diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 792fb8f..d09a385 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [2.0.0] - 2026-08-21
+
+### Removed
+- **Schema sync (breaking):** `RegisterSchemaSync`, `ISchemaSyncService`, `ISchemaSyncOptions`, `SchemaColumn`, desired-schema maps, `DatabaseStartupPhases.SchemaSync`, and add-only `ALTER TABLE` sync. Schema evolution is FluentMigrator only.
+
 ## [1.0.0] - 2026-08-17
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 556bf26..05e3f0a 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ This project follows [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/):
 - **MINOR**: backward-compatible features
 - **PATCH**: backward-compatible fixes
 
+Optional SemVer prerelease (`0.1.0-alpha.1`, `0.1.0-beta.1`, `0.1.0-rc.1`) is valid; git tag is `v{version}`. GitHub marks hyphenated versions as prerelease.
+
 ## Utility Scripts
 
 Automation lives under `utils/` (Community profile from [maksit-repoutils](https://github.com/MAKS-IT-COM/maksit-repoutils), local-copy sync). Product-specific settings are in each engine’s `scriptSettings.json`.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7c4fafc..b1f8a08 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 ![Branch Coverage](https://img.shields.io/badge/Branch%20Coverage-41.4%25-yellowgreen)
 ![Method Coverage](https://img.shields.io/badge/Method%20Coverage-48.6%25-yellowgreen)
 
-NuGet facade over [linq2db](https://linq2db.github.io/) + PostgreSQL for ASP.NET Core Engines: connection factory, FluentMigrator startup, add-only schema sync, and `MaksIT.Results` guards.
+NuGet facade over [linq2db](https://linq2db.github.io/) + PostgreSQL for ASP.NET Core Engines: connection factory, FluentMigrator startup, and `MaksIT.Results` guards.
 
 ## Table of Contents
 
@@ -22,13 +22,12 @@ NuGet facade over [linq2db](https://linq2db.github.io/) + PostgreSQL for ASP.NET
 
 `MaksIT.Persistence` wraps linq2db PostgreSQL wiring so Engine code depends on `ILinq2DbConnectionFactory` instead of copying `DataOptions` / `ProviderName.PostgreSQL` / startup wait in every product. Domain tables, Dto, FluentMapping **content**, and FluentMigrator migration classes stay in the product Engine.
 
-Linq2Db queries stay in the product: persist/query services still call `GetTable<T>()`. This library hides connection lifetime, Postgres transients, migration bootstrap, and add-only schema sync.
+Linq2Db queries stay in the product: persist/query services still call `GetTable<T>()`. This library hides connection lifetime, Postgres transients, and FluentMigrator bootstrap.
 
 | Need | Register | Inject |
 |------|----------|--------|
 | Scoped `DataConnection` | `RegisterLinq2Db(connectionString, mappingSchema?)` | `ILinq2DbConnectionFactory` |
 | FluentMigrator wait / create-DB / retry MigrateUp | `RegisterPostgresMigrations(connectionString, assembly, options?)` | `IRunMigrationsService` |
-| Add-only column sync | `RegisterSchemaSync(connectionString, desiredSchema, autoSync)` | `ISchemaSyncService` |
 
 Work leases are **not** in this package: use **MaksIT.Dapr** (`RegisterWorkLeases`) for most first-party apps, or **MaksIT.HAMode** for **maksit-nats** only.
 
@@ -55,7 +54,7 @@ dotnet add package MaksIT.Persistence
 Or in your `.csproj`:
 
 ```xml
-<PackageReference Include="MaksIT.Persistence" Version="1.0.0" />
+<PackageReference Include="MaksIT.Persistence" Version="2.0.0" />
 ```
 
 ## Registering services
@@ -73,10 +72,9 @@ services.RegisterPostgresMigrations(
     EnsureCoordinationTables = ct => CoordinationTableProvisioner.EnsureAsync(config.ConnectionString, ct),
     VerifySchema = ct => VerifyCoreSchemaAsync(config.ConnectionString, ct),
   });
-services.RegisterSchemaSync(config.ConnectionString, ProductDesiredSchema.Map, config.AutoSyncSchema);
 ```
 
-Host `Program.cs` before `RunAsync`:
+Schema changes go in a new FluentMigrator `[Migration]` (`Create.Table` / `Alter.Table.AddColumn`; Drop/rename needs a separate decision). Host `Program.cs` before `RunAsync`:
 
 ```csharp
 await app.Services.EnsureLinq2DbMigratedAsync();
@@ -92,7 +90,6 @@ var row = db.GetTable<UserDto>().FirstOrDefault(u => u.Id == id);
 ## What stays in the product
 
