diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 13d073d42..d47ed19fa 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ on:
   push:
     branches:
       - dev
+      - v2-dev
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
@@ -44,12 +45,15 @@ jobs:
       - name: Check backward compatibility
         run: pnpm run check:compat --strict
 
+      # Both branches get their own "chore: update versions" PR. Only `dev` publishes:
+      # `v2-dev` carries a major changeset, and an empty publish-script keeps the action
+      # from shipping 2.0.0 to npm as `latest` once that PR is merged.
       - name: Create release Pull Request or publish to NPM
         id: changesets
         uses: changesets/action@ae32849d5ba541f9ae29e40e22a623bc13562f51 # v2.1.2
         with:
           version-script: pnpm run version
-          publish-script: pnpm run publish
+          publish-script: ${{ github.ref_name == 'dev' && 'pnpm run publish' || '' }}
           commit-message: "chore: update versions"
           pr-title: "chore: update versions"
           # Push through git instead of the GitHub API: the API mode force-updates