diff --git a/.github/workflows/master.yml b/.github/workflows/master.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f9f00b2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/master.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+
+# build the image on master
+
+name: Master
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - master
+    paths-ignore:
+      - 'README.md'
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+        with:
+          submodules: true
+
+      - uses: nelonoel/branch-name@v1.0.1
+
+      - name: Docker Login
+        env:
+          DOCKERHUB_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_USER }}
+          DOCKERHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: docker login --username "$DOCKERHUB_USERNAME" --password "$DOCKERHUB_TOKEN"
+
+      - name: Create Short Commit Sha
+        id: sha_short
+        if: success()
+        run: echo ::set-output name=SHA_SHORT::$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)
+
+      - name: Build
+        if: success()
+        env:
+          BUILD_VERSION: ${{ steps.sha_short.outputs.SHA_SHORT }}
+        run: make build
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr_master.yml b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
similarity index 66%
rename from .github/workflows/pr_master.yml
rename to .github/workflows/pr.yml
index d84e939f..8e59603a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr_master.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr.yml
@@ -1,21 +1,16 @@
 
-# build the image on PRs and master
+# build the image on PRs
 
 name: PR
 
 on:
   pull_request:
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - master
     paths-ignore:
       - 'README.md'
 
 jobs:
   build:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    env:
-      COMMIT_HASH: ${{ github.sha }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
         with:
@@ -29,7 +24,13 @@ jobs:
           DOCKERHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_TOKEN }}
         run: docker login --username "$DOCKERHUB_USERNAME" --password "$DOCKERHUB_TOKEN"
 
+      - name: Create Short Commit Sha
+        id: sha_short
+        if: success()
+        run: echo ::set-output name=SHA_SHORT::$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)
+
       - name: Build
+        if: success()
         env:
-          BUILD_VERSION: ${{ env.COMMIT_HASH }}
+          BUILD_VERSION: ${{ steps.sha_short.outputs.SHA_SHORT }}
         run: make build
diff --git a/.github/workflows/prerelease.yml b/.github/workflows/prerelease.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2f9caf58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/prerelease.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# Build, Tag & Push a new release to dockerhub off of a tag
+
+name: Pre-release
+
+on:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - 'v[0-9]+.[0-9]+_[0-9]+-rc.[0-9]+"'
+
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+        with:
+          submodules: true
+
+      - uses: nelonoel/branch-name@v1.0.1
+
+      - name: Docker Login
+        env:
+          DOCKERHUB_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_USER }}
+          DOCKERHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.DOCKERHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: docker login --username "$DOCKERHUB_USERNAME" --password "$DOCKERHUB_TOKEN"
+
+      - name: Create Version
+        id: version
+        if: success()
+        run: |
+          # TODO: find a better way to version from tags
+          # Strip git ref prefix from version
+          VERSION=$(echo "${{ github.ref }}" | sed -e 's,.*/\(.*\),\1,')
+          # Strip "v" prefix from tag name
+          [[ "${{ github.ref }}" == "refs/tags/"* ]] && VERSION=$(echo $VERSION | sed -e 's/^v//')
+          # set to output var
+          echo ::set-output name=VERSION::${VERSION}
+
+      - name: Build and Tag
+        if: success()
+        env:
+          VERSION: ${{ steps.version.outputs.VERSION }}
+        run: make tag
+      
+      - name: Push
+        if: success()
+        env:
+          VERSION: ${{ steps.version.outputs.VERSION }}
+        run: make push
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 75d8b6a0..d811f1bf 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ name: Release
 on:
   push:
     tags:
-      - 'v*'
+      - 'v[0-9]+.[0-9]+_[0-9]+"'
 
 
 jobs:
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Create Version
         id: version
+        if: success()
         run: |
           # TODO: find a better way to version from tags
           # Strip git ref prefix from version
@@ -36,12 +37,13 @@ jobs:
           echo ::set-output name=VERSION::${VERSION}
 