 - Table names, Dto, FluentMapping entity list, FluentMigrator `[Migration]` classes
-- Desired schema map for SchemaSync
 - Coordination DDL unique to the product (hook on `PostgresMigrationOptions`)
 - `I*PersistenceService` / `I*QueryService` and domain services
 - HA work leases (Dapr or HAMode)
diff --git a/src/MaksIT.Persistence.Tests/SchemaSyncDdlBuilderTests.cs b/src/MaksIT.Persistence.Tests/SchemaSyncDdlBuilderTests.cs
deleted file mode 100644
index 2553982..0000000
--- a/src/MaksIT.Persistence.Tests/SchemaSyncDdlBuilderTests.cs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-using MaksIT.Persistence.Infrastructure;
-
-
-namespace MaksIT.Persistence.Tests;
-
-public class SchemaSyncDdlBuilderTests {
-  [Fact]
-  public void BuildAddOnlyDdl_AddsMissingColumns_SkipsExistingAndMissingTables() {
-    var desired = new Dictionary<string, IReadOnlyList<SchemaColumn>>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase) {
-      ["users"] = [
-        new SchemaColumn("id", "uuid"),
-        new SchemaColumn("email", "text", Nullable: true),
-        new SchemaColumn("is_active", "boolean"),
-      ],
-      ["ghost"] = [new SchemaColumn("id", "uuid")],
-    };
-    var current = new Dictionary<string, HashSet<string>>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase) {
-      ["users"] = new HashSet<string>(["id"], StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase),
-    };
-
-    var ddl = SchemaSyncDdlBuilder.BuildAddOnlyDdl(desired, current);
-
-    Assert.Equal(2, ddl.Count);
-    Assert.Contains(ddl, s => s.Contains("email", StringComparison.Ordinal) && !s.Contains("NOT NULL", StringComparison.Ordinal));
-    Assert.Contains(ddl, s => s.Contains("is_active", StringComparison.Ordinal) && s.Contains("NOT NULL", StringComparison.Ordinal));
-    Assert.DoesNotContain(ddl, s => s.Contains("ghost", StringComparison.Ordinal));
-  }
-
-  [Fact]
-  public void Quote_EscapesEmbeddedQuotes() =>
-    Assert.Equal("\"a\"\"b\"", SchemaSyncDdlBuilder.Quote("a\"b"));
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/MaksIT.Persistence.Tests/ServiceCollectionExtensionsTests.cs b/src/MaksIT.Persistence.Tests/ServiceCollectionExtensionsTests.cs
index 89675ae..aa565f2 100644
--- a/src/MaksIT.Persistence.Tests/ServiceCollectionExtensionsTests.cs
+++ b/src/MaksIT.Persistence.Tests/ServiceCollectionExtensionsTests.cs
@@ -31,19 +31,6 @@ public class ServiceCollectionExtensionsTests {
     Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>(() => services.RegisterLinq2Db(" "));
   }
 
-  [Fact]
-  public void RegisterSchemaSync_RegistersService() {
-    var services = new ServiceCollection();
-    services.AddLogging();
-    IReadOnlyDictionary<string, IReadOnlyList<SchemaColumn>> desired = new Dictionary<string, IReadOnlyList<SchemaColumn>> {
-      ["users"] = [new SchemaColumn("id", "uuid")],
-    };
-
-    services.RegisterSchemaSync("Host=localhost;Database=app;Username=u;Password=p", desired, autoSync: false);
-
-    Assert.Contains(services, d => d.ServiceType == typeof(ISchemaSyncService));
-  }
-
   [Fact]
   public void RegisterPostgresMigrations_RegistersRunner() {
     var services = new ServiceCollection();
diff --git a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Extensions/ServiceCollectionExtensions.cs b/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Extensions/ServiceCollectionExtensions.cs
index 18e823b..09b2f48 100644
--- a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Extensions/ServiceCollectionExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Extensions/ServiceCollectionExtensions.cs
@@ -71,26 +71,4 @@ public static class ServiceCollectionExtensions {
       .AddLogging(lb => lb.AddFluentMigratorConsole());
     services.AddScoped<IRunMigrationsService, RunMigrationsService>();
   }
-
-  /// <summary>
-  /// Registers add-only schema sync. Desired schema maps stay in the product.
-  /// </summary>
-  public static void RegisterSchemaSync(
-    this IServiceCollection services,
-    string connectionString,
-    IReadOnlyDictionary<string, IReadOnlyList<SchemaColumn>> desiredSchema,
-    bool autoSync
-  ) {
-    if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(connectionString))
-      throw new ArgumentException("connectionString is required.", nameof(connectionString));
-    ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(desiredSchema);
-
-    services.TryAddSingleton<IDatabaseStartupObserver, NoOpDatabaseStartupObserver>();
-    services.AddSingleton<ISchemaSyncOptions>(new SchemaSyncOptions {
-      ConnectionString = connectionString,
-      AutoSync = autoSync,
-      DesiredSchema = desiredSchema,
-    });
-    services.AddScoped<ISchemaSyncService, SchemaSyncService>();
-  }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Extensions/ServiceProviderExtensions.cs b/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Extensions/ServiceProviderExtensions.cs
index d129daf..b37729e 100644
--- a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Extensions/ServiceProviderExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Extensions/ServiceProviderExtensions.cs
@@ -5,11 +5,11 @@ using MaksIT.Persistence.Infrastructure;
 namespace MaksIT.Persistence.Extensions;
 
