diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index e2ecee41..db00c6ab 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -349,6 +349,8 @@ If you want to build a signed copy (e.g. for the non-developer release), you can
 
 You can build unsigned copies with `scripts/sign nosign{stable,beta}`. NB: The `stable` versus `beta` part of the argument tells our build process which extension ID to use (and therefore which settings to use). If you want a stable build, make sure you are on the latest tag, i.e. `git checkout $(git tag | grep '^[0-9]\+\.[0-9]\+\.[0-9]\+$' | sort -t. -k 1,1n -k 2,2n -k 3,3n | tail -1)`.
 
+Maintainers create the next release after fetching tags with `scripts/version.js next {0,1,2} [release name]` and committing the changed manifest. Beta builds use that version while retaining the release name in their displayed version. Once its changelog entry is ready, `scripts/version.js release` dates the entry, commits it, and tags the version already in `src/manifest.json`.
+
 If you are on a distribution which builds Firefox with `--with-unsigned-addon-scopes=` set to `app` and/or `system` (which is most of them by users: Arch, Debian, Ubuntu), you can install your unsigned copy of Tridactyl with `scripts/install.sh [directory]`. If you're on Arch, the correct directory is probably selected by default; on other distributions you might have to go hunting, but it probably looks like `/usr/lib/firefox/browser/extensions`.
 
 ### Building on Windows
diff --git a/scripts/version.js b/scripts/version.js
index 8855ee8d..5fe91580 100755
--- a/scripts/version.js
+++ b/scripts/version.js
@@ -18,6 +18,16 @@ function release_name(manifest) {
         .trim()
 }
 
+function validate_release_version(manifest) {
+    if (!/^\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/.test(manifest.version) || manifest.version_name !== [manifest.version, release_name(manifest)].filter(Boolean).join(" ")) {
+        throw new Error("Manifest version_name must be the version followed by an optional release name")
+    }
+}
+
+function tagged(version) {
+    return fs.existsSync(".git") && execFileSync("git", ["tag", "--list", version]).toString().trim() !== ""
+}
+
 function set_release_version(manifest, component, name = "") {
     if (![0, 1, 2].includes(component)) throw new Error("Version component must be 0, 1 or 2")
     if (component === 2 && name) throw new Error("Only major and minor releases can be named")
@@ -28,7 +38,7 @@ function set_release_version(manifest, component, name = "") {
     manifest.version_name = [manifest.version, nameForRelease].filter(Boolean).join(" ")
 }
 
-async function add_beta(versionstr) {
+async function beta_number() {
     await fs.promises.mkdir(".build_cache", {recursive: true})
     try {
         await fs.promises.access(".git")
@@ -42,7 +52,7 @@ async function add_beta(versionstr) {
     catch {
         ; // Not in a git directory - don't do anything
     }
-    return versionstr + "pre" + (await fs.promises.readFile(".build_cache/count", {encoding: "utf8"})).trim()
+    return (await fs.promises.readFile(".build_cache/count", {encoding: "utf8"})).trim()
 }
 
 async function get_hash() {
@@ -97,18 +107,36 @@ function save_manifest(filename, manifest) {
     fs.writeFileSync(filename, JSON.stringify(manifest, null, 4))
 }
 
+function set_beta_version(manifest, number, hash) {
+    const version = manifest.version
+    const name = release_name(manifest)
+    manifest.version = `${version}.${number}`
+    manifest.version_name = [`${version}pre${number}-${hash}`, name].filter(Boolean).join(" ")
+}
+
 async function main() {
-    let filename, manifest, releaseName
+    let filename, manifest
     switch (process.argv[2]) {
-        case "bump": {
-            // Load src manifest and bump
+        case "next": {
             filename = "./src/manifest.json"
             manifest = require("." + filename)
+            if (!tagged(manifest.version)) throw new Error(`Version ${manifest.version} is not tagged`)
             set_release_version(
                 manifest,
                 Number(process.argv[3]),
                 process.argv.slice(4).join(" "),
             )
+            validate_release_version(manifest)
+            if (tagged(manifest.version)) throw new Error(`Version ${manifest.version} is already tagged`)
+            save_manifest(filename, manifest)
+            break
+        }
+        case "release": {
+            filename = "./src/manifest.json"
+            manifest = require("." + filename)
+            validate_release_version(manifest)
+            if (tagged(manifest.version)) throw new Error(`Version ${manifest.version} is already tagged`)
+            if (execFileSync("git", ["status", "--porcelain"]).toString().trim()) throw new Error("Release requires a clean worktree")
             const changelog = fs.readFileSync("./CHANGELOG.md", "utf8")
             const releaseHeading = `Release ${manifest.version} / Unreleased`
             const releaseNotes = changelog
@@ -127,8 +155,7 @@ async function main() {
                 "./CHANGELOG.md",
                 changelog.replace(releaseNotes, () => datedReleaseNotes),
             )
-            save_manifest(filename, manifest)
-            execFileSync("git", ["add", filename, "./CHANGELOG.md"])
+            execFileSync("git", ["add", "./CHANGELOG.md"])
             execFileSync("git", [
                 "commit",
                 "--cleanup=verbatim",
@@ -147,9 +174,9 @@ async function main() {
         case "beta":
             filename = "./build/manifest.json"
             manifest = require("." + filename)
-            releaseName = release_name(manifest)
-            manifest.version = await add_beta(manifest.version)
-            manifest.version_name = [manifest.version + "-" + (await get_hash()), releaseName].filter(Boolean).join(" ")
+            validate_release_version(manifest)
+            if (tagged(manifest.version)) throw new Error(`Version ${manifest.version} is already tagged`)
+            set_beta_version(manifest, await beta_number(), await get_hash())
             manifest.applications.gecko.update_url =
                 "https://tridactyl.cmcaine.co.uk/betas/updates.json"
 
