diff --git a/pode.build.ps1 b/pode.build.ps1
index 3222d086e..effb1b938 100644
--- a/pode.build.ps1
+++ b/pode.build.ps1
@@ -9,6 +9,14 @@
 .PARAMETER Version
     Specifies the project version for stamping, packaging, and documentation. Defaults to '0.0.0'.
 
+.PARAMETER Prerelease
+    Specifies the prerelease label to append to the module version, following semantic versioning conventions.
+    Examples include 'alpha.1', 'alpha.2', 'beta.1', etc. This label indicates the stability and iteration of the prerelease version.
+
+.PARAMETER PersistVersion
+  If specified, the provided version and prerelease label will be saved to `Version.json`.
+  This ensures future builds use the same versioning information unless explicitly overridden.
+
 .PARAMETER PesterVerbosity
     Sets the verbosity level for Pester tests. Options: None, Normal, Detailed, Diagnostic.
 
@@ -76,6 +84,9 @@
     Invoke-Build -Task Docs
         # Builds and serves the documentation locally.
 
+    Invoke-Build -Task Build -Version '2.13.0' -Prerelease 'beta.1' -PersistVersion
+        # Saves "2.13.0-beta.1" to Version.json for future builds.
+
 .LINK
     For more information, visit https://github.com/Badgerati/Pode
 #>
@@ -89,7 +100,13 @@
 [Diagnostics.CodeAnalysis.SuppressMessageAttribute('PSAvoidUsingPositionalParameters', '')]
 param(
     [string]
-    $Version = '0.0.0',
+    $Version,
+
+    [string]
+    $Prerelease,
+
+    [switch]
+    $PersistVersion,
 
     [string]
     [ValidateSet('None', 'Normal' , 'Detailed', 'Diagnostic')]
@@ -488,18 +505,27 @@ function Invoke-PodeBuildDotnetBuild {
 
     # Optionally set assembly version
     if ($Version) {
-        Write-Output "Assembly Version: $Version"
-        $AssemblyVersion = "-p:Version=$Version"
+        if ($Prerelease) {
+            Write-Output "Assembly Version: $Version-$Prerelease"
+            $AssemblyVersion = "-p:VersionPrefix=$Version"
+            $AssemblyPrerelease = "-p:VersionSuffix=$Prerelease"
+        }
+        else {
+            Write-Output "Assembly Version: $Version"
+            $AssemblyVersion = "-p:Version=$Version"
+            $AssemblyPrerelease = ''
+        }
     }
     else {
         $AssemblyVersion = ''
+        $AssemblyPrerelease = ''
     }
 
     # restore dependencies
     dotnet restore
 
     # Use dotnet publish for .NET Core and .NET 5+
-    dotnet publish --configuration Release --self-contained --framework $target $AssemblyVersion --output ../Libs/$target
+    dotnet publish --configuration Release --self-contained --framework $target $AssemblyVersion $AssemblyPrerelease --output ../Libs/$target
 
     if (!$?) {
         throw "Build failed for target framework '$target'."
@@ -889,6 +915,56 @@ if (($null -eq $PSCmdlet.MyInvocation) -or ($PSCmdlet.MyInvocation.BoundParamete
     return
 }
 
+# Import Version File if needed
+if ([string]::IsNullOrEmpty($Version)) {
+    if (Test-Path './Version.json' -PathType Leaf) {
+        $importedVersion = Get-Content -Path './Version.json' | ConvertFrom-Json
+        if ($importedVersion.Version) {
+            $Version = $importedVersion.Version
+        }
+        if ($importedVersion.Prerelease) {
+            $Prerelease = $importedVersion.Prerelease
+        }
+    }
+    else {
+        $Version = '0.0.0'
+        if ($PersistVersion) {
+            Write-Error 'The -PersistVersion parameter requires the -Version parameter to be specified.'
+            return
+        }
+    }
+}
+elseif ($PersistVersion) {
+    if ($Prerelease) {
+        [ordered]@{Version = $Version; Prerelease = $Prerelease } | ConvertTo-Json | Out-File './Version.json'
+    }
+    else {
+        [ordered]@{Version = $Version } | ConvertTo-Json | Out-File './Version.json'
+    }
+}
+
+
+Write-Host '---------------------------------------------------' -ForegroundColor DarkCyan
+
+# Display the Pode build version
+if ($Prerelease) {
+    Write-Host "Pode Build: v$Version-$Prerelease (Pre-release)" -ForegroundColor DarkCyan
+}
+else {
+    if ($Version -eq '0.0.0') {
+        Write-Host 'Pode Build: [Development Version]' -ForegroundColor DarkCyan
+    }
+    else {
+        Write-Host "Pode Build: v$Version" -ForegroundColor DarkCyan
+    }
+}
+
+# Display the current UTC time in a readable format
+$utcTime = (Get-Date).ToUniversalTime().ToString("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss 'UTC'")
+Write-Host "Start Time: $utcTime" -ForegroundColor DarkCyan
+
+Write-Host '---------------------------------------------------' -ForegroundColor DarkCyan
+
 