 /// <summary>
-/// Host startup helpers for migrations and schema sync.
+/// Host startup helpers for FluentMigrator.
 /// </summary>
 public static class ServiceProviderExtensions {
   /// <summary>
-  /// Runs <see cref="IRunMigrationsService"/> then <see cref="ISchemaSyncService"/> when registered.
+  /// Runs <see cref="IRunMigrationsService"/> when registered.
   /// Call from Program.cs before <c>RunAsync</c>.
   /// </summary>
   public static async Task EnsureLinq2DbMigratedAsync(
@@ -22,9 +22,5 @@ public static class ServiceProviderExtensions {
     var run = sp.GetService<IRunMigrationsService>();
     if (run is not null)
       await run.RunAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
-
-    var schemaSync = sp.GetService<ISchemaSyncService>();
-    if (schemaSync is not null)
-      await schemaSync.SyncSchemaAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
   }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/IDatabaseStartupObserver.cs b/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/IDatabaseStartupObserver.cs
index e76b0fe..6dd7db7 100644
--- a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/IDatabaseStartupObserver.cs
+++ b/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/IDatabaseStartupObserver.cs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 namespace MaksIT.Persistence.Infrastructure;
 
 /// <summary>
-/// Optional hooks for reporting database startup phase timing (migrations, schema sync).
+/// Optional hooks for reporting database startup phase timing (migrations).
 /// </summary>
 public interface IDatabaseStartupObserver {
   /// <summary>Called when a named startup phase begins.</summary>
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ public interface IDatabaseStartupObserver {
   void OnPhaseFailed(string phase, TimeSpan elapsed, Exception exception);
 }
 
-/// <summary>Well-known phase names reported during migrations and schema sync.</summary>
+/// <summary>Well-known phase names reported during migrations.</summary>
 public static class DatabaseStartupPhases {
   /// <summary>Maintenance Postgres (database postgres) accepted connections.</summary>
   public const string PostgresMaintenanceReady = "postgres_maintenance_ready";
@@ -33,9 +33,6 @@ public static class DatabaseStartupPhases {
 
   /// <summary>Product schema verification completed.</summary>
   public const string SchemaVerified = "schema_verified";
-
-  /// <summary>Add-only schema sync completed.</summary>
-  public const string SchemaSync = "schema_sync";
 }
 
