diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 770cc70..a120402 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -62,11 +62,15 @@ jobs:
       - name: Resolve version + previous tag
         id: ver
         run: |
-          echo "version=$(cat VERSION)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          VERSION="$(cat VERSION)"
+          echo "version=$VERSION" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           echo "tag=${GITHUB_REF_NAME}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           PREV="$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 "${GITHUB_REF_NAME}^" 2>/dev/null || true)"
           echo "prev=$PREV" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
-          echo "Releasing ${GITHUB_REF_NAME} (version $(cat VERSION)); previous tag: ${PREV:-<none>}"
+          # #80: a version carrying a -suffix (e.g. 1.9.0-rc1) is a pre-release.
+          case "$VERSION" in *-*) PRE=true ;; *) PRE=false ;; esac
+          echo "prerelease=$PRE" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "Releasing ${GITHUB_REF_NAME} (version $VERSION, prerelease=$PRE); previous tag: ${PREV:-<none>}"
 
       - name: Build Tizen .wgt (unsigned in CI)
         run: |
@@ -107,7 +111,11 @@ jobs:
             echo "  Sign it with your own Samsung certificate (Tizen Studio + a profile that includes"
             echo "  your TV's DUID) to install, or - easiest - point a Tizen TV browser / URL Launcher"
             echo "  at \`https://<your-instance>/player\` (no signing needed)."
-            echo "- Docker image: \`ghcr.io/screentinker/screentinker:${{ steps.ver.outputs.version }}\` (also \`:latest\`)."
+            if [ "${{ steps.ver.outputs.prerelease }}" = "true" ]; then
+              echo "- Docker image: \`ghcr.io/screentinker/screentinker:${{ steps.ver.outputs.version }}\` (pre-release - \`:latest\` is NOT moved)."
+            else
+              echo "- Docker image: \`ghcr.io/screentinker/screentinker:${{ steps.ver.outputs.version }}\` (also \`:latest\`)."
+            fi
             echo "- \`ScreenTinker.apk\` - signed Android player (attached during release finalization)."
           } > RELEASE_NOTES.md
           cat RELEASE_NOTES.md
@@ -116,7 +124,12 @@ jobs:
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
         run: |
+          # #80: pre-release tags publish as a GitHub *pre-release* (not "Latest"),
+          # which also keeps the /releases/latest API pointing at the last stable.
+          PRERELEASE_FLAG=""
+          [ "${{ steps.ver.outputs.prerelease }}" = "true" ] && PRERELEASE_FLAG="--prerelease"
           gh release create "${{ steps.ver.outputs.tag }}" \
+            $PRERELEASE_FLAG \
             --title "ScreenTinker ${{ steps.ver.outputs.tag }}" \
             --notes-file RELEASE_NOTES.md \
             "${TARBALL}" \
@@ -129,7 +142,17 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v6
       - id: ver
-        run: echo "version=$(cat VERSION)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+        run: |
+          VERSION="$(cat VERSION)"
+          echo "version=$VERSION" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          # #80: move :latest only for final releases - a pre-release (1.9.0-rc1) must
+          # not repoint :latest onto untested code (anyone on :latest pulls it on restart).
+          TAGS="ghcr.io/screentinker/screentinker:$VERSION"
+          case "$VERSION" in
+            *-*) echo "Pre-release $VERSION: :latest will NOT be moved" ;;
+            *)   TAGS="${TAGS}"$'\n'"ghcr.io/screentinker/screentinker:latest" ;;
+          esac
+          { echo "tags<<__EOF__"; printf '%s\n' "$TAGS"; echo "__EOF__"; } >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
       - uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3
       - uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
       - uses: docker/login-action@v3
@@ -142,9 +165,7 @@ jobs:
           context: .
           platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
           push: true
-          tags: |
-            ghcr.io/screentinker/screentinker:${{ steps.ver.outputs.version }}
-            ghcr.io/screentinker/screentinker:latest
+          tags: ${{ steps.ver.outputs.tags }}
 
   # TODO (deferred): build + sign the Android APK in CI. Requires the release
   # keystore + passwords as encrypted Actions secrets. For now the maintainer
diff --git a/scripts/bump-version.sh b/scripts/bump-version.sh
index 6526eca..04c1c71 100755
--- a/scripts/bump-version.sh
+++ b/scripts/bump-version.sh
@@ -47,7 +47,12 @@ sed -i -E "s/(versionCode[[:space:]]*=[[:space:]]*)[0-9]+/\1$((CODE + 1))/" andr
 #    has a leading space before version= so the guard below would otherwise hit
 #    it (issue #77). The leading-space guard still excludes tizen:application
 #    required_version="..." (that's "...d_version", no preceding space).
-sed -i -E "/^<\?xml/! s/([[:space:]]version=\")[0-9][^\"]*(\")/\1${NEW}\2/" tizen/config.xml
+#    #80: Tizen requires a strictly-numeric x.y.z widget version, so a pre-release
+#    suffix (e.g. 1.9.0-rc1) is invalid and the .wgt fails to sign/install. Strip
+#    the suffix for config.xml only - the full VERSION (with -rc1/-beta.N) still
+#    drives the server/Android/package.json version.
+NUMERIC="${NEW%%-*}"
+sed -i -E "/^<\?xml/! s/([[:space:]]version=\")[0-9][^\"]*(\")/\1${NUMERIC}\2/" tizen/config.xml
 
 # 5) commit + annotated tag (no push)
 git add VERSION server/package.json server/package-lock.json android/app/build.gradle.kts tizen/config.xml
diff --git a/scripts/upgrade.sh b/scripts/upgrade.sh
index 4de2961..16d5a99 100755
--- a/scripts/upgrade.sh
+++ b/scripts/upgrade.sh
@@ -21,8 +21,11 @@ BACKUP_DIR="${BACKUP_DIR:-$APP_DIR/backups}"
 echo "==> Fetching tags"
 git fetch --tags origin
 
-# Target tag: explicit arg, or the highest semver v* tag.
-TARGET="${1:-$(git tag -l 'v*' | sort -V | tail -1)}"
+# Target tag: explicit arg, or the highest semver v* tag. #80: exclude pre-release
+# tags (-rc/-beta/-alpha) from the default - GNU `sort -V` ranks 1.9.0-rc1 ABOVE the
+# final 1.9.0, so an unfiltered default would silently pick an RC. An explicit arg
+# still lets you target a pre-release deliberately (scripts/upgrade.sh v1.9.0-rc1).
+TARGET="${1:-$(git tag -l 'v*' | grep -vE -- '-(rc|beta|alpha|pre)' | sort -V | tail -1)}"
 if [ -z "$TARGET" ] || ! git rev-parse -q --verify "refs/tags/$TARGET^{commit}" >/dev/null; then
   echo "ERROR: no such release tag: '${TARGET:-<none found>}'" >&2
   exit 1