diff --git a/.github/workflows/apps_automated.yml b/.github/workflows/apps_automated.yml
index f942f6587..95280994f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/apps_automated.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/apps_automated.yml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ jobs:
           java-version: '11'
 
       - name: Install Python
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v1
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
 
       - name: Install NativeScript
         run: |
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Start iOS Simulator
         if: ${{ always() && !cancelled() }} # run iOS tests even if Android tests failed
-        uses: futureware-tech/simulator-action@v1
+        uses: futureware-tech/simulator-action@v2
         with:
           model: 'iPhone 13 Pro Max'
           os_version: '>=15.0'
diff --git a/apps/automated/.npmrc b/apps/automated/.npmrc
index 521a9f7c0..3b5969206 100644
--- a/apps/automated/.npmrc
+++ b/apps/automated/.npmrc
@@ -1 +1,6 @@
 legacy-peer-deps=true
+
+# npm 9+ this defaults to `true` meaning `file:` dependencies are packed and then installed
+# but since we want to link the source files in this case, we disable this behavior and
+# opt to link the dependency as-is instead. (eg. @nativescript/core)
+install-links=false
diff --git a/tools/scripts/run-automated.js b/tools/scripts/run-automated.js
index 766e6a904..f9f6a9253 100644
--- a/tools/scripts/run-automated.js
+++ b/tools/scripts/run-automated.js
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ const spawned_process = spawn(
 		"run",
 		`apps-automated:${platform}`,
 		// "--log=trace",
+		// `--flags="--log=trace"`,
 		"--timeout=600" // 10 minutes, booting avds on CI is very slow...
 	],
 	{