diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-ipk.yml b/.github/workflows/build-ipk.yml
index 5b2173f..b82d733 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-ipk.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-ipk.yml
@@ -12,7 +12,13 @@ env:
   OPENWRT_RELEASE: 24.10.0
 
 jobs:
+  kind:
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/release-kind.yml
+
   ipk:
+    # not for a release of the development branch
+    needs: kind
+    if: github.event_name != 'release' || needs.kind.outputs.devel != 'true'
     permissions:
       contents: write
       id-token: write
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-rpm-arm64.yml b/.github/workflows/build-rpm-arm64.yml
index 916a0bd..f6b4495 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-rpm-arm64.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-rpm-arm64.yml
@@ -25,7 +25,19 @@ jobs:
     - name: env
       run: |
        pwd
-       echo "RELEASE=$(cat RELEASE)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+       # a release branch has RELEASE; the development one DEVEL, such as
+       # 2.0.0-devel, built for fewer EL releases
+       if [ -f RELEASE ]; then
+         RELEASE=$(tr -d ' \t\r\n' < RELEASE)
+         echo "ELS=8 9 10" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+       else
+         RELEASE=$(tr -d ' \t\r\n' < DEVEL)
+         echo "ELS=9 10" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+       fi
+       echo "RELEASE=$RELEASE" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+       # rpm's Version, with a tilde for a hyphen (2.0.0~devel): the source
+       # archive and its directory are named after it
+       echo "RPMVERSION=$(sed -n 's/^Version:[[:space:]]*//p' scripts/rh/3proxy.spec)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
        BUILDDATE=$(sed -n 's/^#define BUILDDATE "\(.*\)"$/\1/p' src/version.h)
        [ -n "$BUILDDATE" ] || BUILDDATE=$(date -u +%y%m%d%H%M%S)
        echo "VERSION=$BUILDDATE" >> $GITHUB_ENV
@@ -41,19 +53,19 @@ jobs:
       run: |
        mkdir ~/debian
        mkdir -p ~/rpmbuild/{BUILD,RPMS,SOURCES,SPECS,SRPMS}
-       tar -czf ~/rpmbuild/SOURCES/3proxy-$RELEASE.tar.gz --transform "s,^,3proxy-$RELEASE/," .
-       ln -s ~/rpmbuild/SOURCES/3proxy-$RELEASE.tar.gz ~/rpmbuild/SOURCES/$RELEASE.tar.gz
-       cp scripts/rh/3proxy.spec ~/rpmbuild/SPECS/3proxy-$RELEASE.spec
-       cp ~/rpmbuild/SOURCES/3proxy-$RELEASE.tar.gz ~/debian/3proxy_$RELEASE.orig.tar.gz
+       tar -czf ~/rpmbuild/SOURCES/3proxy-$RPMVERSION.tar.gz --transform "s,^,3proxy-$RPMVERSION/," .
+       ln -s ~/rpmbuild/SOURCES/3proxy-$RPMVERSION.tar.gz ~/rpmbuild/SOURCES/$RPMVERSION.tar.gz
+       cp scripts/rh/3proxy.spec ~/rpmbuild/SPECS/3proxy-$RPMVERSION.spec
+       tar -czf ~/debian/3proxy_$RELEASE.orig.tar.gz --transform "s,^,3proxy-$RELEASE/," .
