUser(verdaccioUrl);
-  } catch (e) {
-    //
-  }
+  logger.log(`👤 add temp user to verdaccio`);
+  await execa(
+    'npx',
+    // creates a .npmrc file in the root directory of the project
+    ['npm-auth-to-token', '-u', 'foo', '-p', 's3cret', '-e', 'test@test.com', '-r', verdaccioUrl],
+    {
+      cwd: root,
+    }
+  );
 
   logger.log(`📦 found ${packages.length} storybook packages at version ${chalk.blue(version)}`);
 
@@ -159,6 +152,8 @@ const run = async () => {
     await publish(packages, verdaccioUrl);
   }
 
+  await execa('npx', ['rimraf', '.npmrc'], { cwd: root });
+
   if (!program.open) {
     verdaccioServer.close();
   }
@@ -166,5 +161,6 @@ const run = async () => {
 
 run().catch((e) => {
   logger.error(e);
+  execaSync('npx', ['rimraf', '.npmrc'], { cwd: root });
   process.exit(1);
 });