diff --git a/Jenkinsfile b/Jenkinsfile
index 148ca5046d..995944f1f5 100644
--- a/Jenkinsfile
+++ b/Jenkinsfile
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env groovy
 
 def installBuildRequirements(){
-	def nodeHome = tool 'nodejs-12.13.1'
+	def nodeHome = tool 'nodejs-14.19.1'
 	env.PATH="${env.PATH}:${nodeHome}/bin"
 	sh "npm install -g typescript"
-	sh 'npm install -g "vsce@<2"'
+	sh 'npm install -g "vsce"'
 }
 
 def buildVscodeExtension(){
@@ -12,75 +12,70 @@ def buildVscodeExtension(){
 	sh "npm run vscode:prepublish"
 }
 
-node('rhel8'){
-	stage 'Build JDT LS'
-
-	env.JAVA_HOME="${tool 'openjdk-11'}"
-	env.PATH="${env.JAVA_HOME}/bin:${env.PATH}"
-	sh 'java -version'
-
-	git url: 'https://github.com/eclipse/eclipse.jdt.ls.git'
-	sh "./mvnw clean verify -B -U -e -Pserver-distro -Dtycho.disableP2Mirrors=true -DskipTests -P!jboss-maven-repos,!redhat-ga-repository,!redhat-ea-repository"
-
-	def files = findFiles(glob: '**/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/distro/**.tar.gz')
-	stash name: 'server_distro', includes :files[0].path
+def packageSpecificExtensions() {
+	stage "Package platform specific vscode-java"
+	def platforms = ["win32-x64", "linux-x64", "linux-arm64", "darwin-x64", "darwin-arm64"]
+	def embeddedJRE = 17
+	for(platform in platforms){
+		sh "npx gulp download_jre --target ${platform} --javaVersion ${embeddedJRE}"
+		if (publishPreRelease.equals('true')) {
+			sh "vsce package --pre-release --target ${platform} -o java-${platform}-${env.EXTENSION_VERSION}-${env.BUILD_NUMBER}.vsix"
+		} else {
+			sh "vsce package --target ${platform} -o java-${platform}-${env.EXTENSION_VERSION}-${env.BUILD_NUMBER}.vsix"
+		}
+	}
 }
 
-node('rhel8'){
-	env.JAVA_HOME="${tool 'openjdk-11'}"
-	env.PATH="${env.JAVA_HOME}/bin:${env.PATH}"
-	stage 'Checkout vscode-java code'
-	deleteDir()
-	git url: 'https://github.com/redhat-developer/vscode-java.git'
-
-	stage 'install vscode-java build requirements'
-	installBuildRequirements()
+def packageExtensions() {
+	if (publishPreRelease.equals('true')) {
+		// for pre-release versions we only package platform specific extensions
+		stage "replace extension version"
+		sh "npx gulp prepare_pre_release"
 
-	stage 'Build vscode-java'
-	buildVscodeExtension()
-	unstash 'server_distro'
-	def files = findFiles(glob: '**/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/distro/**.tar.gz')
-	sh "rm -rf ./out"
-	sh "mkdir ./server"
-	sh "tar -xvzf ${files[0].path} -C ./server"
+		def packageJson = readJSON file: 'package.json'
+		env.EXTENSION_VERSION = "${packageJson.version}"
 
-	stage "Package vscode-java"
-	def packageJson = readJSON file: 'package.json'
-	env.EXTENSION_VERSION = "${packageJson.version}"
-	sh "vsce package -o java-${env.EXTENSION_VERSION}-${env.BUILD_NUMBER}.vsix"
+		packageSpecificExtensions()
+	} else {
+		stage "package generic version"
+		def packageJson = readJSON file: 'package.json'
+		env.EXTENSION_VERSION = "${packageJson.version}"
 
