diff --git a/go/tools/bazel_testing/bazel_testing.go b/go/tools/bazel_testing/bazel_testing.go
index 4c8f8d3f9..30bc8f058 100644
--- a/go/tools/bazel_testing/bazel_testing.go
+++ b/go/tools/bazel_testing/bazel_testing.go
@@ -466,15 +466,6 @@ func setupWorkspace(args Args, files []string) (dir string, cleanup func() error
 		if err := defaultModuleBazelTpl.Execute(w, info); err != nil {
 			return "", cleanup, err
 		}
-
-		// Enable Bzlmod.
-		bazelrcPath := filepath.Join(mainDir, ".bazelrc")
-		if _, err = os.Stat(bazelrcPath); os.IsNotExist(err) {
-			err = os.WriteFile(bazelrcPath, []byte("common --enable_bzlmod"), 0666)
-			if err != nil {
-				return "", cleanup, err
-			}
-		}
 	}
 
 	return mainDir, cleanup, nil
diff --git a/tests/core/cross/proto_test.go b/tests/core/cross/proto_test.go
index 45c4410f9..c8372ffb8 100644
--- a/tests/core/cross/proto_test.go
+++ b/tests/core/cross/proto_test.go
@@ -24,6 +24,52 @@ var testArgs = bazel_testing.Args{
 	ModuleFileSuffix: `
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_proto", version = "6.0.0")
 bazel_dep(name = "toolchains_protoc", version = "0.2.4")
+`,
+	WorkspacePrefix: `
+load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive")
+
+# The non-polyfill version of this is needed by rules_proto below.
+http_archive(
+    name = "bazel_features",
+    sha256 = "d7787da289a7fb497352211ad200ec9f698822a9e0757a4976fd9f713ff372b3",
+    strip_prefix = "bazel_features-1.9.1",
+    url = "https://github.com/bazel-contrib/bazel_features/releases/download/v1.9.1/bazel_features-v1.9.1.tar.gz",
+)
+
+load("@bazel_features//:deps.bzl", "bazel_features_deps")
+
+bazel_features_deps()
+`,
+	WorkspaceSuffix: `
+load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive")
+
+http_archive(
+    name = "com_google_protobuf",
+    sha256 = "75be42bd736f4df6d702a0e4e4d30de9ee40eac024c4b845d17ae4cc831fe4ae",
+    strip_prefix = "protobuf-21.7",
+    # latest available in BCR, as of 2022-09-30
+    urls = [
+        "https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/archive/v21.7.tar.gz",
+        "https://mirror.bazel.build/github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/archive/v21.7.tar.gz",
+    ],
+)
+
+load("@com_google_protobuf//:protobuf_deps.bzl", "protobuf_deps")
+
+protobuf_deps()
+
+http_archive(
+    name = "rules_proto",
+    sha256 = "303e86e722a520f6f326a50b41cfc16b98fe6d1955ce46642a5b7a67c11c0f5d",
+    strip_prefix = "rules_proto-6.0.0",
+    url = "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_proto/releases/download/6.0.0/rules_proto-6.0.0.tar.gz",
+)
+
+load("@rules_proto//proto:repositories.bzl", "rules_proto_dependencies")
+rules_proto_dependencies()
+
+load("@rules_proto//proto:toolchains.bzl", "rules_proto_toolchains")
+rules_proto_toolchains()
 `,
 	Main: `
 -- BUILD.bazel --
diff --git a/tests/core/transition/hermeticity_test.go b/tests/core/transition/hermeticity_test.go
index b4194e37c..a121f9003 100644
--- a/tests/core/transition/hermeticity_test.go
+++ b/tests/core/transition/hermeticity_test.go
@@ -125,6 +125,52 @@ message Foo {
 bazel_dep(name = "protobuf", version = "21.7", repo_name = "com_google_protobuf")
 bazel_dep(name = "rules_proto", version = "6.0.0")
 bazel_dep(name = "toolchains_protoc", version = "0.2.4")
+`,
+		WorkspacePrefix: `
+load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive")
+
+# The non-polyfill version of this is needed by rules_proto below.
+http_archive(
+    name = "bazel_features",
+    sha256 = "d7787da289a7fb497352211ad200ec9f698822a9e0757a4976fd9f713ff372b3",
+    strip_prefix = "bazel_features-1.9.1",
+    url = "https://github.com/bazel-contrib/bazel_features/releases/download/v1.9.1/bazel_features-v1.9.1.tar.gz",
+)
+
+load("@bazel_features//:deps.bzl", "bazel_features_deps")
+
+bazel_features_deps()
+`,
+		WorkspaceSuffix: `
+load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive")
+
+http_archive(
+    name = "com_google_protobuf",
+    sha256 = "75be42bd736f4df6d702a0e4e4d30de9ee40eac024c4b845d17ae4cc831fe4ae",
+    strip_prefix = "protobuf-21.7",
+    # latest available in BCR, as of 2022-09-30
+    urls = [
+        "https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/archive/v21.7.tar.gz",
+        "https://mirror.bazel.build/github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/archive/v21.7.tar.gz",
+    ],
+)
+
+load("@com_google_protobuf//:protobuf_deps.bzl", "protobuf_deps")
+
+protobuf_deps()
+
+http_archive(
+    name = "rules_proto",
+    sha256 = "303e86e722a520f6f326a50b41cfc16b98fe6d1955ce46642a5b7a67c11c0f5d",
+    strip_prefix = "rules_proto-6.0.0",
+    url = "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_proto/releases/download/6.0.0/rules_proto-6.0.0.tar.gz",
+)
+
+load("@rules_proto//proto:repositories.bzl", "rules_proto_dependencies")
+rules_proto_dependencies()
+
+load("@rules_proto//proto:toolchains.bzl", "rules_proto_toolchains")
+rules_proto_toolchains()
 `,
 	})
 }