diff --git a/owlbot.py b/owlbot.py
index c215f26946..a3ee6602a2 100644
--- a/owlbot.py
+++ b/owlbot.py
@@ -226,6 +226,14 @@ def place_before(path, text, *before_text, escape=None):
     escape="()",
 )
 
+place_before(
+    "noxfile.py",
+    "# Use pre-release gRPC for system tests."
+    """# Does it ever work?
+""",
+    escape="()",
+)
+
 s.replace(
     "noxfile.py",
     r"""session.install\("-e", "."\)""",