-	stage 'Test vscode-java for staging'
-	wrap([$class: 'Xvnc']) {
-		sh "npm run compile" //compile the test code too
-		env.SKIP_COMMANDS_TEST="true"
-		sh "npm test --silent"
-	}
+		sh "vsce package -o java-${env.EXTENSION_VERSION}-${env.BUILD_NUMBER}.vsix"
 
-	def vsix = findFiles(glob: '**.vsix')
-	stash name:'vsix', includes:vsix[0].path
+		def vsix = findFiles(glob: '**.vsix')
+		stash name:'vsix', includes:vsix[0].path
 
-	// Package platform specific versions
-	stage "Package platform specific vscode-java"
-	def platforms = ["win32-x64", "linux-x64", "linux-arm64", "darwin-x64", "darwin-arm64"]
-	def embeddedJRE = 17
-	for(platform in platforms){
-		sh "npx gulp download_jre --target ${platform} --javaVersion ${embeddedJRE}"
-		sh "vsce package --target ${platform} -o java-${platform}-${env.EXTENSION_VERSION}-${env.BUILD_NUMBER}.vsix"
-	}
-	stash name:'platformVsix', includes:'java-win32-*.vsix,java-linux-*.vsix,java-darwin-*.vsix'
+		packageSpecificExtensions()
+		stash name:'platformVsix', includes:'java-win32-*.vsix,java-linux-*.vsix,java-darwin-*.vsix'
 
-	stage 'Upload vscode-java to staging'
-	def artifactDir = "java-${env.EXTENSION_VERSION}-${env.BUILD_NUMBER}"
-	sh "mkdir ${artifactDir}"
-	sh "mv *.vsix ${artifactDir}"
+		stage 'Upload vscode-java to staging'
+		def artifactDir = "java-${env.EXTENSION_VERSION}-${env.BUILD_NUMBER}"
+		sh "mkdir ${artifactDir}"
+		sh "mv *.vsix ${artifactDir}"
 
-	sh "sftp ${UPLOAD_LOCATION}/jdt.ls/staging <<< \$'mkdir ${artifactDir}\nput -r ${artifactDir}'"
-	// Clean up build vsix
-	sh "rm -rf ${artifactDir}"
+		sh "sftp ${UPLOAD_LOCATION}/jdt.ls/staging <<< \$'mkdir ${artifactDir}\nput -r ${artifactDir}'"
+		// Clean up build vsix
+		sh "rm -rf ${artifactDir}"
+	}
 }
 
-node('rhel8'){
-	if(publishToMarketPlace.equals('true')){
+def publishExtensions() {
+	if (publishPreRelease.equals('true')) {
+		stage "publish generic version"
+		withCredentials([[$class: 'StringBinding', credentialsId: 'vscode_java_marketplace', variable: 'TOKEN']]) {
+			sh 'vsce publish --pre-release -p ${TOKEN} --target win32-ia32 win32-arm64 linux-armhf alpine-x64 alpine-arm64'
+		}
+
+		stage "publish specific version"
+		// for pre-release versions, vsixs are not stashed and kept in project folder
+		withCredentials([[$class: 'StringBinding', credentialsId: 'vscode_java_marketplace', variable: 'TOKEN']]) {
+			def platformVsixes = findFiles(glob: '**.vsix')
+			for(platformVsix in platformVsixes){
+				sh 'vsce publish -p ${TOKEN}' + " --packagePath ${platformVsix.path}"
+			}
+		}
+	} else if (publishToMarketPlace.equals('true')) {
 		timeout(time:5, unit:'DAYS') {
 			input message:'Approve deployment?', submitter: 'fbricon,rgrunber'
 		}
@@ -89,7 +84,7 @@ node('rhel8'){
 		unstash 'vsix'
 		def vsix = findFiles(glob: '**.vsix')
 		// Open-vsx Marketplace
-		sh 'npm install -g "ovsx@<0.3.0"'
+		sh 'npm install -g "ovsx"'
 		withCredentials([[$class: 'StringBinding', credentialsId: 'open-vsx-access-token', variable: 'OVSX_TOKEN']]) {
 			sh 'ovsx publish -p ${OVSX_TOKEN}' + " ${vsix[0].path}"
 		}
@@ -119,5 +114,49 @@ node('rhel8'){
 