 Add-BuildTask Default {
     Write-Host 'Tasks in the Build Script:' -ForegroundColor DarkMagenta
@@ -939,7 +1015,13 @@ Add-BuildTask Default {
 # Synopsis: Stamps the version onto the Module
 Add-BuildTask StampVersion {
     $pwshVersions = Get-PodeBuildPwshEOL
-    (Get-Content ./pkg/Pode.psd1) | ForEach-Object { $_ -replace '\$version\$', $Version -replace '\$versionsUntested\$', $pwshVersions.eol -replace '\$versionsSupported\$', $pwshVersions.supported -replace '\$buildyear\$', ((get-date).Year) } | Set-Content ./pkg/Pode.psd1
+    $prereleaseValue = if ($Prerelease) {
+        "Prerelease = '$Prerelease'"
+    }
+    else {
+        ''
+    }
+    (Get-Content ./pkg/Pode.psd1) | ForEach-Object { $_ -replace '\$version\$', $Version -replace '\$versionsUntested\$', $pwshVersions.eol -replace '\$versionsSupported\$', $pwshVersions.supported -replace '\$buildyear\$', ((get-date).Year) -replace '#\$Prerelease-Here\$', $prereleaseValue } | Set-Content ./pkg/Pode.psd1
     (Get-Content ./pkg/Pode.Internal.psd1) | ForEach-Object { $_ -replace '\$version\$', $Version } | Set-Content ./pkg/Pode.Internal.psd1
     (Get-Content ./packers/choco/pode_template.nuspec) | ForEach-Object { $_ -replace '\$version\$', $Version } | Set-Content ./packers/choco/pode.nuspec
     (Get-Content ./packers/choco/tools/ChocolateyInstall_template.ps1) | ForEach-Object { $_ -replace '\$version\$', $Version } | Set-Content ./packers/choco/tools/ChocolateyInstall.ps1
@@ -1682,7 +1764,7 @@ Add-BuildTask SetupPowerShell {
 #>
 
 # Synopsis: Build the Release Notes
-task ReleaseNotes {
+Add-BuildTask ReleaseNotes {
     if ([string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($ReleaseNoteVersion)) {
         Write-Host 'Please provide a ReleaseNoteVersion' -ForegroundColor Red
         return
@@ -1818,3 +1900,4 @@ task ReleaseNotes {
         Write-Host ''
     }
 }
+
diff --git a/src/Pode.psd1 b/src/Pode.psd1
index aff2bfcb7..437292271 100644
--- a/src/Pode.psd1
+++ b/src/Pode.psd1
@@ -547,6 +547,9 @@
     # Private data to pass to the module specified in RootModule/ModuleToProcess. This may also contain a PSData hashtable with additional module metadata used by PowerShell.
     PrivateData       = @{
         PSData       = @{
+
+            #$Prerelease-Here$
+            
             # Tags applied to this module. These help with module discovery in online galleries.
             Tags         = @(
                 'powershell', 'web', 'server', 'http', 'https', 'listener', 'rest', 'api', 'tcp',
diff --git a/src/Pode.psm1 b/src/Pode.psm1
index 34a812c3a..ed20fe6aa 100644
--- a/src/Pode.psm1
+++ b/src/Pode.psm1
@@ -49,6 +49,32 @@ if ([string]::IsNullOrEmpty($UICulture)) {
     $UICulture = $PsUICulture
 }
 
