diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index eda08be..93b8df9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -90,11 +90,11 @@ jobs:
         uses: ./.github/actions/setup
       - name: actions/sign_and_upload_package
         uses: ./.github/actions/sign_and_upload_package
-        with: 
+        with:
           aws_role_arn: ${{ secrets.AWS_ROLE_ARN }}
           aws_region_name: 'us-east-1'
           aws_secret_id: ${{ secrets.AWS_SECRET_ID }}
           npm_package_name: 'mongodb-client-encryption'
-      - run: npm publish --provenance
+      - run: npm publish --provenance --tag=alpha
         env:
-          NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
\ No newline at end of file
+          NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/release-please-config.json b/release-please-config.json
index 505e279..91d9387 100644
--- a/release-please-config.json
+++ b/release-please-config.json
@@ -8,7 +8,9 @@
       "bump-minor-pre-major": false,
       "bump-patch-for-minor-pre-major": false,
       "draft": false,
-      "prerelease": false
+      "prerelease-type": "alpha",
+      "prerelease": true,
+      "versioning": "prerelease"
     }
   },
   "$schema": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/googleapis/release-please/main/schemas/config.json"