diff --git a/build/azure-pipeline.pre-release.yml b/build/azure-pipeline.pre-release.yml
index 72189d79..c1142e58 100644
--- a/build/azure-pipeline.pre-release.yml
+++ b/build/azure-pipeline.pre-release.yml
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ extends:
         displayName: Update telemetry in package.json
 
       - script: python ./build/update_ext_version.py --for-publishing
-        displayName: Update build number
+        displayName: Validate version number
 
       - bash: |
           mkdir -p $(Build.SourcesDirectory)/python-env-tools/bin
diff --git a/build/test_update_ext_version.py b/build/test_update_ext_version.py
index 1a2fdb0e..8aa05942 100644
--- a/build/test_update_ext_version.py
+++ b/build/test_update_ext_version.py
@@ -9,10 +9,6 @@
 
 TEST_DATETIME = "2022-03-14 01:23:45"
 
-# The build ID is calculated via:
-#     "1" + datetime.datetime.strptime(TEST_DATETIME,"%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S").strftime('%j%H%M')
-EXPECTED_BUILD_ID = "10730123"
-
 
 def create_package_json(directory, version):
     """Create `package.json` in `directory` with a specified version of `version`."""
@@ -71,7 +67,7 @@ def test_invalid_args(tmp_path, version, args):
             ["--build-id", "999999999999"],
             ("1", "1", "999999999999", "rc"),
         ),
-        ("1.1.0-rc", [], ("1", "1", EXPECTED_BUILD_ID, "rc")),
+        ("1.1.0-rc", [], ("1", "1", "0", "rc")),
         (
             "1.0.0-rc",
             ["--release"],
@@ -80,7 +76,7 @@ def test_invalid_args(tmp_path, version, args):
         (
             "1.1.0-rc",
             ["--for-publishing"],
-            ("1", "1", EXPECTED_BUILD_ID, ""),
+            ("1", "1", "0", ""),
         ),
         (
             "1.0.0-rc",
@@ -95,7 +91,7 @@ def test_invalid_args(tmp_path, version, args):
         (
             "1.1.0-rc",
             [],
-            ("1", "1", EXPECTED_BUILD_ID, "rc"),
+            ("1", "1", "0", "rc"),
         ),
     ],
 )
diff --git a/build/update_ext_version.py b/build/update_ext_version.py
index b284163b..25b5c7f4 100644
--- a/build/update_ext_version.py
+++ b/build/update_ext_version.py
@@ -79,6 +79,18 @@ def main(package_json: pathlib.Path, argv: Sequence[str]) -> None:
         )
 
     print(f"Updating build FROM: {package['version']}")
+
+    # Pre-release without --build-id: version is managed by the CI template
+    # (standardizedVersioning). Just strip suffix if publishing.
+    if not args.release and not args.build_id:
+        if args.for_publishing and len(suffix):
+            package["version"] = ".".join((major, minor, micro))
+        print(f"Updating build TO: {package['version']}")
+        package_json.write_text(
+            json.dumps(package, indent=4, ensure_ascii=False) + "\n", encoding="utf-8"
+        )
+        return
+
     if args.build_id:
         # If build id is provided it should fall within the 0-INT32 max range
         # that the max allowed value for publishing to the Marketplace.
@@ -88,9 +100,6 @@ def main(package_json: pathlib.Path, argv: Sequence[str]) -> None:
         package["version"] = ".".join((major, minor, str(args.build_id)))
     elif args.release:
         package["version"] = ".".join((major, minor, micro))
-    else:
-        # micro version only updated for pre-release.
-        package["version"] = ".".join((major, minor, micro_build_number()))
 
     if not args.for_publishing and not args.release and len(suffix):
         package["version"] += "-" + suffix