diff --git a/src/remediation/npm-registry.ts b/src/remediation/npm-registry.ts
index 57ebee10..9bc2ef54 100644
--- a/src/remediation/npm-registry.ts
+++ b/src/remediation/npm-registry.ts
@@ -175,8 +175,11 @@ export async function resolvePublishedFixVersion(
 
   const publishedVersions = Object.keys(packument.versions ?? {})
     .filter(looksLikeVersion)
+    .filter(version => !isPreReleaseVersion(version))
     .sort(compareVersions);
 
+  const fixedVersionHintIsPreRelease = isPreReleaseVersion(fixedVersionHint);
+
   if (publishedVersions.includes(fixedVersionHint)) {
     return {
       resolvedVersion: fixedVersionHint,
@@ -193,7 +196,9 @@ export async function resolvePublishedFixVersion(
   if (nearestPublishedVersion) {
     return {
       resolvedVersion: nearestPublishedVersion,
-      note: `Advisory fixed-version hint ${fixedVersionHint} is not published on npm for ${packageName}; using nearest published version ${nearestPublishedVersion}.`,
+      note: fixedVersionHintIsPreRelease
+        ? `Advisory fixed-version hint ${fixedVersionHint} is a pre-release; using nearest published non-pre-release version ${nearestPublishedVersion}.`
+        : `Advisory fixed-version hint ${fixedVersionHint} is not published on npm for ${packageName}; using nearest published version ${nearestPublishedVersion}.`,
       verified: true,
       candidatesChecked: 0,
       candidatesKnownVulnerable: 0,
@@ -204,7 +209,9 @@ export async function resolvePublishedFixVersion(
 
   return {
     resolvedVersion: null,
-    note: `Advisory fixed-version hint ${fixedVersionHint} is not published on npm for ${packageName}, and no published version >= ${fixedVersionHint} was found.`,
+    note: fixedVersionHintIsPreRelease
+      ? `Advisory fixed-version hint ${fixedVersionHint} is a pre-release, and no published non-pre-release version >= ${fixedVersionHint} was found for ${packageName}.`
+      : `Advisory fixed-version hint ${fixedVersionHint} is not published on npm for ${packageName}, and no published version >= ${fixedVersionHint} was found.`,
     verified: true,
     candidatesChecked: 0,
     candidatesKnownVulnerable: 0,
diff --git a/tests/lowest-safe-version.test.ts b/tests/lowest-safe-version.test.ts
index 3d200d61..b6ab859e 100644
--- a/tests/lowest-safe-version.test.ts
+++ b/tests/lowest-safe-version.test.ts
@@ -134,4 +134,32 @@ describe("resolvePublishedFixVersion", () => {
     expect(result.resolvedVersion).toBe("1.2.4");
     expect(result.note).toContain("using nearest published version 1.2.4");
   });
+
+  it("does not return an exact pre-release fix hint (issue #1082)", async () => {
+    mockPackument(["1.2.3-rc.1", "1.2.3", "1.2.4"]);
+
+    const result = await resolvePublishedFixVersion("tar", "1.2.3-rc.1");
+
+    expect(result.resolvedVersion).toBe("1.2.3");
+    expect(result.note).toContain("using nearest published non-pre-release version 1.2.3");
+    expect(result.verified).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("does not recommend a higher pre-release when the stable hint is unpublished", async () => {
+    mockPackument(["1.2.2", "1.2.4-beta.1"]);
+
+    const result = await resolvePublishedFixVersion("tar", "1.2.3");
+
+    expect(result.resolvedVersion).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("returns null when only pre-release fix candidates are published (issue #1082)", async () => {
+    mockPackument(["1.2.2", "1.2.3-rc.1", "1.2.4-beta.1"]);
+
+    const result = await resolvePublishedFixVersion("tar", "1.2.3-rc.1");
+
+    expect(result.resolvedVersion).toBeNull();
+    expect(result.note).toContain("no published non-pre-release version");
+    expect(result.verified).toBe(true);
+  });
 });