diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-demo.yml b/.github/workflows/release-demo.yml
index 27ab202..404b050 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-demo.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-demo.yml
@@ -89,14 +89,40 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build renderer/main/preload bundles (demo mode)
         run: npm run build:demo
 
-      - name: Package, sign, notarize & publish prerelease to GitHub Releases
+      - name: Pre-create draft release
+        # electron-builder races itself creating the GitHub release: the dmg
+        # and zip artifacts finish near-simultaneously, PublishManager spawns
+        # two GitHubPublisher instances (async cache-miss race), and both POST
+        # /releases for the same tag - the loser dies with 422 "Published
+        # releases must have a valid tag" and the job fails after a successful
+        # notarization, leaving a half-uploaded release without beta.yml.
+        # Pre-creating the release means every publisher instance finds and
+        # reuses it instead of racing to create it. Draft keeps it invisible
+        # to auto-updaters until all assets (incl. beta.yml) are up.
+        run: |
+          TAG="v${{ steps.ver.outputs.version }}"
+          gh release view "$TAG" --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" >/dev/null 2>&1 || \
+            gh release create "$TAG" --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" \
+              --target "$GITHUB_SHA" \
+              --title "${{ steps.ver.outputs.version }}" \
+              --draft --prerelease \
+              --notes "Demo prerelease build (run ${{ github.run_number }})"
+
+      - name: Package, sign, notarize & upload prerelease assets
         # extraMetadata.version sets the app/asset/yaml version without editing
         # package.json. channel: beta writes beta.yml; releaseType: prerelease
         # marks the GitHub release as a prerelease (both required for the GitHub
-        # provider to resolve the demo channel correctly).
+        # provider to resolve the demo channel correctly). Assets go into the
+        # draft pre-created above; the next step flips it public.
         run: |
           npx electron-builder --mac --publish always \
             -c.extraMetadata.version="${{ steps.ver.outputs.version }}" \
             -c.mac.notarize=${{ inputs.notarize }} \
             -c.publish.channel=beta \
             -c.publish.releaseType=prerelease
+
+      - name: Publish prerelease
+        # All assets + beta.yml are uploaded - make the release visible.
+        run: |
+          gh release edit "v${{ steps.ver.outputs.version }}" \
+            --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" --draft=false --prerelease
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index e12a404..420a80d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -89,15 +89,37 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build renderer/main/preload bundles (release mode)
         run: npm run build:release
 
-      - name: Package, sign, notarize & publish to GitHub Releases
-        # Tag = v${version} from package.json. releaseType `release` publishes
-        # immediately; `draft` uploads assets into a draft you publish in the UI
-        # (safer once Windows/Linux jobs are added - publish once all are up).
+      - name: Pre-create draft release
+        # electron-builder races itself creating the GitHub release (two
+        # publisher instances, both POST /releases, loser 422s - see
+        # release-demo.yml for details). Pre-create the release as a draft so
+        # every publisher instance finds and reuses it; the last step publishes
+        # it once all assets (incl. latest.yml) are uploaded.
         run: |
-          RELEASE_TYPE=release
-          [ "${{ inputs.publish }}" != "true" ] && RELEASE_TYPE=draft
-          echo "Releasing $(node -p "require('./package.json').version") as: $RELEASE_TYPE"
+          VERSION=$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")
+          gh release view "v$VERSION" --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" >/dev/null 2>&1 || \
+            gh release create "v$VERSION" --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" \
+              --target "$GITHUB_SHA" \
+              --title "$VERSION" \
+              --draft \
+              --notes "Edison Watch $VERSION"
+
+      - name: Package, sign, notarize & upload to GitHub Releases
+        # Tag = v${version} from package.json. Assets upload into the draft
+        # pre-created above; the next step publishes it (or leaves it a draft
+        # to publish manually in the UI when the publish input is false).
+        run: |
+          echo "Releasing $(node -p "require('./package.json').version")"
           npx electron-builder --mac --publish always \
             -c.mac.notarize=true \
             -c.publish.channel=latest \
-            -c.publish.releaseType="$RELEASE_TYPE"
+            -c.publish.releaseType=draft
+
+      - name: Publish release
+        # Only when publish=true; otherwise the draft stays for manual publish
+        # in the UI (safer once Windows/Linux jobs are added - publish once all
+        # are up).
+        if: ${{ inputs.publish }}
+        run: |
+          VERSION=$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")
+          gh release edit "v$VERSION" --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" --draft=false --latest
diff --git a/src/main/infra/setupConfig.ts b/src/main/infra/setupConfig.ts
index e2041d8..9a75f73 100644
--- a/src/main/infra/setupConfig.ts
+++ b/src/main/infra/setupConfig.ts
@@ -22,15 +22,21 @@ if (DRY_RUN) console.log("[dry-run] Dry-run mode enabled - config files will not
 
 // ── Debug environment switcher ───────────────────────────────────────
 
-export const DEBUG_ENV_NAMES = ["demo", "release", "dev"] as const;
+// "temp-local-stack" = Railway-hosted offline stack (local-stack-backend in the
+// edison-watch demo project); URLs come from the shared TEMP_LOCAL_STACK_CONFIG.
+export const DEBUG_ENV_NAMES = ["demo", "release", "dev", "temp-local-stack"] as const;
 export type DebugEnvName = (typeof DEBUG_ENV_NAMES)[number];
 
+function isDebugEnvName(v: string | undefined): v is DebugEnvName {
+  return (DEBUG_ENV_NAMES as readonly string[]).includes(v ?? "");
+}
+
 /** The environment this binary was compiled for (from VITE_DEPLOY_ENV at build time). */
 export function getBuildDefaultEnv(): DebugEnvName | null {
   const is = { get dev() { return !app.isPackaged; } };
   if (is.dev) return "dev";
   const v = import.meta.env.VITE_DEPLOY_ENV as string | undefined;
-  if (v === "demo" || v === "release" || v === "dev") return v;
+  if (isDebugEnvName(v)) return v;
   return null;
 }
 
@@ -60,7 +66,7 @@ export function getDebugEnvOverride(): DebugEnvName | null {
     if (!existsSync(p)) return null;
     const raw = readFileSync(p, "utf-8");
     const data = JSON.parse(raw) as { env?: string };
-    if (data.env === "demo" || data.env === "release" || data.env === "dev") return data.env;
+    if (isDebugEnvName(data.env)) return data.env;
     return null;
   } catch {
     return null;
diff --git a/src/main/menus/appMenu.ts b/src/main/menus/appMenu.ts
index 5d2ec46..a7185ab 100644
--- a/src/main/menus/appMenu.ts
+++ b/src/main/menus/appMenu.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,12 @@ export function buildAppMenu(deps: AppMenuDeps): Menu {
   const showDeveloperMenu = getBuildDefaultEnv() !== 'release'
   const currentEnv = getDebugEnvOverride() ?? getBuildDefaultEnv()
   const envSubmenu: MenuItemConstructorOptions[] = DEBUG_ENV_NAMES.map((name) => ({
-    label: name === 'dev' ? 'dev (localhost)' : name,
+    label:
+      name === 'dev'
+        ? 'dev (localhost)'
+        : name === 'temp-local-stack'
+          ? 'temp-local-stack (railway offline)'
+          : name,
     type: 'radio' as const,
     checked: currentEnv === name,
     click: async () => {