diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a4c8bd8..7611cae 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ DEFGROUP: MokoStandards.Root
 INGROUP: MokoStandards
 REPO: https://git.mokoconsulting.tech/MokoConsulting/moko-platform
 PATH: /README.md
-VERSION: 09.02.08
+VERSION: 09.02.09
 BRIEF: Project overview and documentation
 -->
 
diff --git a/cli/release_cascade.php b/cli/release_cascade.php
index 8295983..db96629 100644
--- a/cli/release_cascade.php
+++ b/cli/release_cascade.php
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ foreach ($tagsToDelete as $tag) {
 // ── Version-aware cleanup: delete releases with lesser version numbers ───────
 if ($version !== null) {
     // Normalize version for comparison (strip any suffix)
-    $baseVersion = preg_replace('/-[a-z]+$/', '', $version);
+    $baseVersion = preg_replace('/(-(dev|alpha|beta|rc))+$/', '', $version);
 
     // Check all channels (including ones not in the cascade map for this stability)
     $allChannels = ['development', 'alpha', 'beta', 'release-candidate', 'stable'];
diff --git a/cli/version_bump.php b/cli/version_bump.php
index 5674635..b6a24db 100644
--- a/cli/version_bump.php
+++ b/cli/version_bump.php
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ $mokoManifest = "{$root}/.mokogitea/manifest.xml";
 $mokoContent = '';
 if (file_exists($mokoManifest)) {
     $mokoContent = file_get_contents($mokoManifest);
-    if (preg_match('|<version>(\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2})(?:-([a-z]+))?</version>|', $mokoContent, $m)) {
+    if (preg_match('|<version>(\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2})(?:-((?:(?:dev|alpha|beta|rc)-?)+))?</version>|', $mokoContent, $m)) {
         $mokoVersion = $m[1];
         $mokoSuffix = isset($m[2]) ? $m[2] : '';
     }
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ foreach ($manifestFiles as $xmlFile) {
     if (strpos($xmlContent, '<extension') === false && strpos($xmlContent, '<version>') === false) {
         continue;
     }
-    if (preg_match('|<version>(\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2})(-[a-z]+)?</version>|', $xmlContent, $xm)) {
+    if (preg_match('|<version>(\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2})((?:-(?:dev|alpha|beta|rc))+)?</version>|', $xmlContent, $xm)) {
         $candidate = $xm[1];
         if ($manifestVersion === null || version_compare($candidate, $manifestVersion, '>')) {
             $manifestVersion = $candidate;
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ $newFull = $new;
 // -- Update .mokogitea/manifest.xml (canonical — preserves suffix) --
 if (file_exists($mokoManifest) && !empty($mokoContent)) {
     $updated = preg_replace(
-        '|<version>\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2}(?:-[a-z]+)?</version>|',
+        '|<version>\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2}(?:(?:-(?:dev|alpha|beta|rc))+)?</version>|',
         "<version>{$newFull}</version>",
         $mokoContent,
         1
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ if (file_exists($mokoManifest) && !empty($mokoContent)) {
 // -- Update README.md --
 if (file_exists($readme) && !empty($readmeContent)) {
     $updated = preg_replace(
-        '/(VERSION:\s*)\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2}(?:-[a-z]+)?/m',
+        '/(VERSION:\s*)\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2}(?:(?:-(?:dev|alpha|beta|rc))+)?/m',
         '${1}' . $newFull,
         $readmeContent,
         1
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ foreach ($xmlPatterns as $pattern) {
             continue;
         }
         $newContent = preg_replace(
-            '|<version>\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2}(?:-[a-z]+)?</version>|',
+            '|<version>\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2}(?:(?:-(?:dev|alpha|beta|rc))+)?</version>|',
             "<version>{$newFull}</version>",
             $content
         );
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ $packageJsonFile = "{$root}/package.json";
 if (file_exists($packageJsonFile)) {
     $pkgContent = file_get_contents($packageJsonFile);
     $updatedPkg = preg_replace(
-        '/("version"\s*:\s*")\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2}(?:-[a-z]+)?(")/m',
+        '/("version"\s*:\s*")\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2}(?:(?:-(?:dev|alpha|beta|rc))+)?(")/m',
         '${1}' . $newFull . '${2}',
         $pkgContent
     );
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ $pyprojectFile = "{$root}/pyproject.toml";
 if (file_exists($pyprojectFile)) {
     $pyContent = file_get_contents($pyprojectFile);
     $updatedPy = preg_replace(
-        '/^(version\s*=\s*")\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2}(?:-[a-z]+)?(")/m',
+        '/^(version\s*=\s*")\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2}(?:(?:-(?:dev|alpha|beta|rc))+)?(")/m',
         '${1}' . $newFull . '${2}',
         $pyContent
     );
diff --git a/cli/version_check.php b/cli/version_check.php
index 07bc853..e5e2379 100644
--- a/cli/version_check.php
+++ b/cli/version_check.php
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ foreach ($xmlGlobs as $glob) {
         $xmlContent = file_get_contents($file);
         if (strpos($xmlContent, '<extension') === false) continue;
 