 /// <summary>No-op observer used when the host does not register one.</summary>
diff --git a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/ISchemaSyncOptions.cs b/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/ISchemaSyncOptions.cs
deleted file mode 100644
index 6468c99..0000000
--- a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/ISchemaSyncOptions.cs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-namespace MaksIT.Persistence.Infrastructure;
-
-/// <summary>Options for <see cref="ISchemaSyncService"/>.</summary>
-public interface ISchemaSyncOptions {
-  /// <summary>PostgreSQL connection string.</summary>
-  string ConnectionString { get; }
-
-  /// <summary>When false, <see cref="ISchemaSyncService.SyncSchemaAsync"/> is a no-op.</summary>
-  bool AutoSync { get; }
-
-  /// <summary>Desired table → columns map (product-owned).</summary>
-  IReadOnlyDictionary<string, IReadOnlyList<SchemaColumn>> DesiredSchema { get; }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/ISchemaSyncService.cs b/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/ISchemaSyncService.cs
deleted file mode 100644
index 7f2a8f3..0000000
--- a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/ISchemaSyncService.cs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-namespace MaksIT.Persistence.Infrastructure;
-
-/// <summary>
-/// Syncs the database schema: add missing columns only (no DROP).
-/// </summary>
-public interface ISchemaSyncService {
-  /// <summary>Applies add-only DDL when auto-sync is enabled.</summary>
-  Task SyncSchemaAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default);
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/SchemaColumn.cs b/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/SchemaColumn.cs
deleted file mode 100644
index b576266..0000000
--- a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/SchemaColumn.cs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,9 +0,0 @@
-namespace MaksIT.Persistence.Infrastructure;
-
-/// <summary>
-/// Desired column for add-only schema sync.
-/// </summary>
-/// <param name="Name">PostgreSQL column name (snake_case).</param>
-/// <param name="PgType">PostgreSQL type, e.g. uuid, text, boolean.</param>
-/// <param name="Nullable">When false, generated ADD COLUMN includes NOT NULL (no default).</param>
-public sealed record SchemaColumn(string Name, string PgType, bool Nullable = false);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/SchemaSyncDdlBuilder.cs b/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/SchemaSyncDdlBuilder.cs
deleted file mode 100644
index 3d10aa7..0000000
--- a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/SchemaSyncDdlBuilder.cs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-namespace MaksIT.Persistence.Infrastructure;
-
-/// <summary>
-/// Builds add-only ALTER TABLE statements. Does not CREATE or DROP tables.
-/// </summary>
-public static class SchemaSyncDdlBuilder {
-  /// <summary>
-  /// Returns ALTER TABLE ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS for columns present in <paramref name="desired"/>
-  /// and missing from <paramref name="current"/>. Skips tables that do not exist yet.
-  /// </summary>
-  public static IReadOnlyList<string> BuildAddOnlyDdl(
-    IReadOnlyDictionary<string, IReadOnlyList<SchemaColumn>> desired,
-    IReadOnlyDictionary<string, HashSet<string>> current
-  ) {
-    List<string> ddl = [];
-
-    foreach (var (table, columns) in desired) {
-      if (!current.TryGetValue(table, out var existingColumns))
-        continue;
-
-      foreach (var column in columns) {
-        if (existingColumns.Contains(column.Name))
-          continue;
-
-        var nullable = column.Nullable ? "" : " NOT NULL";
-        ddl.Add($"ALTER TABLE {Quote(table)} ADD COLUMN IF NOT EXISTS {Quote(column.Name)} {column.PgType}{nullable}");
-      }
-    }
-
-    return ddl;
-  }
-
-  /// <summary>Quotes a PostgreSQL identifier.</summary>
-  public static string Quote(string name) => $"\"{name.Replace("\"", "\"\"", StringComparison.Ordinal)}\"";
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/SchemaSyncOptions.cs b/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/SchemaSyncOptions.cs
deleted file mode 100644
index de9de64..0000000
--- a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/SchemaSyncOptions.cs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-namespace MaksIT.Persistence.Infrastructure;
-
-/// <inheritdoc />
-public sealed class SchemaSyncOptions : ISchemaSyncOptions {
-  /// <inheritdoc />
-  public required string ConnectionString { get; init; }
-
-  /// <inheritdoc />
-  public required bool AutoSync { get; init; }
-
-  /// <inheritdoc />
-  public required IReadOnlyDictionary<string, IReadOnlyList<SchemaColumn>> DesiredSchema { get; init; }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/SchemaSyncService.cs b/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/SchemaSyncService.cs
deleted file mode 100644
index fbea512..0000000
--- a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/Infrastructure/SchemaSyncService.cs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,83 +0,0 @@
-using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
-using Npgsql;
-
-
-namespace MaksIT.Persistence.Infrastructure;
-
-/// <inheritdoc />
-public sealed class SchemaSyncService(
-  ISchemaSyncOptions options,
-  ILogger<SchemaSyncService> logger,
-  IDatabaseStartupObserver startupObserver
-) : ISchemaSyncService {
-  /// <inheritdoc />
-  public async Task SyncSchemaAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default) {
-    if (!options.AutoSync) {
-      startupObserver.OnPhaseStarted(DatabaseStartupPhases.SchemaSync);
-      startupObserver.OnPhaseCompleted(DatabaseStartupPhases.SchemaSync, TimeSpan.Zero);
-      return;
-    }
-
-    await DatabaseStartupPhaseRunner.RunAsync(
-      startupObserver,
-      DatabaseStartupPhases.SchemaSync,
-      RunSyncCoreAsync,
-      cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
-  }
-
-  async Task RunSyncCoreAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken) {
-    logger.LogInformation("Schema sync (add-only) starting...");
-
-    var current = await GetCurrentSchemaAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
-    var ddl = SchemaSyncDdlBuilder.BuildAddOnlyDdl(options.DesiredSchema, current);
-    if (ddl.Count == 0) {
-      logger.LogInformation("Schema sync: no changes needed.");
-      return;
-    }
-
-    await using var conn = new NpgsqlConnection(options.ConnectionString);
-    await conn.OpenAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
-    await using var tx = await conn.BeginTransactionAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
-
-    try {
-      foreach (var sql in ddl) {
-        await using var cmd = new NpgsqlCommand(sql, conn, tx);
-        await cmd.ExecuteNonQueryAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
-        logger.LogDebug("Executed: {Sql}", sql);
-      }
-
-      await tx.CommitAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
-      logger.LogInformation("Schema sync completed. Applied {Count} DDL statement(s).", ddl.Count);
-    }
-    catch {
-      await tx.RollbackAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
-      throw;
-    }
-  }
-
-  async Task<Dictionary<string, HashSet<string>>> GetCurrentSchemaAsync(CancellationToken ct) {
-    var result = new Dictionary<string, HashSet<string>>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
-
-    await using var conn = new NpgsqlConnection(options.ConnectionString);
-    await conn.OpenAsync(ct).ConfigureAwait(false);
-    await using var cmd = new NpgsqlCommand("""
-      SELECT table_name, column_name
-      FROM information_schema.columns
-      WHERE table_schema = 'public'
-      ORDER BY table_name, ordinal_position
-      """, conn);
-
-    await using var reader = await cmd.ExecuteReaderAsync(ct).ConfigureAwait(false);
-    while (await reader.ReadAsync(ct).ConfigureAwait(false)) {
-      var table = reader.GetString(0);
-      var column = reader.GetString(1);
-
-      if (!result.TryGetValue(table, out var columns))
-        result[table] = columns = new HashSet<string>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
-
-      columns.Add(column);
-    }
-
-    return result;
-  }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/MaksIT.Persistence.csproj b/src/MaksIT.Persistence/MaksIT.Persistence.csproj
index 025ca6b..71313e2 100644
--- a/src/MaksIT.Persistence/MaksIT.Persistence.csproj
+++ b/src/MaksIT.Persistence/MaksIT.Persistence.csproj
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@
     <GenerateDocumentationFile>true</GenerateDocumentationFile>
 
