diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 19867304a..4a0c6de93 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -642,16 +642,6 @@ jobs:
             --post \
             --allow-missing-webhook
 
-      - name: Clean up next dist-tag
-        if: ${{ !inputs.dry_run }}
-        env:
-          VERSION: ${{ inputs.version }}
-        run: |
-          # Point next to the stable release so @next never returns something
-          # older than @latest. This prevents stale pre-release installs.
-          npm dist-tag add "@opengsd/gsd-core@${VERSION}" next 2>/dev/null || true
-          echo "✓ next dist-tag updated to v${VERSION}"
-
       - name: Verify publish
         if: ${{ !inputs.dry_run }}
         env:
diff --git a/docs/adr/660-release-from-next-head.md b/docs/adr/660-release-from-next-head.md
index 9100940b0..ea531257c 100644
--- a/docs/adr/660-release-from-next-head.md
+++ b/docs/adr/660-release-from-next-head.md
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ or a movable tag — as the RC surface.** Concretely:
 4. **RC = the `@next` dist-tag, full stop.** Testers run `npm i -g @opengsd/gsd-core@next`.
    Because each `rc` run is cut from `next` HEAD, every rc.N already includes all prior fixes.
    No long-lived branch, no tag movement. `finalize` promotes the released version to `@latest`
-   (and keeps the existing `npm dist-tag add … next` so `@next` never trails `@latest`).
+   (`@next` remains the prerelease channel managed exclusively by the `rc` job; `finalize` does not repoint it).
 
 5. **Everything else stays:** custom changesets + CHANGELOG render, release-notes formatter,
    smoke-test gates, provenance, `main`/`next`, `auto-backmerge` (main→next).