diff --git a/lib/commands/birthday.js b/lib/commands/birthday.js
index 4fa0268f8bcfa..5dd9331d836c8 100644
--- a/lib/commands/birthday.js
+++ b/lib/commands/birthday.js
@@ -2,10 +2,8 @@ const BaseCommand = require('../base-command.js')
 
 class Birthday extends BaseCommand {
   async exec () {
-    this.npm.config.set('package', ['@npmcli/npm-birthday'])
     this.npm.config.set('yes', true)
-    const exec = await this.npm.cmd('exec')
-    return exec.exec(['npm-birthday'])
+    return this.npm.exec('exec', ['@npmcli/npm-birthday'])
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/test/lib/commands/birthday.js b/test/lib/commands/birthday.js
index c92f197c5f3f1..8c95dd57b2e3a 100644
--- a/test/lib/commands/birthday.js
+++ b/test/lib/commands/birthday.js
@@ -1,28 +1,14 @@
 const t = require('tap')
-const { fake: mockNpm } = require('../../fixtures/mock-npm')
+const { real: mockNpm } = require('../../fixtures/mock-npm')
 
 t.test('birthday', async t => {
-  t.plan(4)
-  const config = {
-    yes: false,
-    package: [],
-  }
-  const npm = mockNpm({
-    config,
-    cmd: async (cmd) => {
-      t.ok(cmd, 'exec', 'calls out to exec command')
-      return {
-        exec: async (args) => {
-          t.equal(npm.config.get('yes'), true, 'should say yes')
-          t.strictSame(npm.config.get('package'), ['@npmcli/npm-birthday'],
-            'uses correct package')
-          t.strictSame(args, ['npm-birthday'], 'called with correct args')
-        },
-      }
+  t.plan(2)
+  const { Npm } = mockNpm(t, {
+    libnpmexec: ({ args, yes }) => {
+      t.ok(yes)
+      t.match(args, ['@npmcli/npm-birthday'])
     },
   })
-  const Birthday = require('../../../lib/commands/birthday.js')
-  const birthday = new Birthday(npm)
-
-  await birthday.exec([])
+  const npm = new Npm()
+  await npm.exec('birthday', [])
 })