diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index 05e5be7a..6f8d1353 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: 🔨 Install dependencies
         run: "yarn install --frozen-lockfile"
 
+      # We bump the package.json version to git, we just need it for publish to do the right thing
       - name: 🎖 Bump package.json version
-        run: "yarn version --new-version $VERSION"
+        run: "yarn version --new-version ${VERSION#v} --no-git-tag-version"
         env:
           VERSION: ${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}.0
 
diff --git a/changelogs/internal/newsfragments/1765.clarification b/changelogs/internal/newsfragments/1765.clarification
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1b999bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/internal/newsfragments/1765.clarification
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix npm release script for `@matrix-org/spec`.