diff --git a/eng/ci/release.yml b/eng/ci/release.yml
index 084871d..827ba3d 100644
--- a/eng/ci/release.yml
+++ b/eng/ci/release.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ extends:
       os: linux
 
     stages:
-    - stage: release
+    - stage: release_durabletask_js
+      displayName: 'Release @microsoft/durabletask-js'
       jobs:
       - job: durabletask_js
         displayName: 'Release @microsoft/durabletask-js'
@@ -54,6 +55,20 @@ extends:
             mainpublisher: 'durabletask-java'
             domaintenantid: '33e01921-4d64-4f8c-a055-5bdaffd5e33d'
 
+    - stage: release_durabletask_js_azuremanaged
+      displayName: 'Release @microsoft/durabletask-js-azuremanaged'
+      # Publish the core durabletask-js stage before this dependent package so its
+      # "@microsoft/durabletask-js" dependency resolves against the just-published core.
+      # This depends on the core stage only, not on the other provider stage (they are
+      # siblings, mirroring durabletask-python). ADO's default stage condition requires the
+      # core stage to have completed and succeeded, so a de-selected (Skipped) core would
+      # otherwise skip this stage too; the explicit condition below also accepts a Skipped
+      # core, which is what lets this package release on its own when core is de-selected at
+      # queue time. It deliberately does NOT accept Failed or Canceled, so a real core publish
+      # failure still blocks this stage and the publish ordering is preserved.
+      dependsOn: release_durabletask_js
+      condition: in(dependencies.release_durabletask_js.result, 'Succeeded', 'SucceededWithIssues', 'Skipped')
+      jobs:
       - job: durabletask_js_azuremanaged
         displayName: 'Release @microsoft/durabletask-js-azuremanaged'
         templateContext:
@@ -85,6 +100,21 @@ extends:
             mainpublisher: 'durabletask-java'
             domaintenantid: '33e01921-4d64-4f8c-a055-5bdaffd5e33d'
 
+    - stage: release_durable_functions
+      displayName: 'Release durable-functions'
+      # Publish the core durabletask-js stage before this dependent package: durable-functions
+      # pins "@microsoft/durabletask-js" to an EXACT version, so core must be on the registry
+      # first or the published package is uninstallable. This depends on the core stage only,
+      # not on the azuremanaged stage (they are siblings, mirroring durabletask-python). ADO's
+      # default stage condition requires the core stage to have completed and succeeded, so a
+      # de-selected (Skipped) core would otherwise skip this stage too; the explicit condition
+      # below also accepts a Skipped core, which is what lets durable-functions release on its
+      # own when core is de-selected at queue time. It deliberately does NOT accept Failed or
+      # Canceled, so if the core publish actually fails this stage still will not run and the
+      # exact-pin ordering guarantee holds.
+      dependsOn: release_durabletask_js
+      condition: in(dependencies.release_durabletask_js.result, 'Succeeded', 'SucceededWithIssues', 'Skipped')
+      jobs:
       - job: durable_functions
         displayName: 'Release durable-functions'
         templateContext:
diff --git a/eng/templates/build.yml b/eng/templates/build.yml
index c747c8f..06c1ab2 100644
--- a/eng/templates/build.yml
+++ b/eng/templates/build.yml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ jobs:
           - checkout: self
           - task: NodeTool@0
             inputs:
-                versionSpec: 20.x
+                versionSpec: 22.x
             displayName: "Install Node.js"
           
           - script: node scripts/setupNpmrc.js