diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 4008f06856c0df..f118f1ed222a6f 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -1445,7 +1445,7 @@ jobs:
                 echo "machine github.com login react-native-bot password $GITHUB_TOKEN" > ~/.netrc
       # END: Stables and nightlies
 
-      - run: node ./scripts/publish-npm.js
+      - run: node ./scripts/publish-npm.js --<< parameters.release_type >>
       - run:
           name: Zip Hermes Native Symbols
           command: zip -r /tmp/hermes-native-symbols.zip ~/react-native/ReactAndroid/hermes-engine/build/intermediates/cmake/
diff --git a/scripts/publish-npm.js b/scripts/publish-npm.js
index 4b9821b37c8570..5cfe65afaaf03f 100755
--- a/scripts/publish-npm.js
+++ b/scripts/publish-npm.js
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@ const argv = yargs
     type: 'boolean',
     default: false,
   })
+  .option('r', {
+    alias: 'release', // useless but needed for CI
+    type: 'boolean',
+    default: false,
+  })
   .strict().argv;
 const nightlyBuild = argv.nightly;
 const dryRunBuild = argv.dryRun;