diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-candidate.yml b/.github/workflows/release-candidate.yml
index 4ff9c4328..c37e72434 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-candidate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-candidate.yml
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ jobs:
               cp "${client_dir}/${client}-client.${{ matrix.napi_platform }}.node" \
                 "${platform_dir}/"
               (cd "${client_dir}" && npm pack \
-                "npm/${{ matrix.napi_platform }}" \
+                "./npm/${{ matrix.napi_platform }}" \
                 --ignore-scripts --pack-destination "${RUNNER_TEMP}")
               platform_package="registrystack-${client}-client-${{ matrix.napi_platform }}-${CLIENT_VERSION}.tgz"
               test -f "${RUNNER_TEMP}/${platform_package}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 99b5ca03b..fe10e9a30 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -1263,7 +1263,7 @@ jobs:
               --tarball "${tarball}")"
             if [[ "${state}" == absent ]]; then
               require_unexpired_candidate
-              npm publish "${tarball}" --access public --provenance
+              npm publish "./${tarball}" --access public --provenance
             else
               test "${state}" = present
             fi
diff --git a/release/scripts/test_release_workflow_structure.py b/release/scripts/test_release_workflow_structure.py
index 49fa1afc8..1e910c1a4 100644
--- a/release/scripts/test_release_workflow_structure.py
+++ b/release/scripts/test_release_workflow_structure.py
@@ -569,6 +569,7 @@ def test_builds_and_smokes_stable_native_client_packages(self) -> None:
             "package/${client}-client.${{ matrix.napi_platform }}.node",
             node,
         )
+        self.assertIn('"./npm/${{ matrix.napi_platform }}"', node)
         self.assertIn("registry-${client}-client-node", node)
         for name in ("Smoke Python client wheels", "Smoke Node client packages"):
             smoke = step_run(document, "clients", name)
@@ -1016,7 +1017,8 @@ def test_promotes_exact_client_packages_with_oidc_and_retry_safety(self) -> None
             "Reconcile platform packages, then publish the root package",
         )
         self.assertIn("client_registry.py npm-state", npm_publish)
-        self.assertIn("npm publish", npm_publish)
+        self.assertIn('npm publish "./${tarball}"', npm_publish)
+        self.assertNotIn('npm publish "${tarball}"', npm_publish)
         self.assertIn("require_unexpired_candidate", npm_publish)
         self.assertLess(
             npm_publish.rindex("require_unexpired_candidate"),