diff --git a/version.props b/version.props
index fb30d256ce..5f6ce7da95 100644
--- a/version.props
+++ b/version.props
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@
     <VsixVersion Condition="'$(BuildNumber)' != ''">$(VsixVersion).$(BuildNumber)</VsixVersion>
     <VsixVersion Condition="'$(BuildNumber)' == ''">$(VsixVersion).999999</VsixVersion>
     <BuildNumber Condition="'$(BuildNumber)' == ''">t000</BuildNumber>
-    <VersionSuffix Condition="'$(VersionSuffix)' != '' And '$(FeatureBranchVersionSuffix)' != ''">$(VersionSuffix)-$([System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex]::Replace('$(FeatureBranchVersionSuffix)', '[^\w-]', '-'))</VersionSuffix>
+    <FeatureBranchVersionPrefix Condition="'$(FeatureBranchVersionPrefix)' == ''">a-</FeatureBranchVersionPrefix>
+    <VersionSuffix Condition="'$(VersionSuffix)' != '' And '$(FeatureBranchVersionSuffix)' != ''">$(FeatureBranchVersionPrefix)$(VersionSuffix)-$([System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex]::Replace('$(FeatureBranchVersionSuffix)', '[^\w-]', '-'))</VersionSuffix>
     <VersionSuffix Condition="'$(VersionSuffix)' != '' And '$(BuildNumber)' != ''">$(VersionSuffix)-$(BuildNumber)</VersionSuffix>
   </PropertyGroup>
 </Project>