diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 933e1166e..3c2da177b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -18,12 +18,12 @@ project (OSL VERSION ${OSL_VERSION}
 set (PROJ_NAME ${PROJECT_NAME})    # short name
 string (TOLOWER ${PROJ_NAME} PROJ_NAME_LOWER)  # short name lower case
 string (TOUPPER ${PROJ_NAME} PROJ_NAME_UPPER)  # short name upper case
-set (PROJECT_VERSION_RELEASE_TYPE "dev" CACHE STRING
+set (PROJECT_VERSION_RELEASE_TYPE "beta" CACHE STRING
     "Build type, for example: dev, beta2, RC1 (empty string for normal release)")
 set (${PROJECT_NAME}_VERSION_RELEASE_TYPE ${PROJECT_VERSION_RELEASE_TYPE})
 set (PROJECT_AUTHORS "Contributors to the Open Shading Language project")
 option (${PROJECT_NAME}_SUPPORTED_RELEASE
-       "Set ON for supported release branch, OFF for master" OFF)
+       "Set ON for supported release branch, OFF for master" ON)
 if (${PROJECT_NAME}_SUPPORTED_RELEASE)
     set (${PROJECT_NAME}_DEV_RELEASE OFF)
 else ()