diff --git a/actions/release-tag-creation/current-version-validation.test.ts b/actions/release-tag-creation/current-version-validation.test.ts
index c7bf98da9..4b03436b3 100644
--- a/actions/release-tag-creation/current-version-validation.test.ts
+++ b/actions/release-tag-creation/current-version-validation.test.ts
@@ -61,14 +61,43 @@ describe('checkVersionIsNext', () => {
 			false,
 			'Expected next beta to be 4.2.0-beta3',
 		],
-		// beta — new version line
+		// beta — next minor / next major
 		['beta', ['4.2.0-beta1', '4.2.0-beta2'], '4.3.0-beta1', true, null],
+		['beta', ['4.2.0-beta1', '4.2.0-beta2'], '5.0.0-beta1', true, null],
 		[
 			'beta',
 			['4.2.0-beta1', '4.2.0-beta2'],
 			'4.3.0-beta2',
 			false,
-			'must be beta1',
+			'Expected next beta line to be 4.3.0-beta1 or 5.0.0-beta1',
+		],
+		[
+			'beta',
+			['4.2.0-beta1', '4.2.0-beta2'],
+			'4.4.0-beta1',
+			false,
+			'Expected next beta line to be 4.3.0-beta1 or 5.0.0-beta1',
+		],
+		[
+			'beta',
+			['4.2.0-beta1', '4.2.0-beta2'],
+			'4.1.0-beta1',
+			false,
+			'Expected next beta line to be 4.3.0-beta1 or 5.0.0-beta1',
+		],
+		[
+			'beta',
+			['4.2.0-beta1', '4.2.0-beta2'],
+			'6.0.0-beta1',
+			false,
+			'Expected next beta line to be 4.3.0-beta1 or 5.0.0-beta1',
+		],
+		[
+			'beta',
+			['4.2.0-beta1', '4.2.0-beta2'],
+			'5.1.0-beta1',
+			false,
+			'Expected next beta line to be 4.3.0-beta1 or 5.0.0-beta1',
 		],
 		// beta — no existing tags
 		['beta', ['4.1.0', '4.2.0'], '4.2.0-beta1', true, null],
diff --git a/actions/release-tag-creation/current-version-validation.ts b/actions/release-tag-creation/current-version-validation.ts
index f63c73102..dff2f9b4b 100644
--- a/actions/release-tag-creation/current-version-validation.ts
+++ b/actions/release-tag-creation/current-version-validation.ts
@@ -52,14 +52,20 @@ function validateNextBeta(
 	const newBetaNum = Number(String(n.prerelease[0]).replace('beta', ''));
 	const sameLine =
 		n.major === l.major && n.minor === l.minor && n.patch === l.patch;
-	if (sameLine && newBetaNum !== latestBetaNum + 1) {
-		throw new Error(
-			`Expected next beta to be ${latest.replace(`beta${String(latestBetaNum)}`, `beta${String(latestBetaNum + 1)}`)}, got ${version}.`,
-		);
+	if (sameLine) {
+		if (newBetaNum !== latestBetaNum + 1) {
+			throw new Error(
+				`Expected next beta to be ${latest.replace(`beta${String(latestBetaNum)}`, `beta${String(latestBetaNum + 1)}`)}, got ${version}.`,
+			);
+		}
+		return;
 	}
-	if (!sameLine && newBetaNum !== 1) {
+
+	const nextMinor = `${String(l.major)}.${String(l.minor + 1)}.0-beta1`;
+	const nextMajor = `${String(l.major + 1)}.0.0-beta1`;
+	if (version !== nextMinor && version !== nextMajor) {
 		throw new Error(
-			`First beta of a new version line must be beta1, got ${version}.`,
+			`Expected next beta line to be ${nextMinor} or ${nextMajor}, got ${version} (latest: ${latest}).`,
 		);
 	}
 }