diff --git a/eng/common/pipelines/templates/jobs/npm-publish.yml b/eng/common/pipelines/templates/jobs/npm-publish.yml
index 74d733744c9d..e435a213c9eb 100644
--- a/eng/common/pipelines/templates/jobs/npm-publish.yml
+++ b/eng/common/pipelines/templates/jobs/npm-publish.yml
@@ -70,20 +70,9 @@ jobs:
 
         - ${{ if eq(parameters.Registry, 'https://registry.npmjs.org/') }}:
         
-          - task: PowerShell@2
-            displayName: 'Delete repo .npmrc'
-            condition: and(succeeded(), ne(variables['SkipPublishing'], 'true'))
-            inputs:
-              targetType: inline
-              script: |
-                $npmrcPath = "$(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)/.npmrc"
-                if (Test-Path $npmrcPath) {
-                  Remove-Item -Path $npmrcPath -Force
-                  Write-Host "Deleted $npmrcPath to use default npmjs registry."
-                } else {
-                  Write-Host "No repo .npmrc found at $npmrcPath."
-                }
-              pwsh: true
+          - template: /eng/common/pipelines/templates/steps/reset-npmrc.yml
+            parameters:
+              Registry: ${{ parameters.Registry }}
 
           - task: EsrpRelease@9
             displayName: 'Publish ${{ parameters.ArtifactName }} via ESRP'
diff --git a/eng/common/pipelines/templates/steps/reset-npmrc.yml b/eng/common/pipelines/templates/steps/reset-npmrc.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..45977de6def3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/eng/common/pipelines/templates/steps/reset-npmrc.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+parameters:
+  Registry: 'https://registry.npmjs.org/'
+  
+steps:
+  - task: PowerShell@2
+    displayName: 'Set project npm registry'
+    inputs:
+      targetType: inline
+      script: |
+        $ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
+
+        Write-Host "Registry before update:"
+        npm config get registry --location=project
+        if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
+          throw "Failed to read current project npm registry."
+        }
+
+        npm config set registry "${{ parameters.Registry }}" --location=project
+        if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
+          throw "Failed to set project npm registry to '${{ parameters.Registry }}'."
+        }
+
+        Write-Host "Registry after update:"
+        $updatedRegistry = npm config get registry --location=project
+        if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
+          throw "Failed to read updated project npm registry."
+        }
+
+        if ($updatedRegistry.Trim() -ne "${{ parameters.Registry }}") {
+          throw "Project npm registry mismatch. Expected '${{ parameters.Registry }}' but got '$updatedRegistry'."
+        }
+      pwsh: true