diff --git a/ci/parameters.yml b/ci/parameters.yml
index dc2a020e888..984ca25adcc 100644
--- a/ci/parameters.yml
+++ b/ci/parameters.yml
@@ -12,3 +12,4 @@ milestone: "2.7.x"
 build-name: "spring-boot"
 concourse-url: "https://ci.spring.io"
 task-timeout: 2h00m
+final-release: false
diff --git a/ci/pipeline.yml b/ci/pipeline.yml
index 50c1be0ea89..302f17a2e7a 100644
--- a/ci/pipeline.yml
+++ b/ci/pipeline.yml
@@ -519,6 +519,7 @@ jobs:
     timeout: ((task-timeout))
     file: git-repo/ci/tasks/stage.yml
     params:
+      FINAL_RELEASE: ((final-release))
       RELEASE_TYPE: M
       <<: *gradle-enterprise-task-params
       <<: *docker-hub-task-params
@@ -542,6 +543,7 @@ jobs:
     timeout: ((task-timeout))
     file: git-repo/ci/tasks/stage.yml
     params:
+      FINAL_RELEASE: ((final-release))
       RELEASE_TYPE: RC
       <<: *gradle-enterprise-task-params
       <<: *docker-hub-task-params
@@ -565,6 +567,7 @@ jobs:
     timeout: ((task-timeout))
     file: git-repo/ci/tasks/stage.yml
     params:
+      FINAL_RELEASE: ((final-release))
       RELEASE_TYPE: RELEASE
       <<: *gradle-enterprise-task-params
       <<: *docker-hub-task-params
diff --git a/ci/scripts/stage.sh b/ci/scripts/stage.sh
index bfc2690198e..981aeb2ec7c 100755
--- a/ci/scripts/stage.sh
+++ b/ci/scripts/stage.sh
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ git tag -a "v$stageVersion" -m"Release v$stageVersion" > /dev/null
 ./gradlew --no-daemon --max-workers=4 -PdeploymentRepository=${repository} build publishAllPublicationsToDeploymentRepository
 
 git reset --hard HEAD^ > /dev/null
-if [[ $nextVersion != $snapshotVersion ]]; then
+if [[ $FINAL_RELEASE != true && $nextVersion != $snapshotVersion ]]; then
 	echo "Setting next development version (v$nextVersion)"
 	sed -i "s/version=$snapshotVersion/version=$nextVersion/" gradle.properties
 	git add gradle.properties > /dev/null
diff --git a/ci/tasks/stage.yml b/ci/tasks/stage.yml
index 3ea8550eb52..feff204848e 100644
--- a/ci/tasks/stage.yml
+++ b/ci/tasks/stage.yml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ outputs:
 params:
   RELEASE_TYPE:
   CI: true
+  FINAL_RELEASE:
   GRADLE_ENTERPRISE_CACHE_URL:
   GRADLE_ENTERPRISE_CACHE_USERNAME:
   GRADLE_ENTERPRISE_CACHE_PASSWORD: