diff --git a/dsh.plugin.json b/dsh.plugin.json
index caa0c81..cfba1a9 100644
--- a/dsh.plugin.json
+++ b/dsh.plugin.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "id": "dsh-external/dsh-better-sidebar",
-  "version": "0.12.0",
+  "version": "0.12.0-beta.1",
   "main": "./lib/index.js",
   "description": "VSCode 风格右侧侧边栏：文件资源管理器 / 编辑器 / 终端 / Git / 浏览器，按会话隔离。暴露服务供其他插件注册侧边栏页面和文件预览器",
   "engines": {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 6d6241b..b084ab8 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "dsh-better-sidebar",
-  "version": "0.12.0",
+  "version": "0.12.0-beta.1",
   "description": "DSH web plugin: a VSCode-like right sidebar (explorer / editor / terminal / git / browser), isolated per conversation session. Exposes a service for other plugins to register sidebar tabs and file viewers.",
   "type": "module",
   "repository": {
diff --git a/src/client/service.ts b/src/client/service.ts
index 8ec2a43..f453dbb 100644
--- a/src/client/service.ts
+++ b/src/client/service.ts
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ function baseNameOf(path: string): string {
  * The plugin version this service instance reports. Keep in lockstep with
  * `package.json`'s version — `tests/service.spec.ts` asserts the pair.
  */
-export const SIDEBAR_SERVICE_VERSION = '0.12.0'
+export const SIDEBAR_SERVICE_VERSION = '0.12.0-beta.1'
 
 /**
  * Monotonic capability list consumers use to gate new API usage (features
diff --git a/tests/api-surface.spec.ts b/tests/api-surface.spec.ts
index 7819238..167e095 100644
--- a/tests/api-surface.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/api-surface.spec.ts
@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ describe('public API surface (v0.12.0)', () => {
   })
 
   it('advertises the capability list and version (values come from service.ts)', () => {
-    expect(SIDEBAR_SERVICE_VERSION).toMatch(/^\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/)
+    // Full releases are bare x.y.z; pre-releases (beta) carry -<tag>.<n>.
+    expect(SIDEBAR_SERVICE_VERSION).toMatch(/^\d+\.\d+\.\d+(-[a-z0-9.]+)?$/)
     expect(SIDEBAR_FEATURES.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(8)
     for (const feature of ['badge', 'tabLifecycle', 'updateTab', 'openFile', 'targetedOpen', 'stateSubscription', 'tabMeta', 'pluginSettings']) {
       expect(SIDEBAR_FEATURES).toContain(feature)