diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yaml b/.github/workflows/publish.yaml
index 0079a5e81..696ac8f6a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yaml
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ on:
       - "src/**"
       - "tools/installer/**"
       - "package.json"
+      - "removals.txt"
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
       channel:
@@ -135,6 +136,22 @@ jobs:
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
+      - name: Advance @next dist-tag to stable
+        if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && inputs.channel == 'latest'
+        # Failure here leaves @next stale until the next push-driven prerelease
+        # republishes — annoying but not release-breaking. Don't fail the job
+        # after a successful stable publish + tag + GH release.
+        continue-on-error: true
+        run: |
+          # Without this, @latest can leapfrog @next (e.g. latest=6.5.0 while
+          # next=6.4.1-next.0) and `npx bmad-method@next install` silently
+          # downgrades users. Point @next at the just-published stable so
+          # @next >= @latest always holds; the next push-driven prerelease will
+          # bump from this base via the existing derive step above.
+          VERSION=$(node -p 'require("./package.json").version')
+          npm dist-tag add "bmad-method@${VERSION}" next
+          echo "Advanced @next dist-tag to ${VERSION}"
+
       - name: Notify Discord
         if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && inputs.channel == 'latest'
         continue-on-error: true
diff --git a/tools/installer/bmad-cli.js b/tools/installer/bmad-cli.js
index 042714e45..a108b3a44 100755
--- a/tools/installer/bmad-cli.js
+++ b/tools/installer/bmad-cli.js
@@ -23,13 +23,10 @@ checkForUpdate().catch(() => {
 
 async function checkForUpdate() {
   try {
-    // For beta versions, check the beta tag; otherwise check latest
-    const isBeta =
-      packageJson.version.includes('Beta') ||
-      packageJson.version.includes('beta') ||
-      packageJson.version.includes('alpha') ||
-      packageJson.version.includes('rc');
-    const tag = isBeta ? 'beta' : 'latest';
+    // Prereleases (e.g. 6.5.1-next.0) live on the `next` dist-tag; stable
+    // releases live on `latest`. semver.prerelease() returns null for stable,
+    // so this correctly routes pre-1.0-next/rc/etc. without string matching.
+    const tag = semver.prerelease(packageJson.version) ? 'next' : 'latest';
 
     const result = execSync(`npm view ${packageName}@${tag} version`, {
       encoding: 'utf8',