diff --git a/packages/react-dom/src/__tests__/ReactTestUtilsAct-test.js b/packages/react-dom/src/__tests__/ReactTestUtilsAct-test.js
index 8da49f1652451..af7ad5d89cd24 100644
--- a/packages/react-dom/src/__tests__/ReactTestUtilsAct-test.js
+++ b/packages/react-dom/src/__tests__/ReactTestUtilsAct-test.js
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ function sleep(period) {
 
 describe('ReactTestUtils.act()', () => {
   // first we run all the tests with concurrent mode
-  let concurrentRoot;
+  let concurrentRoot = null;
   function renderConcurrent(el, dom) {
     concurrentRoot = ReactDOM.unstable_createRoot(dom);
     concurrentRoot.render(el);
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ describe('ReactTestUtils.act()', () => {
   runActTests('legacy sync mode', renderSync, unmountSync, rerenderSync);
 
   // and then in batched mode
-  let batchedRoot;
+  let batchedRoot = null;
   function renderBatched(el, dom) {
     batchedRoot = ReactDOM.unstable_createSyncRoot(dom);
     batchedRoot.render(el);
@@ -791,5 +791,26 @@ function runActTests(label, render, unmount, rerender) {
         });
       }
     });
+    describe('warn in prod mode', () => {
+      it('warns if you try to use act() in prod mode', () => {
+        const spy = spyOnDevAndProd(console, 'error');
+
+        act(() => {});
+
+        if (!__DEV__) {
+          expect(console.error).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+          expect(console.error.calls.argsFor(0)[0]).toContain(
+            'act(...) is not supported in production builds of React',
+          );
+        } else {
+          expect(console.error).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+        }
+
+        spy.calls.reset();
+        // does not warn twice
+        act(() => {});
+        expect(console.error).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(0);
+      });
+    });
   });
 }
diff --git a/packages/react-dom/src/test-utils/ReactTestUtilsAct.js b/packages/react-dom/src/test-utils/ReactTestUtilsAct.js
index f12915518bdd7..52aeb03b9b2f4 100644
--- a/packages/react-dom/src/test-utils/ReactTestUtilsAct.js
+++ b/packages/react-dom/src/test-utils/ReactTestUtilsAct.js
@@ -74,8 +74,17 @@ function flushWorkAndMicroTasks(onDone: (err: ?Error) => void) {
 // so we can tell if any async act() calls try to run in parallel.
 
 let actingUpdatesScopeDepth = 0;
+let didWarnAboutUsingActInProd = false;
 
 function act(callback: () => Thenable) {
+  if (!__DEV__) {
+    if (didWarnAboutUsingActInProd === false) {
+      didWarnAboutUsingActInProd = true;
+      console.error(
+        'act(...) is not supported in production builds of React, and might not behave as expected.',
+      );
+    }
+  }
   let previousActingUpdatesScopeDepth = actingUpdatesScopeDepth;
   let previousIsSomeRendererActing;
   let previousIsThisRendererActing;
diff --git a/packages/react-noop-renderer/src/createReactNoop.js b/packages/react-noop-renderer/src/createReactNoop.js
index 42add1285cb7c..7369552eb34e6 100644
--- a/packages/react-noop-renderer/src/createReactNoop.js
+++ b/packages/react-noop-renderer/src/createReactNoop.js
@@ -630,8 +630,17 @@ function createReactNoop(reconciler: Function, useMutation: boolean) {
   // so we can tell if any async act() calls try to run in parallel.
 
   let actingUpdatesScopeDepth = 0;
+  let didWarnAboutUsingActInProd = false;
 
   function act(callback: () => Thenable) {
+    if (!__DEV__) {
+      if (didWarnAboutUsingActInProd === false) {
+        didWarnAboutUsingActInProd = true;
+        console.error(
+          'act(...) is not supported in production builds of React, and might not behave as expected.',
+        );
+      }
+    }
     let previousActingUpdatesScopeDepth = actingUpdatesScopeDepth;
     let previousIsSomeRendererActing;
     let previousIsThisRendererActing;
diff --git a/packages/react-test-renderer/src/ReactTestRendererAct.js b/packages/react-test-renderer/src/ReactTestRendererAct.js
index 726a62a15a277..c34bd2d9f211e 100644
--- a/packages/react-test-renderer/src/ReactTestRendererAct.js
+++ b/packages/react-test-renderer/src/ReactTestRendererAct.js
@@ -55,8 +55,17 @@ function flushWorkAndMicroTasks(onDone: (err: ?Error) => void) {
 // so we can tell if any async act() calls try to run in parallel.
 
 let actingUpdatesScopeDepth = 0;
+let didWarnAboutUsingActInProd = false;
 
 function act(callback: () => Thenable) {
+  if (!__DEV__) {
+    if (didWarnAboutUsingActInProd === false) {
+      didWarnAboutUsingActInProd = true;
+      console.error(
+        'act(...) is not supported in production builds of React, and might not behave as expected.',
+      );
+    }
+  }
   let previousActingUpdatesScopeDepth = actingUpdatesScopeDepth;
   let previousIsSomeRendererActing;
   let previousIsThisRendererActing;
diff --git a/scripts/jest/shouldIgnoreConsoleError.js b/scripts/jest/shouldIgnoreConsoleError.js
index 4ea96751c073b..cae46ac7c8c32 100644
--- a/scripts/jest/shouldIgnoreConsoleError.js
+++ b/scripts/jest/shouldIgnoreConsoleError.js
@@ -25,6 +25,16 @@ module.exports = function shouldIgnoreConsoleError(format, args) {
       // They are noisy too so we'll try to ignore them.
       return true;
     }
+    if (
+      format.indexOf(
+        'act(...) is not supported in production builds of React'
+      ) === 0
+    ) {
+      // We don't yet support act() for prod builds, and warn for it.
+      // But we'd like to use act() ourselves for prod builds.
+      // Let's ignore the warning and #yolo.
+      return true;
+    }
   }
   // Looks legit
   return false;