diff --git a/make/autoconf/version-numbers b/make/autoconf/version-numbers
index b5becc2e4bb..81874ad65f1 100644
--- a/make/autoconf/version-numbers
+++ b/make/autoconf/version-numbers
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ DEFAULT_VERSION_CLASSFILE_MAJOR=60  # "`$EXPR $DEFAULT_VERSION_FEATURE + 44`"
 DEFAULT_VERSION_CLASSFILE_MINOR=0
 DEFAULT_ACCEPTABLE_BOOT_VERSIONS="14 15 16"
 DEFAULT_JDK_SOURCE_TARGET_VERSION=16
-DEFAULT_PROMOTED_VERSION_PRE=
+DEFAULT_PROMOTED_VERSION_PRE=ea
 
 LAUNCHER_NAME=openjdk
 PRODUCT_NAME=OpenJDK