diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_pkg_gen.yaml b/.github/workflows/test_pkg_gen.yaml
index 31826280..91e9a5c2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_pkg_gen.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_pkg_gen.yaml
@@ -85,17 +85,6 @@ jobs:
             file.path("tests", "testthat", "test-hello.R")
           )
 
-          # test NOT_CRAN envvar
-          brio::write_lines(
-            c(
-              "if [ \"$NOT_CRAN\" != \"true\" ]; then",
-              "  exit 1",
-              "fi"
-            ),
-            file.path("configure")
-          )
-          Sys.chmod("configure", "0755")
-
           # TODO: allow warnings on oldrel (cf., https://stat.ethz.ch/pipermail/r-package-devel/2023q2/009229.html)
           if (.Platform$OS.type == "windows" && getRversion() < "4.3.0") {
             error_on <- "error"