     <PackageId>MaksIT.Persistence</PackageId>
-    <Version>1.0.0</Version>
+    <Version>2.0.0</Version>
     <Authors>Maksym Sadovnychyy</Authors>
     <Company>MAKS-IT</Company>
     <Product>MaksIT.Persistence</Product>
-    <Description>MaksIT.Persistence product-agnostic facades for linq2db PostgreSQL: connection factory, FluentMigrator startup, add-only schema sync, and Result guards.</Description>
+    <Description>MaksIT.Persistence product-agnostic facades for linq2db PostgreSQL: connection factory, FluentMigrator startup, and Result guards.</Description>
     <PackageTags>dotnet;linq2db;postgresql;fluentmigrator;</PackageTags>
     <RepositoryUrl>https://github.com/MAKS-IT-COM/maksit-persistence</RepositoryUrl>
     <License>MIT</License>
diff --git a/utils/modules/ChangelogSupport.psm1 b/utils/modules/ChangelogSupport.psm1
index feb7afa..211c83a 100644
--- a/utils/modules/ChangelogSupport.psm1
+++ b/utils/modules/ChangelogSupport.psm1
@@ -6,16 +6,65 @@
     Keep a Changelog header parsing and section extraction.
 
 .DESCRIPTION
-    Supports only the standard Keep a Changelog version line:
+    Supports Keep a Changelog version lines and shared SemVer checks, including prerelease:
     ## [1.0.0] - 2026-05-24
+    ## [0.1.0-alpha.1] - 2026-08-21
+    ## [0.1.0-beta.1] - 2026-08-21
+    ## [0.1.0-rc.1] - 2026-08-21
 #>
 
+function Get-ChangelogSemverPattern {
+    return '\d+\.\d+\.\d+(?:-[0-9A-Za-z.-]+)?'
+}
+
+function Test-ReleaseSemver {
+    param(
+        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
+        [AllowEmptyString()]
+        [string]$Version
+    )
+
+    if ([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($Version)) {
+        return $false
+    }
+
+    return [bool]($Version -match ('^' + (Get-ChangelogSemverPattern) + '$'))
+}
+
+function Test-ReleaseSemverPrerelease {
+    param(
+        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
+        [AllowEmptyString()]
+        [string]$Version
+    )
+
+    return (Test-ReleaseSemver -Version $Version) -and ($Version -match '-')
+}
+
+function Get-ReleaseSemverPrereleaseLabel {
+    param(
+        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
+        [AllowEmptyString()]
+        [string]$Version
+    )
+
+    if (-not (Test-ReleaseSemverPrerelease -Version $Version)) {
+        return $null
+    }
+
+    if ($Version -match '^\d+\.\d+\.\d+-([A-Za-z][0-9A-Za-z]*)') {
+        return $Matches[1].ToLowerInvariant()
+    }
+
+    return 'next'
+}
+
 function Get-ChangelogVersionHeaderPattern {
-    return '(?m)^##\s+\[(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\]\s*-\s*\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}\s*$'
+    return '(?m)^##\s+\[(' + (Get-ChangelogSemverPattern) + ')\]\s*-\s*\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}\s*$'
 }
 
 function Get-ChangelogNextVersionHeaderPattern {
-    return '(?m)^##\s+\[\d+\.\d+\.\d+\]\s*-\s*\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}\s*$'
+    return '(?m)^##\s+\[' + (Get-ChangelogSemverPattern) + '\]\s*-\s*\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}\s*$'
 }
 
 function Get-LatestChangelogVersion {
@@ -53,4 +102,4 @@ function Get-ChangelogReleaseNotesSection {
     return $match.Value.Trim()
 }
 
-Export-ModuleMember -Function Get-ChangelogVersionHeaderPattern, Get-ChangelogNextVersionHeaderPattern, Get-LatestChangelogVersion, Get-ChangelogReleaseNotesSection
+Export-ModuleMember -Function Get-ChangelogSemverPattern, Test-ReleaseSemver, Test-ReleaseSemverPrerelease, Get-ReleaseSemverPrereleaseLabel, Get-ChangelogVersionHeaderPattern, Get-ChangelogNextVersionHeaderPattern, Get-LatestChangelogVersion, Get-ChangelogReleaseNotesSection
diff --git a/utils/plugins/DotNet/DotNetReleaseVersion.psm1 b/utils/plugins/DotNet/DotNetReleaseVersion.psm1
index 3cb01fd..98a857f 100644
--- a/utils/plugins/DotNet/DotNetReleaseVersion.psm1
+++ b/utils/plugins/DotNet/DotNetReleaseVersion.psm1
@@ -7,9 +7,11 @@
 