@@ -173,4 +200,4 @@ async function main() {
 
 if (require.main === module) main()
 
-module.exports = { set_release_version }
+module.exports = { set_beta_version, set_release_version }
diff --git a/scripts/version.test.js b/scripts/version.test.js
index 29a4de3d..d2461fc1 100644
--- a/scripts/version.test.js
+++ b/scripts/version.test.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const { set_release_version } = require("./version")
+const { set_beta_version, set_release_version } = require("./version")
 
 test("manages major and minor release names", () => {
     const manifest = { version: "1.24.6", version_name: "1.24.6" }
@@ -15,4 +15,8 @@ test("manages major and minor release names", () => {
     expect(() =>
         set_release_version({ version: "1.25.0" }, 2, "Carpenter"),
     ).toThrow()
+
+    set_beta_version(manifest, "7685", "1ac287cf")
+    expect(manifest.version).toBe("2.0.0.7685")
+    expect(manifest.version_name).toBe("2.0.0pre7685-1ac287cf Joiner")
 })
diff --git a/src/excmds.ts b/src/excmds.ts
index 2630d8f4..81cca355 100644
--- a/src/excmds.ts
+++ b/src/excmds.ts
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ const logger = new Logging.Logger("excmd")
 /** @hidden **/
 const TRI_VERSION = getTriVersion()
 const TRI_VERSION_NAME = getTriVersionName()
+const IS_BETA = browser.runtime.getManifest().applications?.gecko?.id?.includes(".betas") || false
 
 //#content_helper
 // {
@@ -783,7 +784,7 @@ export async function native() {
  */
 //#background
 export async function nativeinstall() {
-    const tag = TRI_VERSION.includes("pre") ? "master" : TRI_VERSION
+    const tag = IS_BETA ? "master" : TRI_VERSION
     let done
     const installstr = (await config.get("nativeinstallcmd")).replace("%TAG", tag)
     await yank(installstr)
@@ -922,7 +923,7 @@ export async function updatenative(interactive = true) {
         return
     }
 
-    const tag = TRI_VERSION.includes("pre") ? "master" : TRI_VERSION
+    const tag = IS_BETA ? "master" : TRI_VERSION
     const update_command = (await config.get("nativeinstallcmd")).replace("%TAG", tag)
     const native_version = await Native.getNativeMessengerVersion()
 
diff --git a/src/lib/updates.ts b/src/lib/updates.ts
index a4d650e4..94cf758f 100644
--- a/src/lib/updates.ts
+++ b/src/lib/updates.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 import SemverCompare from "semver-compare"
 import * as Config from "@src/lib/config"
 import * as Logging from "@src/lib/logging"
-import { getTriVersion } from "@src/lib/webext"
+import { getTriVersion, getTriVersionName } from "@src/lib/webext"
 
 const logger = new Logging.Logger("updates")
 
@@ -83,22 +83,10 @@ export function updateLatestNaggedVersion(version: TriVersionFeedItem) {
 }
 
 export function getInstalledPatchVersion() {
-    // We're currently numbering our releases as
-    // maj.min.patch-numcommits-githash,
-    // e.g. 1.14.9-138-gaab4355. Even more problematically, our
-    // prereleases have maj.min.patch the same as the _preceding
-    // release_, not the _next_ release - 1.14.9-138 actually
-    // _follows_ 1.14.9. As a result, if we used TRI_VERSION directly,
-    // all of our beta users would be incorrectly notified for stable
-    // releases of code that they're well past.
-    //
-    // To address this, we ignore our git version, depend on firefox
-    // to automatically update us if we're on the beta channel, and
-    // disregard the pre-release information entirely when doing our
-    // own update check.
-    return TRI_VERSION.replace(/pre.*/, "")
+    // Beta versions use a fourth component for Firefox's updater.
+    return TRI_VERSION.split(".", 3).join(".")
 }
 
 export function getInstalledVersion() {
-    return TRI_VERSION
+    return getTriVersionName()
 }
diff --git a/src/manifest.json b/src/manifest.json
index 9b0136d9..dae1797e 100644
--- a/src/manifest.json
+++ b/src/manifest.json
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 {
     "manifest_version": 2,
     "name": "Tridactyl",
-    "version": "1.24.6",
-    "version_name": "1.24.6",
+    "version": "1.25.0",
+    "version_name": "1.25.0 Carpenter",
     "icons": {
         "64": "static/logo/Tridactyl_64px.png",
         "100": "static/logo/Tridactyl_100px.png",