diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index ea44d0a9c..08142a25e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -122,12 +122,17 @@ jobs:
               exit 1;
           esac
 
-          echo -e "project-dir=$PROJECT_DIR" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          echo -e "is-rust-project=$IS_RUST_PROJECT" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          echo -e "is-js-project=$IS_JS_PROJECT" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          echo -e "artifacts-glob=$ARTIFACTS_GLOB" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          echo -e "artifact-name=$ARTIFACT_NAME" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          echo -e "next-release-tag=${PROJECT}-v${NEXT_VERSION}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          export IS_PRERELEASE=$(node scripts/semver-is-prerelease.mjs $NEXT_VERSION);
+          echo -e "is-prerelease=$IS_PRERELEASE" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT;
+          export PRERELEASE_TAG=$(node scripts/semver-get-prerelease.mjs $NEXT_VERSION);
+          echo -e "prerelease-tag=$PRERELEASE_TAG" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT;
+
+          echo -e "project-dir=$PROJECT_DIR" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT;
+          echo -e "is-rust-project=$IS_RUST_PROJECT" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT;
+          echo -e "is-js-project=$IS_JS_PROJECT" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT;
+          echo -e "artifacts-glob=$ARTIFACTS_GLOB" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT;
+          echo -e "artifact-name=$ARTIFACT_NAME" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT;
+          echo -e "next-release-tag=${PROJECT}-v${NEXT_VERSION}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT;
 
   pack-crate-release:
     if: ${{ needs.meta.outputs.is-rust-project == 'true' }}
@@ -294,6 +299,11 @@ jobs:
       - meta
       - test-npm-release
     steps:
+      # NOTE: we need to checkout to pull npmrc
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11bd71901bbe5b1630ceea73d27597364c9af683 # v4.2.2
+        with:
+          sparse-checkout: |
+            .npmrc
       - uses: actions/download-artifact@fa0a91b85d4f404e444e00e005971372dc801d16 # v4.1.8
         with:
           path: artifacts
@@ -304,12 +314,18 @@ jobs:
         shell: bash
         run: |
           export PACKAGE_DIR=${{ github.workspace }}/artifacts/${{ needs.meta.outputs.project }}/${{ needs.meta.outputs.artifact-name }}
+
           export OPT_DRY_RUN="--dry-run"
           if [ "tag" == "${{ github.ref_type }}" ]; then
             export OPT_DRY_RUN="";
           fi
 
-          npm publish $OPT_DRY_RUN $PACKAGE_DIR
+          export OPT_RELEASE_TAG=""
+          if [ "true" == "${{ needs.project-meta.outputs.is-prerelease }}" ]; then
+            export OPT_RELEASE_TAG="--tag ${{ needs.project-meta.outputs.prerelease-tag }}";
+          fi
+
+          npm publish $OPT_DRY_RUN $OPT_RELEASE_TAG $PACKAGE_DIR
 
   create-gh-release:
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
@@ -341,7 +357,8 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           git cliff \
           --repository=${{ github.workspace }}/.git \
-          --tag=${{ needs.meta.outputs.next-release-tag }} > CHANGELOG.current
+          --latest \
+          --tag ${{ needs.meta.outputs.next-release-tag }} > CHANGELOG.current
 
       - uses: actions/download-artifact@fa0a91b85d4f404e444e00e005971372dc801d16 # v4.1.8
         with:
diff --git a/scripts/semver-get-prerelease.mjs b/scripts/semver-get-prerelease.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4306b1e3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/semver-get-prerelease.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import { stdout, argv } from "node:process";
+
+import semver from "semver";
+
+async function main() {
+  let version = argv[2];
+  if (version?.startsWith("v")) {
+    version = version.slice(1);
+  }
+  if (!version || !semver.valid(version)) {
+    throw new Error("Missing/invalid semver value");
+  }
+
+  let p = semver.prerelease(version);
+  if (!p) {
+    stdout.write("");
+    return;
+  }
+  stdout.write(`${p[0]}`);
+}
+
+await main();
diff --git a/scripts/semver-is-prerelease.mjs b/scripts/semver-is-prerelease.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..03baa0e50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/semver-is-prerelease.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import { stdout, argv } from "node:process";
+
+import semver from "semver";
+
+async function main() {
+  let version = argv[2];
+  if (version?.startsWith("v")) {
+    version = version.slice(1);
+  }
+  if (!version || !semver.valid(version)) {
+    throw new Error("Missing/invalid semver value");
+  }
+
+  let isPrerelease = semver.prerelease(version) !== null;
+  stdout.write(`${isPrerelease}`);
+}
+
+await main();