diff --git a/.github/agents/release.agent.md b/.github/agents/release.agent.md
index c7329d56..510b8091 100644
--- a/.github/agents/release.agent.md
+++ b/.github/agents/release.agent.md
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ Start by reading `package.json` to determine the current version. Then confirm w
 
 - **Even minor** = stable release (e.g. `2026.4.0` — *example*)
 - **Odd minor** = pre-release / dev (e.g. `2026.3.0-dev`, `2026.5.0-dev` — *examples*)
-- The stable release pipeline (`build/azure-devdiv-pipeline.stable.yml`) triggers on git tags matching `refs/tags/*`
+- The stable release pipeline (`build/azure-devdiv-pipeline.stable.yml`) triggers on git tags matching `v*`
 - Tag format: `v<version>` (e.g. `v2026.4.0` — *example*)
 - Release branch format: `release/<YYYY>.<EVEN_MINOR>` (e.g. `release/2026.4` — *example*)
 
diff --git a/.github/copilot-instructions.md b/.github/copilot-instructions.md
index 8f03f25c..81afb002 100644
--- a/.github/copilot-instructions.md
+++ b/.github/copilot-instructions.md
@@ -3,3 +3,9 @@
 ## Learnings
 
 -   Always use `run.executable` (the actual Python binary path) instead of `activatedRun.executable` for interpreter identification in `getInterpreterDetails`, `getSettingsPythonPath`, and `getExecutableCommand`. `activatedRun.executable` may be a wrapper command (e.g. `pixi run python`) set by environment managers like pixi or conda, which breaks the debugger if used as a replacement for the binary. (1)
+
+## Pull Request Guidelines
+
+- Every PR must have at least one label (e.g., `debt`, `bug`, `feature`). The "Ensure Required Labels" status check will block merging without one.
+- Always enable auto-merge (squash) on PRs after creating them: `gh pr merge <number> --repo microsoft/vscode-python-debugger --squash --auto`
+- PRs require approval from someone other than the last pusher before merging.
diff --git a/build/azure-devdiv-pipeline.stable.yml b/build/azure-devdiv-pipeline.stable.yml
index 933c281a..6e399140 100644
--- a/build/azure-devdiv-pipeline.stable.yml
+++ b/build/azure-devdiv-pipeline.stable.yml
@@ -1,10 +1,7 @@
 name: Publish Release
 trigger:
-  branches:
-    include:
-      - release*
   tags:
-    include: ['*']
+    include: ['v*']
 pr: none
 
 resources:
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 490585d9..722d1d05 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
     "name": "debugpy",
     "displayName": "Python Debugger",
     "description": "Python Debugger extension using debugpy.",
-    "version": "2026.3.0-dev",
+    "version": "2026.4.0",
     "publisher": "ms-python",
     "enabledApiProposals": [
         "portsAttributes",