     - name: rpmbuild
       run: |
        mkdir -p rpmout
-       for EL in 8 9 10; do
+       for EL in $ELS; do
          docker run --rm \
-           -v "$HOME/rpmbuild/SOURCES/3proxy-$RELEASE.tar.gz:/src.tar.gz:ro" \
+           -v "$HOME/rpmbuild/SOURCES/3proxy-$RPMVERSION.tar.gz:/src.tar.gz:ro" \
            -v "$PWD/scripts/rh/3proxy.spec:/3proxy.spec:ro" \
            -v "$PWD/rpmout:/out" \
-           -e RELEASE="$RELEASE" -e HOSTUID="$(id -u)" -e HOSTGID="$(id -g)" \
+           -e RELEASE="$RPMVERSION" -e HOSTUID="$(id -u)" -e HOSTGID="$(id -g)" \
            -e SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH="$SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH" \
            "almalinux:$EL" bash -c '
              set -e
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-rpm-armhf.yml b/.github/workflows/build-rpm-armhf.yml
index 0f5bf11..168eb4e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-rpm-armhf.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-rpm-armhf.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,13 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 
 jobs:
+  kind:
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/release-kind.yml
+
   ci:
+    # not for a release of the development branch
+    needs: kind
+    if: github.event_name != 'release' || needs.kind.outputs.devel != 'true'
     permissions:
       contents: write
       id-token: write
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-rpm-x86-64.yml b/.github/workflows/build-rpm-x86-64.yml
index 31df006..01f0707 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-rpm-x86-64.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-rpm-x86-64.yml
@@ -25,7 +25,19 @@ jobs:
     - name: env
       run: |
        pwd
-       echo "RELEASE=$(cat RELEASE)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+       # a release branch has RELEASE; the development one DEVEL, such as
+       # 2.0.0-devel, built for fewer EL releases
+       if [ -f RELEASE ]; then
+         RELEASE=$(tr -d ' \t\r\n' < RELEASE)
+         echo "ELS=8 9 10" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+       else
+         RELEASE=$(tr -d ' \t\r\n' < DEVEL)
+         echo "ELS=9 10" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+       fi
+       echo "RELEASE=$RELEASE" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+       # rpm's Version, with a tilde for a hyphen (2.0.0~devel): the source
+       # archive and its directory are named after it
+       echo "RPMVERSION=$(sed -n 's/^Version:[[:space:]]*//p' scripts/rh/3proxy.spec)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
        BUILDDATE=$(sed -n 's/^#define BUILDDATE "\(.*\)"$/\1/p' src/version.h)
        [ -n "$BUILDDATE" ] || BUILDDATE=$(date -u +%y%m%d%H%M%S)
        echo "VERSION=$BUILDDATE" >> $GITHUB_ENV
@@ -41,19 +53,19 @@ jobs:
       run: |
        mkdir ~/debian
        mkdir -p ~/rpmbuild/{BUILD,RPMS,SOURCES,SPECS,SRPMS}
-       tar -czf ~/rpmbuild/SOURCES/3proxy-$RELEASE.tar.gz --transform "s,^,3proxy-$RELEASE/," .
-       ln -s ~/rpmbuild/SOURCES/3proxy-$RELEASE.tar.gz ~/rpmbuild/SOURCES/$RELEASE.tar.gz
-       cp scripts/rh/3proxy.spec ~/rpmbuild/SPECS/3proxy-$RELEASE.spec
-       cp ~/rpmbuild/SOURCES/3proxy-$RELEASE.tar.gz ~/debian/3proxy_$RELEASE.orig.tar.gz
+       tar -czf ~/rpmbuild/SOURCES/3proxy-$RPMVERSION.tar.gz --transform "s,^,3proxy-$RPMVERSION/," .
+       ln -s ~/rpmbuild/SOURCES/3proxy-$RPMVERSION.tar.gz ~/rpmbuild/SOURCES/$RPMVERSION.tar.gz
+       cp scripts/rh/3proxy.spec ~/rpmbuild/SPECS/3proxy-$RPMVERSION.spec
+       tar -czf ~/debian/3proxy_$RELEASE.orig.tar.gz --transform "s,^,3proxy-$RELEASE/," .
