diff --git a/.github/workflows/audit.yml b/.github/workflows/audit.yml
index 62892f99..2555c287 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/audit.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/audit.yml
@@ -25,10 +25,54 @@ jobs:
           git config --global user.name "npm CLI robot"
       - name: Setup Node
         uses: actions/setup-node@v3
+        id: node
         with:
           node-version: 18.x
-      - name: Install npm@latest
+          check-latest: contains('18.x', '.x')
+
+      # node 10/12/14 ship with npm@6, which is known to fail when updating itself in windows
+      - name: Update Windows npm
+        if: |
+          matrix.platform.os == 'windows-latest' && (
+            startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v10.') || startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v12.') || startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v14.')
+          )
+        run: |
+          curl -sO https://registry.npmjs.org/npm/-/npm-7.5.4.tgz
+          tar xf npm-7.5.4.tgz
+          cd package
+          node lib/npm.js install --no-fund --no-audit -g ..\npm-7.5.4.tgz
+          cd ..
+          rmdir /s /q package
+
+      # Start on Node 10 because we dont test on anything lower
+      - name: Install npm@7 on Node 10
+        shell: bash
+        if: startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v10.')
+        id: npm-7
+        run: |
+          npm i --prefer-online --no-fund --no-audit -g npm@7
+          echo "updated=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Install npm@8 on Node 12
+        shell: bash
+        if: startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v12.')
+        id: npm-8
+        run: |
+          npm i --prefer-online --no-fund --no-audit -g npm@8
+          echo "updated=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Install npm@9 on Node 14/16/18.0
+        shell: bash
+        if: startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v14.') || startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v16.') || startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v18.0.')
+        id: npm-9
+        run: |
+          npm i --prefer-online --no-fund --no-audit -g npm@9
+          echo "updated=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Install npm@latest on Node
+        if: ${{ !(steps.npm-7.outputs.updated || steps.npm-8.outputs.updated || steps.npm-9.outputs.updated) }}
         run: npm i --prefer-online --no-fund --no-audit -g npm@latest
+
       - name: npm Version
         run: npm -v
       - name: Install Dependencies
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 86f70f6c..ddce21dd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -29,10 +29,54 @@ jobs:
           git config --global user.name "npm CLI robot"
       - name: Setup Node
         uses: actions/setup-node@v3
+        id: node
         with:
           node-version: 18.x
-      - name: Install npm@latest
+          check-latest: contains('18.x', '.x')
+
+      # node 10/12/14 ship with npm@6, which is known to fail when updating itself in windows
+      - name: Update Windows npm
+        if: |
+          matrix.platform.os == 'windows-latest' && (
+            startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v10.') || startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v12.') || startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v14.')
+          )
+        run: |
+          curl -sO https://registry.npmjs.org/npm/-/npm-7.5.4.tgz
+          tar xf npm-7.5.4.tgz
+          cd package
+          node lib/npm.js install --no-fund --no-audit -g ..\npm-7.5.4.tgz
+          cd ..
+          rmdir /s /q package
+
+      # Start on Node 10 because we dont test on anything lower
+      - name: Install npm@7 on Node 10
+        shell: bash
+        if: startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v10.')
+        id: npm-7
+        run: |
+          npm i --prefer-online --no-fund --no-audit -g npm@7
+          echo "updated=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Install npm@8 on Node 12
+        shell: bash
+        if: startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v12.')
+        id: npm-8
+        run: |
+          npm i --prefer-online --no-fund --no-audit -g npm@8
+          echo "updated=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Install npm@9 on Node 14/16/18.0
+        shell: bash
+        if: startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v14.') || startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v16.') || startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v18.0.')
+        id: npm-9
+        run: |
+          npm i --prefer-online --no-fund --no-audit -g npm@9
+          echo "updated=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Install npm@latest on Node
+        if: ${{ !(steps.npm-7.outputs.updated || steps.npm-8.outputs.updated || steps.npm-9.outputs.updated) }}
         run: npm i --prefer-online --no-fund --no-audit -g npm@latest
+
       - name: npm Version
         run: npm -v
       - name: Install Dependencies
@@ -67,11 +111,17 @@ jobs:
           git config --global user.name "npm CLI robot"
       - name: Setup Node
         uses: actions/setup-node@v3
+        id: node
         with:
           node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
+          check-latest: contains(matrix.node-version, '.x')
+
+      # node 10/12/14 ship with npm@6, which is known to fail when updating itself in windows
       - name: Update Windows npm
-        # node 12 and 14 ship with npm@6, which is known to fail when updating itself in windows
-        if: matrix.platform.os == 'windows-latest' && (startsWith(matrix.node-version, '12.') || startsWith(matrix.node-version, '14.'))