 .DESCRIPTION
     Dedicated version-loading plugin. Reads <Version> from the first configured
-    projectFiles entry and writes it (plus the resolved projectFiles) to the
-    shared runtime context. Declares providesVersion = $true so the engine can
-    discover it as the single release version source.
+    projectFiles .csproj, or from the nearest Directory.Build.props when the
+    csproj omits it. Accepts SemVer prerelease (0.1.0-alpha.1 / beta / rc). Writes
+    version plus the resolved projectFiles (csproj paths for later pack/publish)
+    to the shared runtime context. Declares providesVersion = $true so the engine
+    can discover it as the single release version source.
 #>
 
 if (-not (Get-Command Import-PluginDependency -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
@@ -20,6 +22,22 @@ if (-not (Get-Command Import-PluginDependency -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
     }
 }
 
+function ConvertTo-MsbuildPropertyStringInternal {
+    param(
+        $Value
+    )
+
+    if ($null -eq $Value) {
+        return $null
+    }
+
+    if ($Value -is [System.Xml.XmlElement]) {
+        return [string]$Value.InnerText
+    }
+
+    return [string]$Value
+}
+
 function Get-CsprojPropertyValueInternal {
     param(
         [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
@@ -36,7 +54,33 @@ function Get-CsprojPropertyValueInternal {
         Select-Object -First 1
 
     if ($propNode) {
-        return $propNode.$PropertyName
+        return ConvertTo-MsbuildPropertyStringInternal -Value $propNode.$PropertyName
+    }
+
+    return $null
+}
+
+function Get-DirectoryBuildPropsVersionInternal {
+    param(
+        [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)]
+        [string]$ProjectPath
+    )
+
+    # MSBuild uses the first Directory.Build.props found walking up from the project directory.
+    $dir = [System.IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName((Resolve-Path -LiteralPath $ProjectPath))
+    while (-not [string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($dir)) {
+        $propsPath = Join-Path $dir 'Directory.Build.props'
+        if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $propsPath -PathType Leaf) {
+            [xml]$props = Get-Content -LiteralPath $propsPath
+            return Get-CsprojPropertyValueInternal -Csproj $props -PropertyName 'Version'
+        }
+
+        $parent = [System.IO.Directory]::GetParent($dir)
+        if ($null -eq $parent) {
+            break
+        }
+
+        $dir = $parent.FullName
     }
 
     return $null
@@ -58,12 +102,16 @@ function Get-CsprojVersionInternal {
 
     [xml]$csproj = Get-Content $ProjectPath
     $version = Get-CsprojPropertyValueInternal -Csproj $csproj -PropertyName "Version"
-
-    if ([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace([string]$version)) {
-        throw "DotNetReleaseVersion: <Version> not found in '$ProjectPath'."
+    if (-not [string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace([string]$version)) {
+        return [string]$version
     }
 
-    return [string]$version
+    $version = Get-DirectoryBuildPropsVersionInternal -ProjectPath $ProjectPath
+    if (-not [string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace([string]$version)) {
+        return [string]$version
+    }
+
+    throw "DotNetReleaseVersion: <Version> not found in '$ProjectPath' or a parent Directory.Build.props."
 }
 
 function Get-PluginMetadata {
@@ -87,6 +135,10 @@ function Invoke-Plugin {
 
     Write-Log -Level "INFO" -Message "Reading version from SDK-style project file (projectFiles)..."
     $version = Get-CsprojVersionInternal -ProjectPath $projectFiles[0]
+    Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "ChangelogSupport" -RequiredCommand "Test-ReleaseSemver"
+    if (-not (Test-ReleaseSemver -Version $version)) {
+        throw "DotNetReleaseVersion: version '$version' is not a valid semver (X.Y.Z or X.Y.Z-prerelease)."
+    }
 
     Set-EngineState -Context $shared -Name 'version' -Value $version
     Set-EngineFact -Context $shared -Namespace 'dotnet' -Name 'projectFiles' -Value $projectFiles -Overwrite Replace -LegacyProperty 'projectFiles'
diff --git a/utils/plugins/Npm/NpmPublish.psm1 b/utils/plugins/Npm/NpmPublish.psm1
index db6b0ec..7357ffe 100644
--- a/utils/plugins/Npm/NpmPublish.psm1
+++ b/utils/plugins/Npm/NpmPublish.psm1
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ function Invoke-Plugin {
     Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "Logging" -RequiredCommand "Write-Log"
     Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "ScriptConfig" -RequiredCommand "Assert-Command"
     Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "EngineContext" -RequiredCommand "Resolve-RelativePaths"
+    Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "ChangelogSupport" -RequiredCommand "Get-ReleaseSemverPrereleaseLabel"
 
