diff --git a/recipe/activate.bat b/recipe/activate.bat
index 08f4eed..ca83adc 100755
--- a/recipe/activate.bat
+++ b/recipe/activate.bat
@@ -1,18 +1,3 @@
-@@echo off
-setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
-
-:: save existing variables for deactivation script
-for %%X in (
-    CC CXX CMAKE_ARGS CMAKE_GENERATOR CMAKE_GENERATOR_PLATFORM CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET
-    CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH CONDA_BUILD_CROSS_COMPILATION DISTUTILS_USE_SDK INCLUDE
-    LIB MSSdk MSYS2_ARG_CONV_EXCL MSYS2_ENV_CONV_EXCL PY_VCRUNTIME_REDIST
-    VCVARSBAT VS_MAJOR VS_VERSION VS_YEAR VSINSTALLDIR WindowsSDKVer
-) do (
-    if defined %%X (
-        set "_CONDA_BACKUP_%%X=!%%X!"
-    )
-)
-
 @@echo on
 
 :: Set env vars that tell distutils to use the compiler that we put on path
@@ -105,6 +90,8 @@ set "VCVARSBAT=@{vcvarsbat}"
 set "CMAKE_ARGS=-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release"
 IF "%CONDA_BUILD%" == "1" (
   set "CMAKE_ARGS=%CMAKE_ARGS% -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=%LIBRARY_PREFIX% -DCMAKE_PROGRAM_PATH=%BUILD_PREFIX%\bin;%BUILD_PREFIX%\Scripts;%BUILD_PREFIX%\Library\bin;%PREFIX%\bin;%PREFIX%\Scripts;%PREFIX%\Library\bin"
+  :: see https://github.com/conda-forge/conda-smithy/issues/2319
+  set "CMAKE_ARGS=%CMAKE_ARGS% -DPython_FIND_REGISTRY=NEVER -DPython3_FIND_REGISTRY=NEVER"
 )
 
 IF NOT "@{target_platform}" == "@{host_platform}" (
@@ -171,13 +158,6 @@ if %ERRORLEVEL% neq 0 (
 )
 popd
 
-:: unset auxiliary variables
-set "CMAKE_GEN="
-set "CMAKE_PLAT="
-set "LATEST_VS="
-set "NEWER_VS_WITH_OLDER_VC="
-set "USE_NEW_CMAKE_GEN_SYNTAX="
-
 :GetWin10SdkDir
 call :GetWin10SdkDirHelper HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node > nul 2>&1
 if errorlevel 1 call :GetWin10SdkDirHelper HKCU\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node > nul 2>&1
diff --git a/recipe/deactivate.bat b/recipe/deactivate.bat
deleted file mode 100644
index 1dfee83..0000000
--- a/recipe/deactivate.bat
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
-@@echo off
-setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
-
-:: restore variables
-for %%X in (
-    CC CXX CMAKE_ARGS CMAKE_GENERATOR CMAKE_GENERATOR_PLATFORM CMAKE_GENERATOR_TOOLSET
-    CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH CONDA_BUILD_CROSS_COMPILATION DISTUTILS_USE_SDK INCLUDE
-    LIB MSSdk MSYS2_ARG_CONV_EXCL MSYS2_ENV_CONV_EXCL PY_VCRUNTIME_REDIST
-    VCVARSBAT VS_MAJOR VS_VERSION VS_YEAR VSINSTALLDIR WindowsSDKVer
-) do (
-    if defined _CONDA_BACKUP_%%X (
-        set "%%X=!_CONDA_BACKUP_%%X!"
-        set "_CONDA_BACKUP_%%X="
-    ) else (
-        set "%%X="
-    )
-)
diff --git a/recipe/meta.yaml b/recipe/meta.yaml
index 3af8cf4..d467198 100644
--- a/recipe/meta.yaml
+++ b/recipe/meta.yaml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 {% set vcvars_ver_maj = cl_version.split(".")[0]|int - 5 %}
 {% set vcvars_ver_min = cl_version.split(".")[1]|int %}
 {% set vcvars_ver = vcvars_ver_maj ~ "." ~ vcvars_ver_min %}
-{% set build_num = 27 %}
+{% set build_num = 28 %}
 
 package:
   name: vs{{ vsyear }}
diff --git a/recipe/vc_repack.py b/recipe/vc_repack.py
index 8cf396e..5b257a5 100644
--- a/recipe/vc_repack.py
+++ b/recipe/vc_repack.py
@@ -371,12 +371,6 @@ def main():
             ) as w:
                 for line in r:
                     w.write(subs(line, args))
-        targetdir = os.path.join(env.prefix, "etc", "conda", "deactivate.d")
-        os.makedirs(targetdir)
-        shutil.copyfile(
-            os.path.join(env.recipe_dir, "deactivate.bat"),
-            os.path.join(targetdir, f"vs{args.activate_year}_compiler_vars.bat"),
-        )
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":