diff --git a/src/config.ts b/src/config.ts
index 508a660a..3fa2af17 100644
--- a/src/config.ts
+++ b/src/config.ts
@@ -152,7 +152,8 @@ export class Config implements IConfig {
     this.pjson = plugin.pjson
     this.name = this.pjson.name
     this.version = this.pjson.version
-    this.channel = this.pjson.channel
+    const [, versionSuffix] = this.version.split('-')
+    this.channel = versionSuffix.split('.')[0] || 'stable'
 
     this.arch = (os.arch() === 'ia32' ? 'x86' : os.arch() as any)
     this.platform = os.platform() as any
diff --git a/src/pjson.ts b/src/pjson.ts
index c2e9e44f..6f91d832 100644
--- a/src/pjson.ts
+++ b/src/pjson.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ export namespace PJSON {
   export interface Plugin extends PJSON {
     name: string
     version: string
-    channel?: string
     oclif: PJSON['oclif'] & {
       schema?: number
       title?: string