diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index b9c465612..571bf972c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 name: Publish
 
 on:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - 'v*'
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
       action:
@@ -9,15 +12,11 @@ on:
         type: choice
         options:
           - publish-next
-          - promote-latest
+          - publish-latest
         default: publish-next
-      version:
-        description: "Version to promote (promote-latest only; leave empty to use package.json version)"
-        required: false
-        type: string
 
 concurrency:
-  group: ${{ github.workflow }}
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
   cancel-in-progress: false
 
 permissions:
@@ -26,7 +25,6 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   publish:
-    name: ${{ inputs.action == 'promote-latest' && 'Promote to latest' || 'Publish to npm (next)' }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -40,17 +38,26 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: ./.github/actions/setup-bun
 
-      - name: Publish to npm (next)
-        if: inputs.action == 'publish-next'
-        run: bun run publish:next
-        env:
-          NPM_CONFIG_PROVENANCE: true
+      - name: Detect channel
+        id: channel
+        run: |
+          if [ "${{ github.event_name }}" = "workflow_dispatch" ]; then
+            echo "action=${{ inputs.action }}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          else
+            VERSION=$(node -p "require('./apps/cli/package.json').version")
+            if [[ "$VERSION" == *"-next."* ]]; then
+              echo "action=publish-next" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+            else
+              echo "action=publish-latest" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+            fi
+          fi
 
-      - name: Promote to latest
-        if: inputs.action == 'promote-latest'
+      - name: Publish to npm
         run: |
-          if [ -n "${{ inputs.version }}" ]; then
-            bun run promote:latest "${{ inputs.version }}"
+          if [ "${{ steps.channel.outputs.action }}" = "publish-next" ]; then
+            bun run publish:next
           else
-            bun run promote:latest
+            bun run publish
           fi
+        env:
+          NPM_CONFIG_PROVENANCE: true
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index d97b81785..83796b85c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -3,10 +3,19 @@ name: Release
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
-      bump:
-        description: "Version bump type"
+      channel:
+        description: "Release channel"
         required: true
         type: choice
+        options:
+          - next
+          - finalize
+          - stable
+        default: next
+      bump:
+        description: "Version bump (next and stable only)"
+        required: false
+        type: choice
         options:
           - patch
           - minor
@@ -22,7 +31,7 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   release:
-    name: Release
+    name: Release (${{ inputs.channel }}${{ inputs.channel != 'finalize' && format(' {0}', inputs.bump) || '' }})
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -38,11 +47,22 @@ jobs:
       - uses: ./.github/actions/setup-bun
 
       - name: Bump version, commit, and tag
-        run: bun run release ${{ inputs.bump }}
+        run: |
+          if [ "${{ inputs.channel }}" = "next" ]; then
+            bun run release next ${{ inputs.bump }}
+          elif [ "${{ inputs.channel }}" = "finalize" ]; then
+            bun run release finalize
+          else
+            bun run release ${{ inputs.bump }}
+          fi
 
       - name: Create GitHub Release
         run: |
           VERSION=$(node -p "require('./apps/cli/package.json').version")
-          gh release create "v${VERSION}" --generate-notes
+          if [[ "$VERSION" == *"-next."* ]]; then
+            gh release create "v${VERSION}" --generate-notes --prerelease
+          else
+            gh release create "v${VERSION}" --generate-notes
+          fi
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
diff --git a/scripts/release.ts b/scripts/release.ts
index 3414cfe22..8ec3417e4 100644
--- a/scripts/release.ts
+++ b/scripts/release.ts
@@ -3,8 +3,10 @@
  * Simple version bump and release script
  *
  * Usage:
- *   bun scripts/release.ts [patch|minor|major]
- *   bun scripts/release.ts next [patch|minor|major]
+ *   bun scripts/release.ts [patch|minor|major]         # stable release
+ *   bun scripts/release.ts next [patch|minor|major]    # new pre-release series
+ *   bun scripts/release.ts next                        # increment pre-release (e.g. next.1 -> next.2)
+ *   bun scripts/release.ts finalize                    # promote pre-release to stable (e.g. 4.12.0-next.3 -> 4.12.0)
  *
  * This script:
  *   1. Validates we're on the main branch
@@ -21,7 +23,7 @@ import { resolve } from 'node:path';
 import { $ } from 'bun';
 
 type BumpType = 'patch' | 'minor' | 'major';
-type ReleaseChannel = 'stable' | 'next';
+type ReleaseChannel = 'stable' | 'next' | 'finalize';
 
 const VALID_BUMP_TYPES: BumpType[] = ['patch', 'minor', 'major'];
 const NEXT_PRERELEASE_TAG = 'next';
@@ -83,6 +85,16 @@ function parseNextPrerelease(version: string): { baseVersion: string; number: nu
   };
 }
 
+function finalizeVersion(currentVersion: string): string {
+  const parsed = parseNextPrerelease(currentVersion);
+  if (!parsed) {
+    throw new Error(
+      `Version ${currentVersion} is not a pre-release version (expected format: X.Y.Z-next.N)`,
+    );
+  }
+  return parsed.baseVersion;
+}
+
 function bumpNextVersion(currentVersion: string, bumpType?: BumpType): string {
   const parsedNext = parseNextPrerelease(currentVersion);
 
@@ -104,6 +116,10 @@ function parseArgs(argv: readonly string[]): { channel: ReleaseChannel; bumpType
     return { channel: 'stable', bumpType: 'patch' };
   }
 
+  if (first === 'finalize') {
+    return { channel: 'finalize' };
+  }
+
   if (first === NEXT_PRERELEASE_TAG) {
     if (second === undefined) {
       return { channel: 'next' };
@@ -135,6 +151,7 @@ async function main() {
     console.error(`❌ ${message}`);
     console.error('   Usage: bun scripts/release.ts [patch|minor|major]');
     console.error(`          bun scripts/release.ts ${NEXT_PRERELEASE_TAG} [patch|minor|major]`);
+    console.error('          bun scripts/release.ts finalize');
     process.exit(1);
   }
 
@@ -164,12 +181,16 @@ async function main() {
   const newVersion =
     channel === 'next'
       ? bumpNextVersion(currentVersion, bumpType)
-      : bumpVersion(currentVersion, bumpType ?? 'patch');
+      : channel === 'finalize'
+        ? finalizeVersion(currentVersion)
+        : bumpVersion(currentVersion, bumpType ?? 'patch');
 
   const releaseMode =
     channel === 'next'
       ? `${NEXT_PRERELEASE_TAG}${bumpType ? ` (${bumpType})` : ' (increment)'}`
-      : (bumpType ?? 'patch');
+      : channel === 'finalize'
+        ? 'finalize'
+        : (bumpType ?? 'patch');
   console.log(`\n📦 Bumping version: ${currentVersion} → ${newVersion} [${releaseMode}]\n`);
 
   // Check if tag already exists
@@ -214,8 +235,7 @@ async function main() {
 
   console.log(`\n✅ Released v${newVersion}\n`);
   console.log('Next steps:');
-  console.log(`  1. Run: bun run ${channel === 'next' ? 'publish:next' : 'publish'}`);
-  console.log('  2. Create GitHub release (optional)');
+  console.log('  1. Trigger the Publish workflow in GitHub Actions');
 }
 
 main().catch((error) => {