diff --git a/.github/release-drafter.yml b/.github/release-drafter.yml
index 8b1b95d6..c287cc72 100644
--- a/.github/release-drafter.yml
+++ b/.github/release-drafter.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 _extends: .github:/.github/release-drafter.yml
-name-template: $NEXT_PATCH_VERSION
-tag-template: plexus-utils-$NEXT_PATCH_VERSION
+
+# tag-prefix is what lets the drafter parse the version out of the last tag.
+# Without it the drafter reads what it can from the tag string, and plexus-i18n
+# once drafted 18.0.1 by finding the 18 in its own name.
+tag-prefix: plexus-utils-
+name-template: $RESOLVED_VERSION
+tag-template: plexus-utils-$RESOLVED_VERSION
 version-template: $MAJOR.$MINOR.$PATCH
 # plexus-utils maintains parallel release lines (master + plexus-utils-3.x),
 # so drafts must only pick up commits from the branch being released.