diff --git a/packages/create-astro/src/actions/context.ts b/packages/create-astro/src/actions/context.ts
index 31a1bcfd13ed..5bed2670ea99 100644
--- a/packages/create-astro/src/actions/context.ts
+++ b/packages/create-astro/src/actions/context.ts
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ export async function getContext(argv: string[]): Promise<Context> {
 		'--ref': ref,
 	} = flags;
 	let projectName = cwd;
-
+	const tag = ref === 'next' ? 'beta' : ref;
+	
 	if (no) {
 		yes = false;
 		if (install == undefined) install = false;
@@ -93,7 +94,7 @@ export async function getContext(argv: string[]): Promise<Context> {
 		prompt,
 		packageManager,
 		username: getName(),
-		version: getVersion(packageManager, 'astro', process.env.ASTRO_VERSION, ref),
+		version: getVersion(packageManager, 'astro', process.env.ASTRO_VERSION, tag),
 		skipHouston,
 		fancy,
 		dryRun,
diff --git a/packages/create-astro/src/messages.ts b/packages/create-astro/src/messages.ts
index 30bd4f231d41..51b9f2116fdf 100644
--- a/packages/create-astro/src/messages.ts
+++ b/packages/create-astro/src/messages.ts
@@ -60,10 +60,10 @@ export const getName = () =>
 		});
 	});
 
-export const getVersion = (packageManager: string, packageName: string, fallback = '', ref = 'latest') =>
+export const getVersion = (packageManager: string, packageName: string, fallback = '', tag = 'latest') =>
 	new Promise<string>(async (resolve) => {
 		let registry = await getRegistry(packageManager);
-		const { version } = await fetch(`${registry}/${packageName}/${ref}`, {
+		const { version } = await fetch(`${registry}/${packageName}/${tag}`, {
 			redirect: 'follow',
 		})
 			.then((res) => res.json())