diff --git a/tools/appveyor.psm1 b/tools/appveyor.psm1
index 359f7c85079..a1401a1bb7e 100644
--- a/tools/appveyor.psm1
+++ b/tools/appveyor.psm1
@@ -168,19 +168,20 @@ function Invoke-AppVeyorFull
 # Implements the AppVeyor 'build_script' step
 function Invoke-AppVeyorBuild
 {
-      # check to be sure our test tags are correct
-      $result = Get-PesterTag
-      if ( $result.Result -ne "Pass" ) {
+    $releaseTag = Get-ReleaseTag
+    # check to be sure our test tags are correct
+    $result = Get-PesterTag
+    if ( $result.Result -ne "Pass" ) {
         $result.Warnings
         throw "Tags must be CI, Feature, Scenario, or Slow"
-      }
+    }
 
-      if(Test-DailyBuild)
-      {
-          Start-PSBuild -Configuration 'CodeCoverage' -PSModuleRestore
-      }
+    if(Test-DailyBuild)
+    {
+        Start-PSBuild -Configuration 'CodeCoverage' -PSModuleRestore -ReleaseTag $releaseTag
+    }
 
-      Start-PSBuild -CrossGen -PSModuleRestore -Configuration 'Release'
+    Start-PSBuild -CrossGen -PSModuleRestore -Configuration 'Release' -ReleaseTag $releaseTag
 }
 
 # Implements the AppVeyor 'install' step
@@ -188,9 +189,10 @@ function Invoke-AppVeyorInstall
 {
     # Make sure we have all the tags
     Sync-PSTags -AddRemoteIfMissing
+    $releaseTag = Get-ReleaseTag
     if($env:APPVEYOR_BUILD_NUMBER)
     {
-        Update-AppveyorBuild -Version "$(Get-PSVersion -OmitCommitId)-$env:APPVEYOR_BUILD_NUMBER"
+        Update-AppveyorBuild -Version $releaseTag
     }
 
     if(Test-DailyBuild){
@@ -420,14 +422,31 @@ function Get-PackageName
     return $name
 }
 
+function Get-ReleaseTag
+{
+    $metaDataPath = Join-Path -Path $PSScriptRoot -ChildPath 'metadata.json'
+    $metaData = Get-Content $metaDataPath | ConvertFrom-Json
+
+    $releaseTag = $metadata.NextReleaseTag
+    if($env:APPVEYOR_BUILD_NUMBER)
+    {
+        $releaseTag = $releaseTag.split('.')[0..2] -join '.'
+        $releaseTag = $releaseTag+'.'+$env:APPVEYOR_BUILD_NUMBER
+    }
+
+    return $releaseTag
+}
+
 # Implements AppVeyor 'on_finish' step
 function Invoke-AppveyorFinish
 {
     try {
+        $releaseTag = Get-ReleaseTag
+
         $packageParams = @{}
         if($env:APPVEYOR_BUILD_VERSION)
         {
-            $packageParams += @{Version=$env:APPVEYOR_BUILD_VERSION}
+            $packageParams += @{ReleaseTag=$releaseTag}
         }
 
         # Build packages
@@ -454,7 +473,7 @@ function Invoke-AppveyorFinish
         }
         else
         {
-            $previewVersion = (git describe --abbrev=0).Split('-')
+            $previewVersion = $releaseTag.Split('-')
             $previewPrefix = $previewVersion[0]
             $previewLabel = $previewVersion[1].replace('.','')
 
diff --git a/tools/metadata.json b/tools/metadata.json
index a7f64d48e93..776d5ca3b24 100644
--- a/tools/metadata.json
+++ b/tools/metadata.json
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 {
-    "ReleaseTag": "v6.0.0-beta.9"
+    "ReleaseTag": "v6.0.0-rc",
+    "NextReleaseTag": "v6.1.0-preview.1"
 }
diff --git a/tools/travis.ps1 b/tools/travis.ps1
index 79cdb304919..670b012693d 100644
--- a/tools/travis.ps1
+++ b/tools/travis.ps1
@@ -44,6 +44,21 @@ OS Type: $($PSVersionTable.OS) </br>
     }
 }
 
+function Get-ReleaseTag
+{
+    $metaDataPath = Join-Path -Path $PSScriptRoot -ChildPath 'metadata.json'
+    $metaData = Get-Content $metaDataPath | ConvertFrom-Json
+
+    $releaseTag = $metadata.NextReleaseTag
+    if($env:TRAVIS_BUILD_NUMBER)
+    {
+        $releaseTag = $releaseTag.split('.')[0..2] -join '.'
+        $releaseTag = $releaseTag+'.'+$env:TRAVIS_BUILD_NUMBER
+    }
+
+    return $releaseTag
+}
+
 # This function retrieves the appropriate svg to be used when presenting
 # the daily test run badge
 # the location in azure is public readonly
@@ -171,7 +186,8 @@ if($Stage -eq 'Bootstrap')
 }
 elseif($Stage -eq 'Build')
 {
-    $BaseVersion = (Get-PSVersion -OmitCommitId) + '-'
+    $releaseTag = Get-ReleaseTag
+
     Write-Host -Foreground Green "Executing travis.ps1 `$isPR='$isPr' `$isFullBuild='$isFullBuild' - $commitMessage"
     $output = Split-Path -Parent (Get-PSOutput -Options (New-PSOptions))
 
@@ -179,7 +195,7 @@ elseif($Stage -eq 'Build')
     $ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'
     try {
         ## We use CrossGen build to run tests only if it's the daily build.
-        Start-PSBuild -CrossGen -PSModuleRestore
+        Start-PSBuild -CrossGen -PSModuleRestore -ReleaseTag $releaseTag
     }
     finally{
         $ProgressPreference = $originalProgressPreference
@@ -235,12 +251,10 @@ elseif($Stage -eq 'Build')
     }
 
     if ($createPackages) {
+
         $packageParams = @{}
-        if($env:TRAVIS_BUILD_NUMBER)
-        {
-            $version = $BaseVersion + $env:TRAVIS_BUILD_NUMBER
-            $packageParams += @{Version=$version}
-        }
+        $packageParams += @{ReleaseTag=$releaseTag}
+
         # Only build packages for branches, not pull requests
         $packages = @(Start-PSPackage @packageParams -SkipReleaseChecks)
         # Packaging AppImage depends on the deb package