diff --git a/scripts/releases-ci/__tests__/publish-npm-test.js b/scripts/releases-ci/__tests__/publish-npm-test.js
index 2fee2e9ab90b..f2568c130793 100644
--- a/scripts/releases-ci/__tests__/publish-npm-test.js
+++ b/scripts/releases-ci/__tests__/publish-npm-test.js
@@ -80,21 +80,26 @@ describe('publish-npm', () => {
     jest.resetAllMocks();
   });
 
-  describe('publish-npm.js', () => {
-    it('should fail when invalid build type is passed', async () => {
-      // Call actual function
-      // $FlowExpectedError[underconstrained-implicit-instantiation]
-      const npmUtils = jest.requireActual('../../releases/utils/npm-utils');
-      getNpmInfoMock.mockImplementation(npmUtils.getNpmInfo);
+  it('should fail when invalid build type is passed', async () => {
+    // Call actual function
+    // $FlowExpectedError[underconstrained-implicit-instantiation]
+    const npmUtils = jest.requireActual('../../releases/utils/npm-utils');
+    getNpmInfoMock.mockImplementation(npmUtils.getNpmInfo);
+
+    await expect(async () => {
+      // $FlowExpectedError[incompatible-type]
+      await publishNpm('invalid');
+    }).rejects.toThrow('Unsupported build type: invalid');
+  });
 
-      await expect(async () => {
-        // $FlowExpectedError[incompatible-type]
-        await publishNpm('invalid');
-      }).rejects.toThrow('Unsupported build type: invalid');
+  describe('dry-run', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      jest.mock('../../shared/monorepoUtils', () => ({
+        ...jest.requireActual('../../shared/monorepoUtils'),
+        getWorkspaceRoot: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({version: '1000.0.0'}),
+      }));
     });
-  });
 
-  describe("publishNpm('dry-run')", () => {
     it('should set version, hermes version, and not publish', async () => {
       const version = '1000.0.0-currentco';
       getNpmInfoMock.mockReturnValueOnce({
@@ -122,35 +127,73 @@ describe('publish-npm', () => {
       expect(publishPackageMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 
-    it('should set version, not set hermes version, and not publish', async () => {
-      const version = '1000.0.0-currentco';
-      getNpmInfoMock.mockReturnValueOnce({
-        version,
-        tag: null,
+    describe('when on stable branch', () => {
+      it('main → RC0: should skip Hermes version', async () => {
+        const version = '1000.0.0-currentco';
+        getNpmInfoMock.mockReturnValueOnce({
+          version,
+          tag: null,
+        });
+        getBranchName.mockReturnValueOnce('0.83-stable');
+
+        await publishNpm('dry-run');
+
+        expect(updateHermesVersionsToNightlyMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(setVersionMock).not.toBeCalled();
+        expect(updateReactNativeArtifactsMock).toBeCalledWith(
+          version,
+          'dry-run',
+        );
+
+        // Generate Android artifacts is now delegate to build_android entirely
+        expect(generateAndroidArtifactsMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+        expect(consoleLogMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+          'Skipping `npm publish` because --dry-run is set.',
+        );
+
+        // Expect termination
+        expect(publishAndroidArtifactsToMavenMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(publishExternalArtifactsToMavenMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(publishPackageMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
       });
-      getBranchName.mockReturnValueOnce('0.83-stable');
 
