diff --git a/.github/workflows/nightly.yml b/.github/workflows/nightly.yml
index 3a1d715e..7e5f718c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nightly.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nightly.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ env:
   AWS_REGION: ${{ vars.NIGHTLY_BUILD_AWS_REGION }}
 
   RELEASE: ${{ github.ref_type == 'tag' && github.ref_name || 'nightly' }}
-  VERSION: ${{ github.ref_type == 'tag' && github.ref_name || '1.0.0-nightly' }}
+  VERSION_FLAG: ${{ github.ref_type == 'tag' && format('-Dversion_string={0}', github.ref_name) || format('-Dpre_version={0}', 'nightly') }}
 
 on:
   push:
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ jobs:
         run: zig build -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast snapshot_creator -- src/snapshot.bin
 
       - name: zig build
-        run: zig build -Dsnapshot_path=../../snapshot.bin -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast -Dcpu=x86_64 -Dversion_string=${{ env.VERSION }}
+        run: zig build -Dsnapshot_path=../../snapshot.bin -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast -Dcpu=x86_64 ${{ env.VERSION_FLAG }}
 
       - name: Rename binary
         run: mv zig-out/bin/lightpanda lightpanda-${{ env.ARCH }}-${{ env.OS }}
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ jobs:
         run: zig build -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast snapshot_creator -- src/snapshot.bin
 
       - name: zig build
-        run: zig build -Dsnapshot_path=../../snapshot.bin -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast -Dcpu=generic -Dversion_string=${{ env.VERSION }}
+        run: zig build -Dsnapshot_path=../../snapshot.bin -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast -Dcpu=generic ${{ env.VERSION_FLAG }}
 
       - name: Rename binary
         run: mv zig-out/bin/lightpanda lightpanda-${{ env.ARCH }}-${{ env.OS }}
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ jobs:
         run: zig build -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast snapshot_creator -- src/snapshot.bin
 
       - name: zig build
-        run: zig build -Dsnapshot_path=../../snapshot.bin -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast -Dversion_string=${{ env.VERSION }}
+        run: zig build -Dsnapshot_path=../../snapshot.bin -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast ${{ env.VERSION_FLAG }}
 
       - name: Rename binary
         run: mv zig-out/bin/lightpanda lightpanda-${{ env.ARCH }}-${{ env.OS }}
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ jobs:
         run: zig build -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast snapshot_creator -- src/snapshot.bin
 
       - name: zig build
-        run: zig build -Dsnapshot_path=../../snapshot.bin -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast -Dversion_string=${{ env.VERSION }}
+        run: zig build -Dsnapshot_path=../../snapshot.bin -Dprebuilt_v8_path=v8/libc_v8.a -Doptimize=ReleaseFast ${{ env.VERSION_FLAG }}
 
       - name: Rename binary
         run: mv zig-out/bin/lightpanda lightpanda-${{ env.ARCH }}-${{ env.OS }}
diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index 67657b1e..b86fd53a 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -728,8 +728,17 @@ fn resolveVersion(b: *std.Build) std.SemanticVersion {
         };
     }
 
+    const pre_version = b.option([]const u8, "pre_version", "Override the pre version of this build");
+    const pre = blk: {
+        if (pre_version) |pre| {
+            break :blk pre;
+        }
+
+        break :blk lightpanda_version.pre;
+    };
+
     // If it's a stable release (no pre or build metadata in build.zig.zon), use it as is
-    if (lightpanda_version.pre == null and lightpanda_version.build == null) return lightpanda_version;
+    if (pre == null and lightpanda_version.build == null) return lightpanda_version;
 
     // For dev/nightly versions, calculate the commit count and hash
     const git_hash_raw = runGit(b, &.{ "rev-parse", "--short", "HEAD" }) catch return lightpanda_version;
@@ -742,7 +751,7 @@ fn resolveVersion(b: *std.Build) std.SemanticVersion {
         .major = lightpanda_version.major,
         .minor = lightpanda_version.minor,
         .patch = lightpanda_version.patch,
-        .pre = b.fmt("{s}.{s}", .{ lightpanda_version.pre.?, commit_count }),
+        .pre = b.fmt("{s}.{s}", .{ pre.?, commit_count }),
         .build = commit_hash,
     };
 }