diff --git a/.github/release-drafter-3.x.yml b/.github/release-drafter-3.x.yml
index 2b81e3e..cd49d40 100644
--- a/.github/release-drafter-3.x.yml
+++ b/.github/release-drafter-3.x.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 _extends: .github:.github/release-drafter.yml
-tag-template: plexus-xml-$NEXT_PATCH_VERSION
+
+# tag-prefix is what lets the drafter parse the version out of the last tag.
+# Without it the drafter reads what it can from the tag string, and plexus-i18n
+# once drafted 18.0.1 by finding the 18 in its own name.
+tag-prefix: plexus-xml-
+tag-template: plexus-xml-$RESOLVED_VERSION
 version-template: 3.$MINOR.$PATCH
 commitish: 3.x
 filter-by-commitish: true
diff --git a/.github/release-drafter-master.yml b/.github/release-drafter-master.yml
index 6c322a8..dfb7ddc 100644
--- a/.github/release-drafter-master.yml
+++ b/.github/release-drafter-master.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,10 @@
 _extends: .github:.github/release-drafter.yml
-tag-template: plexus-xml-$NEXT_PATCH_VERSION
+
+# tag-prefix is what lets the drafter parse the version out of the last tag.
+# Without it the drafter reads what it can from the tag string, and plexus-i18n
+# once drafted 18.0.1 by finding the 18 in its own name.
+tag-prefix: plexus-xml-
+tag-template: plexus-xml-$RESOLVED_VERSION
 version-template: 4.$MINOR.$PATCH
 commitish: master
 filter-by-commitish: true