diff --git a/.github/workflows/java-publish-maven.yml b/.github/workflows/java-publish-maven.yml
index 944a0ee38e..789fcee1de 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/java-publish-maven.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/java-publish-maven.yml
@@ -200,19 +200,19 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           VERSION="${{ steps.versions.outputs.release_version }}"
 
-          # Update release version in README.md (supports any version qualifier like -java.N, -java-preview.N, -beta-java.N)
-          sed -i "s|<version>[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\(-[a-z][a-z0-9-]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\)*</version>|<version>${VERSION}</version>|g" README.md
-          sed -i "s|copilot-sdk-java:[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\(-[a-z][a-z0-9-]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\)*|copilot-sdk-java:${VERSION}|g" README.md
+          # Update release version in README.md (matches alpha qualifiers like -preview.2 and numeric like -01, but not -SNAPSHOT)
+          sed -i "s|<version>[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\(-[a-z][a-z0-9-]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\|-[0-9][0-9]*\)*</version>|<version>${VERSION}</version>|g" README.md
+          sed -i "s|copilot-sdk-java:[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\(-[a-z][a-z0-9-]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\|-[0-9][0-9]*\)*|copilot-sdk-java:${VERSION}|g" README.md
 
           # Update snapshot versions in README.md (must run AFTER release version seds
           # because the release copilot-sdk-java: pattern partially matches inside snapshot
           # strings — the snapshot-specific seds override with the correct DEV_VERSION)
           DEV_VERSION="${{ steps.versions.outputs.dev_version }}"
-          sed -i "s|<version>[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\(-[a-z][a-z0-9-]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\)*-SNAPSHOT</version>|<version>${DEV_VERSION}</version>|g" README.md
-          sed -i "s|copilot-sdk-java:[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\(-[a-z][a-z0-9-]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\)*-SNAPSHOT|copilot-sdk-java:${DEV_VERSION}|g" README.md
+          sed -i "s|<version>[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\(-[a-z][a-z0-9-]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\|-[0-9][0-9]*\)*-SNAPSHOT</version>|<version>${DEV_VERSION}</version>|g" README.md
+          sed -i "s|copilot-sdk-java:[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\(-[a-z][a-z0-9-]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\|-[0-9][0-9]*\)*-SNAPSHOT|copilot-sdk-java:${DEV_VERSION}|g" README.md
 
           # Update version in jbang-example.java
-          sed -i "s|copilot-sdk-java:[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\(-[a-z][a-z0-9-]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\)*|copilot-sdk-java:${VERSION}|g" jbang-example.java
+          sed -i "s|copilot-sdk-java:[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\(-[a-z][a-z0-9-]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\|-[0-9][0-9]*\)*|copilot-sdk-java:${VERSION}|g" jbang-example.java
           sed -i 's|copilot-sdk-java:${project\.version}|copilot-sdk-java:'"${VERSION}"'|g' jbang-example.java
 
           # Commit the documentation changes before release:prepare (requires clean working directory)
diff --git a/java/README.md b/java/README.md
index 1ff1c90c73..ac1591b1d2 100644
--- a/java/README.md
+++ b/java/README.md
@@ -32,14 +32,14 @@ Replace `${copilot.sdk.version}` with the latest release from Maven Central.
 <dependency>
     <groupId>com.github</groupId>
     <artifactId>copilot-sdk-java</artifactId>
-    <version>1.0.5-01</version>
+    <version>1.0.9-preview.3</version>
 </dependency>
 ```
 
 ### Gradle
 
 ```groovy
-implementation 'com.github:copilot-sdk-java:1.0.9-preview.3-01'
+implementation 'com.github:copilot-sdk-java:1.0.9-preview.3'
 ```
 
 #### Snapshot Builds
diff --git a/java/jbang-example.java b/java/jbang-example.java
index 59e625724e..9abc39eddd 100644
--- a/java/jbang-example.java
+++ b/java/jbang-example.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ///usr/bin/env jbang "$0" "$@" ; exit $?
-//DEPS com.github:copilot-sdk-java:1.0.9-preview.3-01
+//DEPS com.github:copilot-sdk-java:1.0.9-preview.3
 import com.github.copilot.CopilotClient;
 import com.github.copilot.generated.AssistantMessageEvent;
 import com.github.copilot.generated.SessionUsageInfoEvent;