diff --git a/api/types.go b/api/types.go
index f20c146d..1bfbf6ac 100644
--- a/api/types.go
+++ b/api/types.go
@@ -74,6 +74,30 @@ type Release struct {
 	ExternalProjects map[string]ExternalProject `json:"external_projects,omitempty"`
 }
 
+func (r Release) Validate() error {
+	if r.Release == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("missing release number")
+	}
+	v, err := semver.NewVersion(r.Release)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	for _, projects := range r.Projects {
+		for repoURL, project := range projects {
+			if project.Tag != nil {
+				projectVersion, err := semver.NewVersion(*project.Tag)
+				if err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("invalid tag for repo %s: %s", repoURL, err)
+				}
+				if v.Prerelease() != projectVersion.Prerelease() {
+					return fmt.Errorf("repo %s uses different prerelease version %s compared to product release number %s", repoURL, *project.Tag, r.Release)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 /*
 - Only one pr per published_chart repo
 - Different chart repos can have different prs
diff --git a/cmds/kubedb_create_release.go b/cmds/kubedb_create_release.go
index 7ba5cde3..028dcc9c 100644
--- a/cmds/kubedb_create_release.go
+++ b/cmds/kubedb_create_release.go
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ func NewCmdKubeDBCreateRelease() *cobra.Command {
 		DisableAutoGenTag: true,
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 			rel := CreateKubeDBReleaseFile()
+			err := rel.Validate()
+			if err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
 			data, err := lib.MarshalJson(rel)
 			if err != nil {
 				panic(err)
diff --git a/cmds/kubevault_create_release.go b/cmds/kubevault_create_release.go
index f2288117..d272677d 100644
--- a/cmds/kubevault_create_release.go
+++ b/cmds/kubevault_create_release.go
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ func NewCmdKubeVaultCreateRelease() *cobra.Command {
 		DisableAutoGenTag: true,
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 			rel := CreateKubeVaultReleaseFile()
+			err := rel.Validate()
+			if err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
 			data, err := lib.MarshalJson(rel)
 			if err != nil {
 				panic(err)
diff --git a/cmds/kuebform_create_release.go b/cmds/kuebform_create_release.go
index f8364b1c..16e5a042 100644
--- a/cmds/kuebform_create_release.go
+++ b/cmds/kuebform_create_release.go
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ func NewCmdKubeformCreateRelease() *cobra.Command {
 		DisableAutoGenTag: true,
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 			rel := CreateKubeformReleaseFile()
+			err := rel.Validate()
+			if err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
 			data, err := lib.MarshalJson(rel)
 			if err != nil {
 				panic(err)
diff --git a/cmds/release_run.go b/cmds/release_run.go
index e22203f3..42da8691 100644
--- a/cmds/release_run.go
+++ b/cmds/release_run.go
@@ -97,6 +97,11 @@ func runAutomaton() {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
+	err = release.Validate()
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+
 	for _, projects := range release.Projects {
 		for repoURL, project := range projects {
 			if project.Tag != nil {
diff --git a/cmds/stash_create_release.go b/cmds/stash_create_release.go
index 1144e04c..6c0265bc 100644
--- a/cmds/stash_create_release.go
+++ b/cmds/stash_create_release.go
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ func NewCmdStashCreateRelease() *cobra.Command {
 		DisableAutoGenTag: true,
 		Run: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 			rel := CreateStashReleaseFile()
+			err := rel.Validate()
+			if err != nil {
+				panic(err)
+			}
 			data, err := lib.MarshalJson(rel)
 			if err != nil {
 				panic(err)