+        if: |
+          matrix.platform.os == 'windows-latest' && (
+            startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v10.') || startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v12.') || startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v14.')
+          )
         run: |
           curl -sO https://registry.npmjs.org/npm/-/npm-7.5.4.tgz
           tar xf npm-7.5.4.tgz
@@ -79,12 +129,36 @@ jobs:
           node lib/npm.js install --no-fund --no-audit -g ..\npm-7.5.4.tgz
           cd ..
           rmdir /s /q package
-      - name: Install npm@7
-        if: startsWith(matrix.node-version, '10.')
-        run: npm i --prefer-online --no-fund --no-audit -g npm@7
-      - name: Install npm@latest
-        if: ${{ !startsWith(matrix.node-version, '10.') }}
+
+      # Start on Node 10 because we dont test on anything lower
+      - name: Install npm@7 on Node 10
+        shell: bash
+        if: startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v10.')
+        id: npm-7
+        run: |
+          npm i --prefer-online --no-fund --no-audit -g npm@7
+          echo "updated=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Install npm@8 on Node 12
+        shell: bash
+        if: startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v12.')
+        id: npm-8
+        run: |
+          npm i --prefer-online --no-fund --no-audit -g npm@8
+          echo "updated=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Install npm@9 on Node 14/16/18.0
+        shell: bash
+        if: startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v14.') || startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v16.') || startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v18.0.')
+        id: npm-9
+        run: |
+          npm i --prefer-online --no-fund --no-audit -g npm@9
+          echo "updated=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Install npm@latest on Node
+        if: ${{ !(steps.npm-7.outputs.updated || steps.npm-8.outputs.updated || steps.npm-9.outputs.updated) }}
         run: npm i --prefer-online --no-fund --no-audit -g npm@latest
+
       - name: npm Version
         run: npm -v
       - name: Install Dependencies
diff --git a/.github/workflows/post-dependabot.yml b/.github/workflows/post-dependabot.yml
index ce383405..c8898838 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/post-dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/post-dependabot.yml
@@ -26,10 +26,54 @@ jobs:
           git config --global user.name "npm CLI robot"
       - name: Setup Node
         uses: actions/setup-node@v3
+        id: node
         with:
           node-version: 18.x
-      - name: Install npm@latest
+          check-latest: contains('18.x', '.x')
+
+      # node 10/12/14 ship with npm@6, which is known to fail when updating itself in windows
+      - name: Update Windows npm
+        if: |
+          matrix.platform.os == 'windows-latest' && (
+            startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v10.') || startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v12.') || startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v14.')
+          )
+        run: |
+          curl -sO https://registry.npmjs.org/npm/-/npm-7.5.4.tgz
+          tar xf npm-7.5.4.tgz
+          cd package
+          node lib/npm.js install --no-fund --no-audit -g ..\npm-7.5.4.tgz
+          cd ..
+          rmdir /s /q package
+
+      # Start on Node 10 because we dont test on anything lower
+      - name: Install npm@7 on Node 10
+        shell: bash
+        if: startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v10.')
+        id: npm-7
+        run: |
+          npm i --prefer-online --no-fund --no-audit -g npm@7
+          echo "updated=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Install npm@8 on Node 12
+        shell: bash
+        if: startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v12.')
+        id: npm-8
+        run: |
+          npm i --prefer-online --no-fund --no-audit -g npm@8
+          echo "updated=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Install npm@9 on Node 14/16/18.0
+        shell: bash
+        if: startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v14.') || startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v16.') || startsWith(steps.node.outputs.node-version, 'v18.0.')
+        id: npm-9
+        run: |
+          npm i --prefer-online --no-fund --no-audit -g npm@9
+          echo "updated=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Install npm@latest on Node
+        if: ${{ !(steps.npm-7.outputs.updated || steps.npm-8.outputs.updated || steps.npm-9.outputs.updated) }}
         run: npm i --prefer-online --no-fund --no-audit -g npm@latest
+
       - name: npm Version
         run: npm -v
       - name: Install Dependencies
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 1bde8470..f9576b5b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
   },
   "templateOSS": {
     "//@npmcli/template-oss": "This file is partially managed by @npmcli/template-oss. Edits may be overwritten.",
-    "version": "4.18.0",
+    "version": "4.18.1",
     "windowsCI": false,
     "macCI": false,
     "ciVersions": [