diff --git a/lib/forge.func b/lib/forge.func
index 1f88799..0dc3416 100644
--- a/lib/forge.func
+++ b/lib/forge.func
@@ -406,6 +406,8 @@ extract_version_from_json() {
 # Returns:
 #   Latest tag name (stdout), or returns 1 on failure
 # ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# A tag whose version is directly followed by a pre-release label (11.5.0-beta1, v2.0.0-rc.1).
+_FORGE_PRERELEASE_TAG='^[^0-9]*[0-9]+([.][0-9]+)*[-._+]?(dev|alpha|beta|preview|pre|rc)([-._0-9]|$)'
 get_latest_gh_tag() {
   local repo="$1"
   local prefix="${2:-}"
@@ -419,8 +421,9 @@ get_latest_gh_tag() {
     # Use git/matching-refs API for server-side prefix filtering. This avoids
     # paging through unrelated tags (e.g. mongodb/mongo-tools where 100.x tags
     # only appear after page 4 of /tags). Returns ALL tags matching the prefix
-    # in a single call, sorted lexicographically ascending; we pick the
-    # highest version using `sort -V`.
+    # in a single call, sorted lexicographically ascending. Pre-releases are
+    # skipped and the rest ordered by the version key: sort -V put 11.4.0
+    # before 11.4.0-rc1 and offered 11.5.0-beta1 as the latest Drupal.
     if ! github_api_call "https://api.github.com/repos/${repo}/git/matching-refs/tags/${prefix}" "$temp_file"; then
       rm -f "$temp_file"
       return 22
@@ -431,16 +434,16 @@ get_latest_gh_tag() {
     if [[ "$count" -gt 0 ]]; then
       tag=$(jq -r '.[].ref' "$temp_file" |
         sed 's|^refs/tags/||' |
-        sort -V |
-        tail -n1)
+        awk -v re="$_FORGE_PRERELEASE_TAG" 'tolower($0) !~ re' |
+        _forge_highest_version)
     fi
   else
-    # No prefix: just take the first (newest) tag from /tags
-    if ! github_api_call "https://api.github.com/repos/${repo}/tags?per_page=1" "$temp_file"; then
+    # No prefix: the first (newest) tag from /tags that is not a pre-release
+    if ! github_api_call "https://api.github.com/repos/${repo}/tags?per_page=30" "$temp_file"; then
       rm -f "$temp_file"
       return 22
     fi
-    tag=$(jq -r '.[0].name // empty' "$temp_file")
+    tag=$(jq -r '.[].name' "$temp_file" | awk -v re="$_FORGE_PRERELEASE_TAG" 'tolower($0) !~ re && !n++')
   fi
 
   rm -f "$temp_file"
diff --git a/tests/forge-release-json.sh b/tests/forge-release-json.sh
index 2cf4cc0..a690ce1 100644
--- a/tests/forge-release-json.sh
+++ b/tests/forge-release-json.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ set -uo pipefail
 CORE_DIR="$(cd -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)"
 eval "$(sed -n '/^_FORGE_JQ_VKEY_DEF=/,/^_FORGE_JQ_VKEY=/p' "$CORE_DIR/lib/forge.func")"
 eval "$(awk '/^_forge_(descriptor|curl|designated_release|stable_filter|keep_raw|release_json|explain_failure|require_jq)[(][)] [{]/,/^}/' "$CORE_DIR/lib/forge.func")"
-eval "$(awk '/^get_latest_gh_tag[(][)] [{]/,/^}/' "$CORE_DIR/lib/forge.func")"
+eval "$(awk '/^(get_latest_gh_tag|_forge_highest_version)[(][)] [{]/,/^}/' "$CORE_DIR/lib/forge.func")"
+eval "$(grep '^_FORGE_PRERELEASE_TAG=' "$CORE_DIR/lib/forge.func")"
 
 TEST_DIR="$(mktemp -d)"
 trap 'rm -rf -- "$TEST_DIR" "${TOOLS_GH_REL_JSON:-}"' EXIT
@@ -121,5 +122,25 @@ expect "the tag is all that reaches stdout" 100.10.1 "$(cat "$OUT")"
 expect "a tag lookup without jq stops" 100 "$?"
 expect "a tag lookup without jq asks nothing" 0 "$(grep -c api "$CALLS")"
 
+# drupal/drupal: sort -V ranked 11.4.0 below 11.4.0-rc1, and a major prefix offered 11.5.0-beta1.
+tags_of() { printf '['; local t sep=""; for t in "$@"; do printf '%s{"ref":"refs/tags/%s","name":"%s"}' "$sep" "$t" "$t"; sep=","; done; printf ']'; }
+latest_tag() {
+  (
+    ensure_dependencies() { :; }
+    github_api_call() { printf '%s' "$TAGS" >"$2"; }
+    get_latest_gh_tag drupal/drupal "$@" 2>/dev/null
+  )
+}
+TAGS="$(tags_of 11.4.0-beta1 11.4.0-rc1 11.4.0-rc2 11.4.0 11.4.11 11.4.12 11.5.0-beta1)"
+expect "a prefixed tag lookup skips pre-releases" 11.4.12 "$(latest_tag 11.)"
+TAGS="$(tags_of 11.4.0-beta1 11.4.0-rc1 11.4.0)"
+expect "a final release outranks its release candidates" 11.4.0 "$(latest_tag 11.)"
+TAGS="$(tags_of 12.0.0-alpha1 12.0.0-beta2)"
+expect "only pre-releases: reported as no tag, not a crash" "" "$(set -eo pipefail; latest_tag 12.)"
+TAGS="$(tags_of v2.0.0-rc.1 v1.9.3 v1.9.2)"
+expect "without a prefix the newest stable tag wins" v1.9.3 "$(latest_tag)"
+TAGS="$(tags_of release-2026-07-14c)"
+expect "a revision letter is not a pre-release" release-2026-07-14c "$(latest_tag release-)"
+
 printf '%s passed, %s failed\n' "$passed" "$failed"
 ((failed == 0))