     $pluginSettings = $Settings
     $shared = $Settings.context
@@ -62,6 +63,14 @@ function Invoke-Plugin {
         [string]$pluginSettings.access
     }
 
+    $npmDistTag = $null
+    if (-not [string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace([string]$pluginSettings.npmDistTag)) {
+        $npmDistTag = [string]$pluginSettings.npmDistTag
+    }
+    else {
+        $npmDistTag = Get-ReleaseSemverPrereleaseLabel -Version ([string]$shared.version)
+    }
+
     $publishOrder = @()
     if ($pluginSettings.publishOrder) {
         if ($pluginSettings.publishOrder -is [System.Collections.IEnumerable] -and -not ($pluginSettings.publishOrder -is [string])) {
@@ -84,7 +93,8 @@ function Invoke-Plugin {
 
     if ($dryRun) {
         foreach ($packageName in $publishOrder) {
-            Write-Log -Level "INFO" -Message "Dry run: would publish npm package '$packageName' to $registry"
+            $tagNote = if ([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($npmDistTag)) { 'latest' } else { $npmDistTag }
+            Write-Log -Level "INFO" -Message "Dry run: would publish npm package '$packageName' to $registry (dist-tag $tagNote)"
         }
         return
     }
@@ -112,13 +122,20 @@ registry=$registry
 
         foreach ($packageName in $publishOrder) {
             Write-Log -Level "STEP" -Message "Publishing npm package '$packageName'..."
+            $publishArgs = @('publish')
             if ($useWorkspaces) {
-                npm publish -w $packageName --access $access --userconfig $tempNpmRcPath
+                $publishArgs += @('-w', $packageName)
             }
             else {
                 Assert-NpmRootPackageName -WorkspaceRoot $workspaceRoot -ExpectedPackageName $packageName
-                npm publish --access $access --userconfig $tempNpmRcPath
             }
+            $publishArgs += @('--access', $access, '--userconfig', $tempNpmRcPath)
+            if (-not [string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($npmDistTag)) {
+                $publishArgs += @('--tag', $npmDistTag)
+                Write-Log -Level "INFO" -Message "  Using npm dist-tag '$npmDistTag' (prerelease)."
+            }
+
+            npm @publishArgs
 
             if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
                 throw "Failed to publish npm package '$packageName'."
diff --git a/utils/plugins/Npm/NpmReleaseVersion.psm1 b/utils/plugins/Npm/NpmReleaseVersion.psm1
index ad48e46..31f300a 100644
--- a/utils/plugins/Npm/NpmReleaseVersion.psm1
+++ b/utils/plugins/Npm/NpmReleaseVersion.psm1
@@ -35,8 +35,9 @@ function Get-PackageJsonVersionInternal {
         throw "NpmReleaseVersion: 'version' is missing in '$PackageJsonPath'."
     }
 
-    if ($version -notmatch '^\d+\.\d+\.\d+') {
-        throw "NpmReleaseVersion: version '$version' in '$PackageJsonPath' is not a valid semver."
+    Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "ChangelogSupport" -RequiredCommand "Test-ReleaseSemver"
+    if (-not (Test-ReleaseSemver -Version $version)) {
+        throw "NpmReleaseVersion: version '$version' in '$PackageJsonPath' is not a valid semver (X.Y.Z or X.Y.Z-prerelease)."
     }
 
     return $version
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ function Invoke-Plugin {
 
     Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "Logging" -RequiredCommand "Write-Log"
     Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "EngineContext" -RequiredCommand "Set-EngineState"
+    Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "ChangelogSupport" -RequiredCommand "Test-ReleaseSemver"
 
     $pluginSettings = $Settings
     $shared = $Settings.context
diff --git a/utils/plugins/Platform/FileReleaseVersion.psm1 b/utils/plugins/Platform/FileReleaseVersion.psm1
index c7bb3bd..6095289 100644
--- a/utils/plugins/Platform/FileReleaseVersion.psm1
+++ b/utils/plugins/Platform/FileReleaseVersion.psm1
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@
 
 .DESCRIPTION
     Reads a single-line semver from the configured versionFilePath (default
-    repo-root VERSION). Useful for repositories without .csproj or package.json
-    version metadata. Declares providesVersion = $true so the engine can
-    discover it as the single release version source.
+    repo-root VERSION), including optional prerelease (0.1.0-alpha.1). Useful for
+    repositories without .csproj or package.json version metadata. Declares
+    providesVersion = $true so the engine can discover it as the single release
+    version source.
 #>
 
 if (-not (Get-Command Import-PluginDependency -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
@@ -36,8 +37,9 @@ function Get-VersionFileSemverInternal {
     }
 