+
+function Test-PodeAssembly {
+    $podeDll = [AppDomain]::CurrentDomain.GetAssemblies() | Where-Object { $_.GetName().Name -eq 'Pode' }
+
+    if ($podeDll) {
+        if ( $PodeManifest.ModuleVersion -ne '$version$') {
+            $moduleVersion = ([version]::new($PodeManifest.ModuleVersion + '.0'))
+            if ($podeDll.GetName().Version -ne $moduleVersion) {
+                # An existing incompatible Pode.DLL version {0} is loaded. Version {1} is required. Open a new Powershell/pwsh session and retry.
+                throw ($PodeLocale.incompatiblePodeDllExceptionMessage -f $podeDll.GetName().Version, $moduleVersion)
+            }
+            $assemblyInformationalVersion = $podeDll.CustomAttributes.Where({ $_.AttributeType -eq [System.Reflection.AssemblyInformationalVersionAttribute] })
+            if ($null -ne $PodeManifest.PrivateData.PSData.Prerelease) {
+                if (! $assemblyInformationalVersion.ConstructorArguments.Value.Contains($PodeManifest.PrivateData.PSData.Prerelease)) {
+                    throw ($PodeLocale.incompatiblePodeDllExceptionMessage -f $assemblyInformationalVersion.ConstructorArguments.Value, "$moduleVersion-$($PodeManifest.PrivateData.PSData.Prerelease)")
+                }
+            }
+            elseif ($assemblyInformationalVersion.ConstructorArguments.Value.Contains('-')) {
+                throw ($PodeLocale.incompatiblePodeDllExceptionMessage -f $assemblyInformationalVersion.ConstructorArguments.Value, $moduleVersion)
+            }
+        }
+        return $true
+    }
+    return $false
+}
+
 try {
     try {
         #The list of all available supported culture is available here https://azuliadesigns.com/c-sharp-tutorials/list-net-culture-country-codes/
@@ -75,21 +101,9 @@ try {
     $moduleManifestPath = Join-Path -Path $root -ChildPath 'Pode.psd1'
 
     # Import the module manifest to access its properties
-    $moduleManifest = Import-PowerShellDataFile -Path $moduleManifestPath -ErrorAction Stop
-
-
-    $podeDll = [AppDomain]::CurrentDomain.GetAssemblies() | Where-Object { $_.GetName().Name -eq 'Pode' }
+    $PodeManifest = Import-PowerShellDataFile -Path $moduleManifestPath -ErrorAction Stop
 
-    if ($podeDll) {
-        if ( $moduleManifest.ModuleVersion -ne '$version$') {
-            $moduleVersion = ([version]::new($moduleManifest.ModuleVersion + '.0'))
-            if ($podeDll.GetName().Version -ne $moduleVersion) {
-                # An existing incompatible Pode.DLL version {0} is loaded. Version {1} is required. Open a new Powershell/pwsh session and retry.
-                throw ($PodeLocale.incompatiblePodeDllExceptionMessage -f $podeDll.GetName().Version, $moduleVersion)
-            }
-        }
-    }
-    else {
+    if (! (Test-PodeAssembly)) {
         # fetch the .net version and the libs path
         $version = [System.Environment]::Version.Major
         $libsPath = "$($root)/Libs"
@@ -109,6 +123,7 @@ try {
 
         # append Pode.dll and mount
         Add-Type -LiteralPath "$($netFolder)/Pode.dll" -ErrorAction Stop
+        $null = Test-PodeAssembly
     }
 
     # load private functions
@@ -143,4 +158,3 @@ finally {
     # Cleanup temporary variables
     Remove-Variable -Name 'tmpPodeLocale', 'localesPath', 'moduleManifest', 'root', 'version', 'libsPath', 'netFolder', 'podeDll', 'sysfuncs', 'sysaliases', 'funcs', 'aliases', 'moduleManifestPath', 'moduleVersion' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
 }
-
diff --git a/src/Public/Utilities.ps1 b/src/Public/Utilities.ps1
index e193bbbc3..1d874a4d7 100644
--- a/src/Public/Utilities.ps1
+++ b/src/Public/Utilities.ps1
@@ -1361,8 +1361,8 @@ Gets the version of the Pode module.
 .DESCRIPTION
 The Get-PodeVersion function checks the version of the Pode module specified in the module manifest. If the module version is not a placeholder value ('$version$'), it returns the actual version prefixed with 'v.'. If the module version is the placeholder value, indicating the development branch, it returns '[develop branch]'.
 
-.PARAMETER None
-This function does not accept any parameters.
+.PARAMETER Raw
+If this switch is set, the function will return the raw version number as a [version] object instead of a string.
 
 .OUTPUTS
 System.String
@@ -1385,9 +1385,22 @@ This function assumes that $moduleManifest is a hashtable representing the loade
 
 #>
 function Get-PodeVersion {
+    param(
+        [switch]
+        $Raw
+    )
     $moduleManifest = Get-PodeModuleManifest
     if ($moduleManifest.ModuleVersion -ne '$version$') {
-        return "v$($moduleManifest.ModuleVersion)"
+        $version = if ( $Raw) {
+            $moduleManifest.ModuleVersion
+        }
+        else {
+            "v$($moduleManifest.ModuleVersion)"
+        }
+        if ($moduleManifest.PrivateData.PSData.Prerelease) {
+            return "$version-$($moduleManifest.PrivateData.PSData.Prerelease)"
+        }
+        return $version
     }
     else {
         return '[dev]'