diff --git a/packages/vertexai/package.json b/packages/vertexai/package.json
index 942db5ca42f..d80d4d5e010 100644
--- a/packages/vertexai/package.json
+++ b/packages/vertexai/package.json
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@firebase/vertexai",
   "version": "0.0.1",
-  "private": true,
   "description": "A template package for new firebase packages",
   "author": "Firebase <firebase-support@google.com> (https://firebase.google.com/)",
   "engines": {
diff --git a/scripts/release/utils/publish.ts b/scripts/release/utils/publish.ts
index c3f40f0d888..1ed3e6261d7 100644
--- a/scripts/release/utils/publish.ts
+++ b/scripts/release/utils/publish.ts
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@ export async function publishInCI(
         continue;
       }
     } catch (e) {
-      if (version !== '0.0.1') {
+      const versionParts = version.split('-');
+      if (versionParts[0] !== '0.0.1') {
         // 404 from NPM indicates the package doesn't exist there.
         console.log(
           `Skipping pkg: ${pkg} - it has never been published to NPM.`