-      await publishNpm('dry-run');
-
-      expect(updateHermesVersionsToNightlyMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-      expect(setVersionMock).not.toBeCalled();
-      expect(updateReactNativeArtifactsMock).toBeCalledWith(version, 'dry-run');
-
-      // Generate Android artifacts is now delegate to build_android entirely
-      expect(generateAndroidArtifactsMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-
-      expect(consoleLogMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-        'Skipping `npm publish` because --dry-run is set.',
-      );
-
-      // Expect termination
-      expect(publishAndroidArtifactsToMavenMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-      expect(publishExternalArtifactsToMavenMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-      expect(publishPackageMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      it('RC0 → RC1: should skip Hermes version and artifacts', async () => {
+        const version = '0.83.0-rc.0';
+        getNpmInfoMock.mockReturnValueOnce({
+          version,
+          tag: null,
+        });
+        getBranchName.mockReturnValueOnce('0.83-stable');
+        jest.mock('../../shared/monorepoUtils', () => ({
+          ...jest.requireActual('../../shared/monorepoUtils'),
+          getWorkspaceRoot: jest
+            .fn()
+            .mockResolvedValue({version: '0.83.0-rc.0'}),
+        }));
+
+        await publishNpm('dry-run');
+
+        expect(updateHermesVersionsToNightlyMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(setVersionMock).not.toBeCalled();
+        expect(updateReactNativeArtifactsMock).not.toBeCalled();
+
+        // Generate Android artifacts is now delegate to build_android entirely
+        expect(generateAndroidArtifactsMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+        expect(consoleLogMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+          'Skipping `npm publish` because --dry-run is set.',
+        );
+
+        // Expect termination
+        expect(publishAndroidArtifactsToMavenMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(publishExternalArtifactsToMavenMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(publishPackageMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      });
     });
   });
 
-  describe("publishNpm('nightly')", () => {
+  describe('nightly', () => {
     beforeAll(() => {
       jest.mock('../../shared/monorepoUtils', () => ({
         ...jest.requireActual('../../shared/monorepoUtils'),
@@ -308,7 +351,7 @@ describe('publish-npm', () => {
     });
   });
 
-  describe("publishNpm('release')", () => {
+  describe('release', () => {
     it('should publish non-latest', async () => {
       const expectedVersion = '0.81.1';
       getNpmInfoMock.mockImplementation(() => ({
diff --git a/scripts/releases-ci/publish-npm.js b/scripts/releases-ci/publish-npm.js
index 985cf4f13872..f1ed1a2ba190 100755
--- a/scripts/releases-ci/publish-npm.js
+++ b/scripts/releases-ci/publish-npm.js
@@ -28,8 +28,7 @@ const {
 } = require('../releases/utils/release-utils');
 const {getBranchName} = require('../releases/utils/scm-utils');
 const {REPO_ROOT} = require('../shared/consts');
-const {getPackages} = require('../shared/monorepoUtils');
-const fs = require('fs');
+const {getPackages, getWorkspaceRoot} = require('../shared/monorepoUtils');
 const path = require('path');
 const yargs = require('yargs');
 
@@ -110,16 +109,9 @@ async function publishNpm(buildType /*: BuildType */) /*: Promise<void> */ {
     // Before updating React Native artifacts versions for dry-run, we check if the version has already been set.
     // If it has, we don't need to update the artifacts at all (at this will revert them back to 1000.0.0)
     // If it hasn't, we can update the native artifacts accordingly.
-    const reactNativePackageJson = path.join(
-      REPO_ROOT,
-      'packages',
-      'react-native',
-      'package.json',
-    );
-    const packageJsonContent = fs.readFileSync(reactNativePackageJson, 'utf8');
-    const packageJson = JSON.parse(packageJsonContent);
-
-    if (packageJson.version === '1000.0.0') {
+    const projectInfo = await getWorkspaceRoot();
+
+    if (projectInfo.version === '1000.0.0') {
       // Set hermes versions to latest available if not on a stable branch
       if (!/.*-stable/.test(getBranchName())) {
         await updateHermesVersionsToNightly();
diff --git a/scripts/shared/monorepoUtils.js b/scripts/shared/monorepoUtils.js
index 0fa71e6fccb8..549e27df5ab0 100644
--- a/scripts/shared/monorepoUtils.js
+++ b/scripts/shared/monorepoUtils.js
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ export type PackageInfo = {
   // The absolute path to the package
   path: string,
 
+  // The package version
+  version: string,
+
   // The parsed package.json contents
   packageJson: PackageJson,
 };
@@ -113,6 +116,7 @@ async function parsePackageInfo(
     {
       name: packageJson.name,
       path: packagePath,
+      version: packageJson.version,
       packageJson,
     },
   ];