     - name: rpmbuild
       run: |
        mkdir -p rpmout
-       for EL in 8 9 10; do
+       for EL in $ELS; do
          docker run --rm \
-           -v "$HOME/rpmbuild/SOURCES/3proxy-$RELEASE.tar.gz:/src.tar.gz:ro" \
+           -v "$HOME/rpmbuild/SOURCES/3proxy-$RPMVERSION.tar.gz:/src.tar.gz:ro" \
            -v "$PWD/scripts/rh/3proxy.spec:/3proxy.spec:ro" \
            -v "$PWD/rpmout:/out" \
-           -e RELEASE="$RELEASE" -e HOSTUID="$(id -u)" -e HOSTGID="$(id -g)" \
+           -e RELEASE="$RPMVERSION" -e HOSTUID="$(id -u)" -e HOSTGID="$(id -g)" \
            -e SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH="$SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH" \
            "almalinux:$EL" bash -c '
              set -e
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-watcom.yml b/.github/workflows/build-watcom.yml
index b0381cd..2ba5013 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-watcom.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-watcom.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,13 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 
 jobs:
+  kind:
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/release-kind.yml
+
   ci:
+    # not for a release of the development branch
+    needs: kind
+    if: github.event_name != 'release' || needs.kind.outputs.devel != 'true'
     permissions:
       contents: write
       id-token: write
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-win32.yml b/.github/workflows/build-win32.yml
index 9372a6b..47dded1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-win32.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-win32.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,13 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 
 jobs:
+  kind:
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/release-kind.yml
+
   ci:
+    # not for a release of the development branch
+    needs: kind
+    if: github.event_name != 'release' || needs.kind.outputs.devel != 'true'
     permissions:
       contents: write
       id-token: write
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-win64.yml b/.github/workflows/build-win64.yml
index c4900f5..141180b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-win64.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-win64.yml
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@ jobs:
     - name: set date
       run: |
        $NOW = Get-Date -Format "yyMMddHHmmss"
-       $RELEASE = Get-Content -Path "RELEASE" -Raw
+       # a release branch has RELEASE, the development one DEVEL
+       if (Test-Path "RELEASE") { $RELEASE = (Get-Content -Path "RELEASE" -Raw).Trim() }
+       else { $RELEASE = (Get-Content -Path "DEVEL" -Raw).Trim() }
        echo "NOW=$NOW" | Out-File -FilePath $env:GITHUB_ENV -Encoding utf8 -Append
        echo "RELEASE=$RELEASE" | Out-File -FilePath $env:GITHUB_ENV -Encoding utf8 -Append
        echo "VERSION=/D `"VERSION=\`"3proxy-$RELEASE\`"`"" | Out-File -FilePath $env:GITHUB_ENV -Encoding utf8 -Append
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-winarm64.yml b/.github/workflows/build-winarm64.yml
index de910fb..541df84 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-winarm64.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-winarm64.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,13 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 
 jobs:
+  kind:
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/release-kind.yml
+
   ci:
+    # not for a release of the development branch
+    needs: kind
+    if: github.event_name != 'release' || needs.kind.outputs.devel != 'true'
     permissions:
       contents: write
       id-token: write
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker.yml b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
index bba4b88..10b68fc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,17 @@ env:
   GHCR_IMAGE: ghcr.io/3proxy/3proxy
 
 jobs:
+  kind:
+    permissions:
+      contents: write
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/release-kind.yml
+    with:
+      mark-prerelease: true
+
   build:
+    # not for a release of the development branch
+    needs: kind
+    if: github.event_name != 'release' || needs.kind.outputs.devel != 'true'
     name: ${{ matrix.image }} ${{ matrix.platform }}
     permissions:
       contents: read
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-kind.yml b/.github/workflows/release-kind.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a849fd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-kind.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+name: Release kind
+
+# Whether a release is one of the development branch: its tree has DEVEL
+# and no RELEASE. Such a release gets the minimal set of packages (Windows
+# x64, deb x86_64 and arm64, rpm for EL 9 and 10), no Docker images, and is
+# made a prerelease: neither "Latest" nor taken into the package repository
+# of 3proxy.github.io, which takes releases only.
+
+on:
+  workflow_call:
+    inputs:
+      mark-prerelease:
+        description: "make a release of the development branch a prerelease"
+        type: boolean
+        default: false
+    outputs:
+      devel:
+        description: "true for a release of the development branch"
+        value: ${{ jobs.kind.outputs.devel }}
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  kind:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      devel: ${{ steps.kind.outputs.devel }}
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+      with:
+        sparse-checkout: |
+          RELEASE
+          DEVEL
+        sparse-checkout-cone-mode: false
+    - id: kind
+      run: |
+       if [ ! -f RELEASE ] && [ -f DEVEL ]; then devel=true; else devel=false; fi
+       echo "devel=$devel" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+       echo "release of the development branch: $devel"
+    - name: Make it a prerelease
+      if: inputs.mark-prerelease && github.event_name == 'release' && steps.kind.outputs.devel == 'true' && !github.event.release.prerelease
+      env:
+       GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+       TAG: ${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}
+      run: gh release edit "$TAG" -R "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" --prerelease --latest=false
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-tarball.yml b/.github/workflows/release-tarball.yml
index 1c5154d..5824681 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-tarball.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-tarball.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,13 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 
 jobs:
+  kind:
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/release-kind.yml
+
   tarball:
+    # not for a release of the development branch
+    needs: kind
+    if: github.event_name != 'release' || needs.kind.outputs.devel != 'true'
     permissions:
       contents: write
       id-token: write