-        if (preg_match('|<version>(\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2})(?:-[a-z]+)?</version>|', $xmlContent, $xm)) {
+        if (preg_match('|<version>(\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2})(?:(?:-(?:dev|alpha|beta|rc))+)?</version>|', $xmlContent, $xm)) {
             $relPath = str_replace($root . '/', '', $file);
             $relPath = str_replace($root . '\\', '', $relPath);
             $versions[$relPath] = $xm[1];
diff --git a/cli/version_read.php b/cli/version_read.php
index bdc2350..5c76856 100644
--- a/cli/version_read.php
+++ b/cli/version_read.php
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ if (file_exists($mokoManifest)) {
     $xml = @simplexml_load_file($mokoManifest);
     if ($xml !== false) {
         $v = (string)($xml->identity->version ?? '');
-        if (preg_match('/^\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2}(-[a-z]+)?$/', $v)) {
+        if (preg_match('/^\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2}((?:-(?:dev|alpha|beta|rc))+)?$/', $v)) {
             $mokoVersion = $v;
         }
     }
@@ -66,10 +66,10 @@ foreach ($manifestFiles as $xmlFile) {
     if (strpos($xmlContent, '<extension') === false && strpos($xmlContent, '<version>') === false) {
         continue;
     }
-    if (preg_match('|<version>(\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2}(?:-[a-z]+)?)</version>|', $xmlContent, $xm)) {
+    if (preg_match('|<version>(\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2}(?:(?:-(?:dev|alpha|beta|rc))+)?)</version>|', $xmlContent, $xm)) {
         $candidate = $xm[1];
-        $candidateBase = preg_replace('/-[a-z]+$/', '', $candidate);
-        $currentBase = $manifestVersion ? preg_replace('/-[a-z]+$/', '', $manifestVersion) : null;
+        $candidateBase = preg_replace('/(-(dev|alpha|beta|rc))+$/', '', $candidate);
+        $currentBase = $manifestVersion ? preg_replace('/(-(dev|alpha|beta|rc))+$/', '', $manifestVersion) : null;
         if ($currentBase === null || version_compare($candidateBase, $currentBase, '>')) {
             $manifestVersion = $candidate;
         }
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ if ($version === null) {
 // -- Backfill: if manifest.xml exists but lacks <version>, insert it --
 if (file_exists($mokoManifest)) {
     $content = file_get_contents($mokoManifest);
-    if (!preg_match('|<version>\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2}(-[a-z]+)?</version>|', $content)) {
+    if (!preg_match('|<version>\d{2}\.\d{2}\.\d{2}((?:-(?:dev|alpha|beta|rc))+)?</version>|', $content)) {
         if (strpos($content, '<license') !== false) {
             $content = preg_replace(
                 '|(\s*<license)|',
diff --git a/cli/version_set_platform.php b/cli/version_set_platform.php
index 889db76..d661ad6 100644
--- a/cli/version_set_platform.php
+++ b/cli/version_set_platform.php
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ if ($version === null) {
     exit(1);
 }
 
-// Strip any existing suffix before applying the correct one
-$version = preg_replace('/-(dev|alpha|beta|rc)$/', '', $version);
+// Strip any existing suffix(es) before applying the correct one
+$version = preg_replace('/(-(dev|alpha|beta|rc))+$/', '', $version);
 
 // Append stability suffix for non-stable releases
 $stabilitySuffixMap = [