diff --git a/.ado/compliance.yml b/.ado/compliance.yml
index 3831667368b..f6f80e27130 100644
--- a/.ado/compliance.yml
+++ b/.ado/compliance.yml
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@ parameters:
   default:
     Medium:
       name: rnw-pool-4-microsoft
-      demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node18
+      demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022
     Large:
       name: rnw-pool-8-microsoft
-      demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node18
+      demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022
 - name: forceCodeQL
   displayName: Force CodeQL to rebuild databases
   type: boolean
diff --git a/.ado/continuous.yml b/.ado/continuous.yml
index b3df4b8b7ea..4a0a21c6949 100644
--- a/.ado/continuous.yml
+++ b/.ado/continuous.yml
@@ -13,16 +13,16 @@ parameters:
     default:
       Small:
         name: rnw-pool-2
-        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node18
+        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022
       Medium:
         name: rnw-pool-4
-        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node18
+        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022
       MediumNode16:
         name: rnw-pool-4
         demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022
       Large:
         name: rnw-pool-8
-        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node18
+        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022
 
 stages:
   - template: stages.yml
diff --git a/.ado/templates/react-native-init.yml b/.ado/templates/react-native-init.yml
index 54108da7382..327a0b76516 100644
--- a/.ado/templates/react-native-init.yml
+++ b/.ado/templates/react-native-init.yml
@@ -109,6 +109,9 @@ steps:
   - script: yarn config set registry http://localhost:4873
     displayName: Modify yarn config to point to local verdaccio server
 
+  - script: yarn config set ignore-engines true
+    displayName: Disable node engine checks # workaround for issue #12711
+
   - ${{ if eq(parameters.useNuget, true) }}:
     - script: |
         npx --yes react-native-windows-init@latest --verbose --version $(npmVersion) --overwrite --language ${{ parameters.language }} --projectType ${{ parameters.projectType }} ${{ parameters.additionalInitArguments }} --experimentalNuGetDependency true --nuGetTestFeed $(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)\NuGetTestFeed
diff --git a/.ado/windows-vs-pr.yml b/.ado/windows-vs-pr.yml
index 1b8e84448df..d9720bd9d33 100644
--- a/.ado/windows-vs-pr.yml
+++ b/.ado/windows-vs-pr.yml
@@ -16,16 +16,16 @@ parameters:
     default:
       Small:
         name: rnw-pool-2
-        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node18
+        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022
       Medium:
         name: rnw-pool-4
-        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node18
+        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022
       MediumNode16:
         name: rnw-pool-4
         demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022
       Large:
         name: rnw-pool-8
-        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node18
+        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022
 
 stages:
   - template: stages.yml