diff --git a/.github/actions/publish-npm/action.yml b/.github/actions/publish-npm/action.yml
index 27886876..8904e0e2 100644
--- a/.github/actions/publish-npm/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/publish-npm/action.yml
@@ -70,6 +70,13 @@ runs:
       shell: bash
       run: node scripts/verify-android-so.js
 
+    # The release tag is the version: no version-bump commit precedes a
+    # release, so write it into package.json and oh-package.json5 before the
+    # HAR build and npm publish read them.
+    - name: Stamp the release version
+      shell: bash
+      run: node scripts/stamp-release-version.js
+
     - name: Build Harmony HAR
       if: inputs.harmony-har == 'build'
       shell: bash
@@ -98,10 +105,6 @@ runs:
       shell: bash
       run: test -f harmony/pushy.har
 
-    - name: Verify release tag matches package version
-      shell: bash
-      run: node scripts/check-release-version.js
-
     - name: Verify publish file list
       shell: bash
       run: node scripts/check-packlist.js --release
diff --git a/harmony/pushy/src/README.md b/harmony/pushy/src/README.md
index d307bfdd..5210a5d7 100644
--- a/harmony/pushy/src/README.md
+++ b/harmony/pushy/src/README.md
@@ -66,9 +66,9 @@ so a debug rebuild does not look like a new binary. Add the generated file to
 
 ## Versioning
 
-`oh-package.json5` `version` mirrors the npm package version;
-`scripts/build-harmony-har.js` rewrites it before `assembleHar` and
-`scripts/check-release-version.js` asserts the committed value matches.
+`oh-package.json5` `version` mirrors the npm package version: the publish
+workflow writes the release tag's version into both (`scripts/stamp-release-version.js`),
+and `scripts/build-harmony-har.js` syncs it from `package.json` before `assembleHar`.
 
 This file is packaged with the npm module (`harmony/pushy/src/`) so it is
 available next to the sources in `node_modules/react-native-update`.
diff --git a/scripts/build-harmony-har.js b/scripts/build-harmony-har.js
index 22621092..496ef9f5 100644
--- a/scripts/build-harmony-har.js
+++ b/scripts/build-harmony-har.js
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ function buildHar() {
 // The HAR carries its own version in oh-package.json5. Consumers'
 // oh-package-lock.json5 and diagnostics can only tell installs apart when it
 // equals the npm version, so rewrite it from package.json before assembleHar
-// (scripts/check-release-version.js keeps the committed value honest).
+// (scripts/stamp-release-version.js writes both from the release tag).
 function syncOhPackageVersion() {
   const packageJsonPath = path.join(projectRoot, 'package.json');
   const ohPackagePath = path.join(harmonyModuleDir, 'oh-package.json5');
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ function syncOhPackageVersion() {
     fail('package.json has no version to write into oh-package.json5');
   }
   const content = fs.readFileSync(ohPackagePath, 'utf8');
-  // JSON5 allows the key bare or quoted (check-release-version.js matches
+  // JSON5 allows the key bare or quoted (stamp-release-version.js matches
   // the same shapes).
   const versionLine =
     /^(\s*(?:"version"|'version'|version)\s*:\s*)(['"])([^'"]*)\2(\s*,?)/m;
diff --git a/scripts/check-release-version.js b/scripts/check-release-version.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 580d22a3..00000000
--- a/scripts/check-release-version.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,40 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env node
-// The release tag (vX.Y.Z) must be the package.json version being published:
-// a mismatch means the tag points at the wrong commit or the version bump
-// was forgotten, and npm would happily publish under the stale number.
-const pkg = require('../package.json');
-const tag = process.env.RELEASE_VERSION || '';
-if (!tag) {
-  console.error('check-release-version: RELEASE_VERSION is not set');
-  process.exit(1);
-}
-const expected = `v${pkg.version}`;
-if (tag !== expected && tag !== pkg.version) {
-  console.error(
-    `check-release-version: tag ${tag} does not match package.json version ${pkg.version}`
-  );
-  process.exit(1);
-}
-
-// The Harmony HAR carries its own version (oh-package.json5); consumers'
-// oh-package-lock.json5 and diagnostics can only tell installs apart when it
-// tracks package.json. scripts/build-harmony-har.js rewrites it before
-// assembleHar, and this check keeps the committed value from drifting.
-const fs = require('fs');
-const path = require('path');
-const ohPackagePath = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'harmony/pushy/oh-package.json5');
-const ohPackage = fs.readFileSync(ohPackagePath, 'utf8');
-// JSON5 allows the key bare or quoted; the regex is shared in spirit with
-// syncOhPackageVersion in scripts/build-harmony-har.js.
-const ohVersion = (ohPackage.match(
-  /^\s*(?:"version"|'version'|version)\s*:\s*['"]([^'"]+)['"]/m
-) || [])[1];
-if (ohVersion !== pkg.version) {
-  console.error(
-    `check-release-version: harmony/pushy/oh-package.json5 version ${ohVersion} does not match package.json version ${pkg.version}`
-  );
-  process.exit(1);
-}
-console.log(
-  `check-release-version: ${tag} matches package.json and oh-package.json5 ${pkg.version}`
-);
diff --git a/scripts/stamp-release-version.js b/scripts/stamp-release-version.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6d841b65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/stamp-release-version.js
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+// Releases are cut from the GitHub Release tag alone (vX.Y.Z on a green
+// master commit, no version-bump commit), so the version is written into the
+// package here, before the HAR build and npm publish:
+// - package.json: the version npm publishes and the podspec reads.
+// - harmony/pushy/oh-package.json5: the HAR's own version. Consumers'
+//   oh-package-lock.json5 and diagnostics can only tell installs apart when it
+//   equals the npm version (scripts/build-harmony-har.js syncs it from
+//   package.json again before assembleHar).
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+
+const tag = process.env.RELEASE_VERSION || '';
+const version = tag.replace(/^v/, '');
+// semver: X.Y.Z with an optional prerelease (10.62.0-beta.1).
+if (!/^\d+\.\d+\.\d+(?:-[0-9A-Za-z-]+(?:\.[0-9A-Za-z-]+)*)?$/.test(version)) {
+  console.error(
+    `stamp-release-version: release tag '${tag}' is not vX.Y.Z or vX.Y.Z-prerelease`
+  );
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+
+const root = path.join(__dirname, '..');
+const packageJsonPath = path.join(root, 'package.json');
+const pkg = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(packageJsonPath, 'utf8'));
+pkg.version = version;
+fs.writeFileSync(packageJsonPath, `${JSON.stringify(pkg, null, 2)}\n`);
+
+const ohPackagePath = path.join(root, 'harmony/pushy/oh-package.json5');
+const ohPackage = fs.readFileSync(ohPackagePath, 'utf8');
+// JSON5 allows the key bare or quoted (syncOhPackageVersion in
+// scripts/build-harmony-har.js matches the same shapes).
+const versionLine =
+  /^(\s*(?:"version"|'version'|version)\s*:\s*)(['"])([^'"]*)\2(\s*,?)/m;
+if (!versionLine.test(ohPackage)) {
+  console.error(
+    'stamp-release-version: no version field in harmony/pushy/oh-package.json5'
+  );
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+fs.writeFileSync(
+  ohPackagePath,
+  ohPackage.replace(
+    versionLine,
+    (_, prefix, quote, __, suffix) => `${prefix}${quote}${version}${quote}${suffix}`
+  )
+);
+console.log(
+  `stamp-release-version: package.json and oh-package.json5 set to ${version} from ${tag}`
+);