       - name: Build and Tag
+        if: success()
         env:
-          BUILD_VERSION: ${{ steps.version.outputs.VERSION }}
+          VERSION: ${{ steps.version.outputs.VERSION }}
         run: make tag-latest
       
       - name: Push
         if: success()
         env:
-          BUILD_VERSION: ${{ steps.version.outputs.VERSION }}
+          VERSION: ${{ steps.version.outputs.VERSION }}
         run: make push-latest
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index dba3f080..e172e5ad 100755
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # gRPC/Protocol Buffer Compiler Containers
 
-[![GitHub Workflow Status (branch)](https://img.shields.io/github/workflow/status/namely/docker-protoc/Build/master?style=flat-square)](https://github.com/namely/docker-protoc/actions?query=workflow%3ABuild)
+[![GitHub Workflow Status (branch)](https://img.shields.io/github/workflow/status/namely/docker-protoc/Build/master?style=flat-square)](https://github.com/namely/docker-protoc/actions?query=workflow%3AMaster)
 
 This repository contains support for various Docker images that wrap `protoc`,
 `prototool`, `grpc_cli` commands with [gRPC](https://github.com/grpc/grpc) support
@@ -288,7 +288,9 @@ Thank you!!
 Namely employees can merge PRs and cut a release/pre-release by drafting a new Github release and publishing them.  
 The release name should follow the same tag conventions described in  [this doc](#tag-conventions) and the gRPC version in the release name  
 must match the `GRPC_VERSION` configured in [variables.sh](./variables.sh).  
-Once a new Github release is published, new images will be published to [DockerHub](https://hub.docker.com/u/namely/) via CI.  
+A valid release/pre-release will be of the form `v${GRPC_VERSION}_${BUILD_VERSION}`/`v${GRPC_VERSION}_${BUILD_VERSION}-rc.${RC_VERSION}` respectively.  
+e.g `1.37_2`, `1.38_0-rc.3`.  
+Once a new **valid** Github release is published, new images will be published to [DockerHub](https://hub.docker.com/u/namely/) via CI.
 
 ## Docker Troubleshooting
 
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 32d01704..0295a390 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 source ./variables.sh
 
 for build in ${BUILDS[@]}; do
-    tag=${CONTAINER}/${build}:${BUILD_VERSION}
+    tag=${CONTAINER}/${build}:${VERSION}
     echo "building ${build} container with tag ${tag}"
     docker build -t ${tag} \
         -f Dockerfile \
diff --git a/push.sh b/push.sh
index 790593b4..14edd0c4 100755
--- a/push.sh
+++ b/push.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 source ./variables.sh
 
 for build in ${BUILDS[@]}; do
-    tag=${CONTAINER}/${build}:${BUILD_VERSION}
+    tag=${CONTAINER}/${build}:${VERSION}
     echo "pushing ${tag}"
     docker push ${tag}
 
diff --git a/variables.sh b/variables.sh
index 5ef5f96e..9aa34d79 100755
--- a/variables.sh
+++ b/variables.sh
@@ -17,4 +17,5 @@ NODE_VERSION=${NODE_VERSION:-14}
 NODE_GRPC_TOOLS_NODE_PROTOC_TS_VERSION=${NODE_GRPC_TOOLS_NODE_PROTOC_TS_VERSION:-5.1.3}
 NODE_GRPC_TOOLS_VERSION=${NODE_GRPC_TOOLS_VERSION:-1.11.1}
 NODE_PROTOC_GET_GRPC_WEB_VERSION=${NODE_PROTOC_GET_GRPC_WEB_VERSION:-1.2.1}
-BUILD_VERSION="${BUILD_VERSION:-${GRPC_VERSION}_0}"
+BUILD_VERSION="${BUILD_VERSION:-local}"
+VERSION="${VERSION:-${GRPC_VERSION}_${BUILD_VERSION}}"