 		// copy this stable build to Akamai-mirrored /static/ URL, so staging can be cleaned out more easily
 		sh "sftp ${UPLOAD_LOCATION}/static/jdt.ls/stable/ <<< \$'mkdir ${artifactDir}\nput -r ${artifactDir}'"
-	}// if publishToMarketPlace
+	}
+}
+
+node('rhel8'){
+	stage 'Build JDT LS'
+
+	env.JAVA_HOME="${tool 'openjdk-11'}"
+	env.PATH="${env.JAVA_HOME}/bin:${env.PATH}"
+	sh 'java -version'
+
+	git url: 'https://github.com/eclipse/eclipse.jdt.ls.git'
+	sh "./mvnw clean verify -B -U -e -Pserver-distro -Dtycho.disableP2Mirrors=true -DskipTests -P!jboss-maven-repos,!redhat-ga-repository,!redhat-ea-repository"
+
+	def files = findFiles(glob: '**/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/distro/**.tar.gz')
+	stash name: 'server_distro', includes :files[0].path
+}
+
+node('rhel8'){
+	env.JAVA_HOME="${tool 'openjdk-11'}"
+	env.PATH="${env.JAVA_HOME}/bin:${env.PATH}"
+	stage 'Checkout vscode-java code'
+	deleteDir()
+	git url: 'https://github.com/redhat-developer/vscode-java.git'
+
+	stage 'install vscode-java build requirements'
+	installBuildRequirements()
+
+	stage 'Build vscode-java'
+	buildVscodeExtension()
+	unstash 'server_distro'
+	def files = findFiles(glob: '**/org.eclipse.jdt.ls.product/distro/**.tar.gz')
+	sh "rm -rf ./out"
+	sh "mkdir ./server"
+	sh "tar -xvzf ${files[0].path} -C ./server"
+
+	stage 'Test vscode-java for staging'
+	wrap([$class: 'Xvnc']) {
+		sh "npm run compile" //compile the test code too
+		env.SKIP_COMMANDS_TEST="true"
+		sh "npm test --silent"
+	}
+
+	packageExtensions()
+
+	publishExtensions()
 }
diff --git a/gulpfile.js b/gulpfile.js
index 93c30ccebe..e1e76a9296 100644
--- a/gulpfile.js
+++ b/gulpfile.js
@@ -177,6 +177,23 @@ gulp.task('clean_test_folder', function(done) {
 	done();
 });
 
+gulp.task('prepare_pre_release', function(done) {
+	const json = JSON.parse(fse.readFileSync("./package.json").toString());
+	const stableVersion = json.version.match(/(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)/);
+	const major = stableVersion[1];
+	const minor = stableVersion[2];
+	const date = new Date();
+	const month = date.getMonth() + 1;
+	const day = date.getDate();
+	const hours = date.getHours();
+	const patch = `${date.getFullYear()}${prependZero(month)}${prependZero(day)}${prependZero(hours)}`;
+	const insiderPackageJson = Object.assign(json, {
+		version: `${major}.${minor}.${patch}`,
+	});
+	fse.writeFileSync("./package.json", JSON.stringify(insiderPackageJson, null, 2));
+	done();
+});
+
 function isWin() {
 	return /^win/.test(process.platform);
 }
@@ -192,3 +209,10 @@ function isLinux() {
 function mvnw() {
 	return isWin()?"mvnw.cmd":"./mvnw";
 }
+
+function prependZero(number) {
+	if (number > 99) {
+		throw "Unexpected value to prepend with zero";
+	}
+	return `${number < 10 ? "0" : ""}${number}`;
+}