     $version = $version -replace '^[vV]', ''
-    if ($version -notmatch '^\d+\.\d+\.\d+') {
-        throw "FileReleaseVersion: version '$version' in '$VersionFilePath' is not a valid semver."
+    Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "ChangelogSupport" -RequiredCommand "Test-ReleaseSemver"
+    if (-not (Test-ReleaseSemver -Version $version)) {
+        throw "FileReleaseVersion: version '$version' in '$VersionFilePath' is not a valid semver (X.Y.Z or X.Y.Z-prerelease)."
     }
 
     return $version
@@ -55,6 +57,7 @@ function Invoke-Plugin {
 
     Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "Logging" -RequiredCommand "Write-Log"
     Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "EngineContext" -RequiredCommand "Set-EngineState"
+    Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "ChangelogSupport" -RequiredCommand "Test-ReleaseSemver"
 
     $shared = $Settings.context
     $versionFileSetting = if ($Settings.versionFilePath) {
diff --git a/utils/plugins/Platform/GitHub.psm1 b/utils/plugins/Platform/GitHub.psm1
index 61773e0..5528635 100644
--- a/utils/plugins/Platform/GitHub.psm1
+++ b/utils/plugins/Platform/GitHub.psm1
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
     repository, and creates the configured GitHub release using the
     shared release artifacts and release notes from CHANGELOG.md.
     Release notes must use Keep a Changelog headers: ## [semver] - YYYY-MM-DD
-    (see ChangelogSupport.psm1).
+    (including optional SemVer prerelease, e.g. ## [0.1.0-alpha.1] / [0.1.0-beta.1] / [0.1.0-rc.1];
+    see ChangelogSupport.psm1). Hyphenated versions are created with gh --prerelease.
 #>
 
 if (-not (Get-Command Import-PluginDependency -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ function Invoke-Plugin {
     Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "Logging" -RequiredCommand "Write-Log"
     Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "ScriptConfig" -RequiredCommand "Assert-Command"
     Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "ChangelogSupport" -RequiredCommand "Get-LatestChangelogVersion"
+    Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "ChangelogSupport" -RequiredCommand "Test-ReleaseSemverPrerelease"
     Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "EngineContext" -RequiredCommand "Get-EngineFact"
 
     $pluginSettings = $Settings
@@ -128,6 +130,9 @@ function Invoke-Plugin {
         }
         $releaseName = $releaseTitlePattern -replace '\{version\}', $version
         Write-Log -Level "INFO" -Message "Dry run: would create GitHub release '$releaseName' ($tag) on $repo"
+        if (Test-ReleaseSemverPrerelease -Version ([string]$version)) {
+            Write-Log -Level "INFO" -Message "Dry run: release would be marked prerelease."
+        }
         return
     }
 
@@ -261,6 +266,10 @@ function Invoke-Plugin {
                 "--title", $releaseName,
                 "--notes-file", $notesFilePath
             )
+            if (Test-ReleaseSemverPrerelease -Version ([string]$version)) {
+                $createReleaseArgs += '--prerelease'
+            }
+
             & gh @createReleaseArgs
 
             if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
diff --git a/utils/plugins/Platform/ReleasePublishGuard.psm1 b/utils/plugins/Platform/ReleasePublishGuard.psm1
index 43b6dfe..56153f6 100644
--- a/utils/plugins/Platform/ReleasePublishGuard.psm1
+++ b/utils/plugins/Platform/ReleasePublishGuard.psm1
@@ -11,8 +11,9 @@
     when they do not (whenRequirementsNotMet: skip). Publish plugins no longer use per-plugin
     branch lists; put allowed branches here instead.
 
-    Typical checks: allowed branches, optional clean working tree, exact semver tag on HEAD,
-    tag version vs DotNetReleaseVersion, optional push tag to remote.
+    Typical checks: allowed branches, optional clean working tree, exact semver tag on HEAD
+    (vX.Y.Z or vX.Y.Z-prerelease such as v0.1.0-alpha.1 / v0.1.0-beta.1 / v0.1.0-rc.1),
+    tag version vs release version, optional push tag to remote.
 
     The engine preflight no longer reads git tags; this plugin sets context.tag from the
     git tag on HEAD when required. Shared context version always remains from DotNetReleaseVersion.
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ function Invoke-Plugin {
     Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "GitTools" -RequiredCommand "Get-GitStatusShort"
     Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "GitTools" -RequiredCommand "Test-RemoteTagExists"
     Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "GitTools" -RequiredCommand "Push-TagToRemote"
+    Import-PluginDependency -ModuleName "ChangelogSupport" -RequiredCommand "Get-ChangelogSemverPattern"
 
     $pluginSettings = $Settings
     $shared = $Settings.context
@@ -123,8 +125,9 @@ function Invoke-Plugin {
             return
         }
 
-        if ($tag -notmatch '^v(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)$') {
-            Invoke-NotMetInternal -Shared $shared -When $when -Reason "tag '$tag' must match vX.Y.Z."
+        $tagPattern = '^v(' + (Get-ChangelogSemverPattern) + ')$'
+        if ($tag -notmatch $tagPattern) {
+            Invoke-NotMetInternal -Shared $shared -When $when -Reason "tag '$tag' must match vX.Y.Z or vX.Y.Z-prerelease (e.g. v0.1.0-alpha.1, v0.1.0-beta.1, v0.1.0-rc.1)."
             return
         }