diff --git a/.github/workflows/devworkspace-generator-publish-next.yml b/.github/workflows/devworkspace-generator-publish-next.yml
index a530fae98..0e9ca5be0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/devworkspace-generator-publish-next.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/devworkspace-generator-publish-next.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ on:
   push:
     branches: 
       - main
+      - 7.**.x
     paths:
       - 'tools/devworkspace-generator/**'
       - '.github/workflows/devworkspace-generator-publish-next.yml'
@@ -41,6 +42,14 @@ jobs:
       env:
         NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{secrets.NPM_TOKEN}}
       run: |
+        if [[ ${GITHUB_REF##*/} == "7."**".x" ]]; then
+          echo "[INFO] using ${GITHUB_REF##*/} tag"
+          DIST_TAG="${GITHUB_REF##*/}-next"
+        else
+          echo "[INFO] using "next" tag"
+          DIST_TAG=next
+        fi
+
         cd tools/devworkspace-generator
         yarn
         yarn compile
@@ -49,4 +58,4 @@ jobs:
         NEW_VERSION="${CURRENT_VERSION}-${SHORT_SHA1}"
         echo New version is ${NEW_VERSION}
         sed -i -r -e "s/(\"version\": )(\".*\")/\1\"$NEW_VERSION\"/" package.json
-        npm publish --tag next
+        npm publish --tag $DIST_TAG
diff --git a/RELEASE.md b/RELEASE.md
index 17fb10594..62e5c212f 100644
--- a/RELEASE.md
+++ b/RELEASE.md
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ git tag 7.8.0
 git push origin 7.8.0
 ```
 
-After the release, the `VERSION` file should be bumped in the main branch, e.g. to `7.9.0-SNAPSHOT`.
+After the release, the `VERSION` file should be bumped in the main branch, e.g. to `7.75.0-next`.
 
 ## Service / Bugfix  Release
 
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 8edddf8d3..48f0a4715 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-7.74.0-SNAPSHOT
+7.75.0-next
diff --git a/build/scripts/generate_devworkspace_templates.sh b/build/scripts/generate_devworkspace_templates.sh
index e56946a67..ac5dcc443 100755
--- a/build/scripts/generate_devworkspace_templates.sh
+++ b/build/scripts/generate_devworkspace_templates.sh
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 set -e
 
 VERSION="${1%/}"
-if [[ -z "$VERSION" || "$VERSION" == *"-SNAPSHOT" ]]; then
+if [[ -z "$VERSION" || "$VERSION" == *"-next" ]]; then
   VERSION="main"
 fi
 
diff --git a/make-release.sh b/make-release.sh
index d540a7930..7d6926d7b 100755
--- a/make-release.sh
+++ b/make-release.sh
@@ -260,18 +260,18 @@ if [[ $TRIGGER_RELEASE -eq 1 ]]; then
   git push origin "${VERSION}"
 fi
 
-# now update ${BASEBRANCH} to the new snapshot version
+# now update ${BASEBRANCH} to the new next version
 fetchAndCheckout "${BASEBRANCH}"
 
 # change VERSION file + commit change into ${BASEBRANCH} branch
 if [[ "${BASEBRANCH}" != "${BRANCH}" ]]; then
   # bump the y digit
   [[ $BRANCH =~ ^([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)\.x ]] && BASE=${BASH_REMATCH[1]}; NEXT=${BASH_REMATCH[2]}; (( NEXT=NEXT+1 )) # for BRANCH=7.10.x, get BASE=7, NEXT=11
-  NEXTVERSION="${BASE}.${NEXT}.0-SNAPSHOT"
+  NEXTVERSION="${BASE}.${NEXT}.0-next"
 else
   # bump the z digit
   [[ $VERSION =~ ^([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+)\.([0-9]+) ]] && BASE="${BASH_REMATCH[1]}.${BASH_REMATCH[2]}"; NEXT="${BASH_REMATCH[3]}"; (( NEXT=NEXT+1 )) # for VERSION=7.7.1, get BASE=7.7, NEXT=2
-  NEXTVERSION="${BASE}.${NEXT}-SNAPSHOT"
+  NEXTVERSION="${BASE}.${NEXT}-next"
 fi
 
 # bump VERSION file to NEXTVERSION