diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-code-freeze.yml b/.github/workflows/release-code-freeze.yml
index eaff0c16f1e..c357c8107c2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-code-freeze.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-code-freeze.yml
@@ -41,10 +41,24 @@ jobs:
               with:
                   fetch-depth: 0
 
+            - name: Setup PNPM
+              uses: pnpm/action-setup@c3b53f6a16e57305370b4ae5a540c2077a1d50dd
+              with:
+                  version: '8.3.1'
+
+            - name: Setup Node
+              uses: actions/setup-node@64ed1c7eab4cce3362f8c340dee64e5eaeef8f7c
+              with:
+                  node-version-file: .nvmrc
+                  cache: pnpm
+                  registry-url: 'https://registry.npmjs.org'
+
             - name: Install prerequisites
               run: |
-                  npm install -g pnpm
-                  pnpm install --filter monorepo-utils
+                  pnpm install --filter monorepo-utils --ignore-scripts
+                  # ignore scripts speeds up setup signficantly, but we still need to build monorepo utils
+                  pnpm build
+              working-directory: tools/monorepo-utils
 
             - name: 'Check whether today is the code freeze day'
               id: check-freeze
@@ -84,13 +98,34 @@ jobs:
         needs: code-freeze-prep
         if: ${{ needs.code-freeze-prep.outputs.freeze == 'true' && inputs.skipSlackPing != true }}
         steps:
-            - name: Slack
-              uses: archive/github-actions-slack@v2.0.0
-              id: notify
+            - name: Checkout code
+              uses: actions/checkout@v3
               with:
-                  slack-bot-user-oauth-access-token: ${{ secrets.CODE_FREEZE_BOT_TOKEN }}
-                  slack-channel: ${{ inputs.slackChannelOverride || secrets.WOO_RELEASE_SLACK_CHANNEL }}
-                  slack-text: |
-                      :warning-8c: ${{ needs.code-freeze-prep.outputs.nextReleaseVersion }} Code Freeze :ice_cube:
+                  fetch-depth: 0
 
-                      The automation to cut the release branch for ${{ needs.code-freeze-prep.outputs.nextReleaseVersion }} has run. Any PRs that were not already merged will be a part of ${{ needs.maybe-create-next-milestone-and-release-branch.outputs.nextDevelopmentVersion }} by default. If you have something that needs to make ${{ needs.maybe-create-next-milestone-and-release-branch.outputs.nextReleaseVersion }} that hasn't yet been merged, please see the <${{ secrets.FG_LINK }}/code-freeze-for-woocommerce-core-release/|fieldguide page for the code freeze>.
+            - name: Setup PNPM
+              uses: pnpm/action-setup@c3b53f6a16e57305370b4ae5a540c2077a1d50dd
+              with:
+                  version: '8.3.1'
+
+            - name: Setup Node
+              uses: actions/setup-node@64ed1c7eab4cce3362f8c340dee64e5eaeef8f7c
+              with:
+                  node-version-file: .nvmrc
+                  cache: pnpm
+                  registry-url: 'https://registry.npmjs.org'
+
+            - name: Install prerequisites
+              run: |
+                  pnpm install --filter monorepo-utils --ignore-scripts
+                  # ignore scripts speeds up setup signficantly, but we still need to build monorepo utils
+                  pnpm build
+              working-directory: tools/monorepo-utils
+
+            - name: Slack
+              id: notify
+              run: |
+                  pnpm utils slack "${{ secrets.CODE_FREEZE_BOT_TOKEN }}" "
+                  :warning-8c: ${{ needs.code-freeze-prep.outputs.nextReleaseVersion }} Code Freeze :ice_cube:
+                  The automation to cut the release branch for ${{ needs.code-freeze-prep.outputs.nextReleaseVersion }} has run. Any PRs that were not already merged will be a part of ${{ needs.maybe-create-next-milestone-and-release-branch.outputs.nextDevelopmentVersion }} by default. If you have something that needs to make ${{ needs.maybe-create-next-milestone-and-release-branch.outputs.nextReleaseVersion }} that hasn't yet been merged, please see the <${{ secrets.FG_LINK }}/code-freeze-for-woocommerce-core-release/|fieldguide page for the code freeze>.
+                  " "${{ inputs.slackChannelOverride || secrets.WOO_RELEASE_SLACK_CHANNEL }}"
diff --git a/tools/monorepo-utils/src/slack/commands/slack/slack-message.ts b/tools/monorepo-utils/src/slack/commands/slack/slack-message.ts
index c338fa51de7..9e4c141ede0 100644
--- a/tools/monorepo-utils/src/slack/commands/slack/slack-message.ts
+++ b/tools/monorepo-utils/src/slack/commands/slack/slack-message.ts
@@ -53,7 +53,10 @@ export const slackMessageCommand = new Command( 'message' )
 			try {
 				const { statusCode, body } = await requestAsync(
 					options,
-					JSON.stringify( { channel, text } )
+					JSON.stringify( {
+						channel,
+						text: text.replace( /\\n/g, '\n' ),
+					} )
 				);
 
 				Logger.endTask();