diff --git a/build/NuSpecs/UmbracoCms.Core.nuspec b/build/NuSpecs/UmbracoCms.Core.nuspec
index 7aab71e73a..19ecd8182e 100644
--- a/build/NuSpecs/UmbracoCms.Core.nuspec
+++ b/build/NuSpecs/UmbracoCms.Core.nuspec
@@ -15,44 +15,49 @@
     <language>en-US</language>
     <tags>umbraco</tags>
     <dependencies>
-      <dependency id="AutoMapper" version="[6.2.2,6.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="ClientDependency" version="[1.9.6,1.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="ClientDependency-Mvc5" version="[1.8.0,1.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="CSharpTest.Net.Collections" version="[14.906.1403.1082,14.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Examine" version="[1.0.0-beta025,1.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="HtmlAgilityPack" version="[1.7.2,1.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="ImageProcessor" version="[2.6.1.19,2.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="ImageProcessor.Web" version="[4.9.2.19,4.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="ImageProcessor.Web.Config" version="[2.4.1.19,2.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="LightInject" version="[5.1.2,5.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="LightInject.Annotation" version="[1.1.0,1.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="LightInject.Mvc" version="[2.0.0,2.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="LightInject.WebApi" version="[2.0.0,2.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="log4net" version="[2.0.8,2.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Log4Net.Async" version="[2.0.4,2.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Lucene.Net.Contrib" version="[3.0.3,3.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Markdown" version="[2.2.1,2.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.Owin" version="[2.2.1,2.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc" version="[5.2.6,5.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Microsoft.AspNet.SignalR.Core" version="[2.2.3,2.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi" version="[5.2.6,5.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.CSharp" version="[2.8.0,2.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Microsoft.CodeDom.Providers.DotNetCompilerPlatform" version="[1.0.8,1.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Microsoft.Net.Compilers" version="[2.8.0,2.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Microsoft.Owin.Host.SystemWeb" version="[4.0.0,4.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Microsoft.Owin.Security.Cookies" version="[4.0.0,4.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Microsoft.Owin.Security.OAuth" version="[4.0.0,4.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Microsoft.Web.Xdt" version="[2.1.2,2.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="MiniProfiler" version="[3.2.0.157,3.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="MySql.Data" version="[6.10.7,6.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Newtonsoft.Json" version="[11.0.2,11.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="NPoco" version="[3.9.3,3.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Semver" version="[2.0.4,2.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="System.Reflection.Primitives" version="[4.3.0,4.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="System.Runtime.Handles" version="[4.3.0,4.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates" version="[4.3.2,4.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="System.Threading.Tasks.Dataflow" version="[4.8.0,4.666666)" />
-      <dependency id="Umbraco.SqlServerCE" version="[4.0.0.1,4.666666)" />
+      <!--
+        note: dependencies are specified as [x.y.z,x.999999) eg [2.1.0,2.999999) and NOT [2.1.0,3.0.0) because
+        the latter would pick anything below 3.0.0 and that includes prereleases such as 3.0.0-alpha, and we do
+        not want this to happen as the alpha of the next major is, really, the next major already.
+      -->
+      <dependency id="AutoMapper" version="[6.2.2,6.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="ClientDependency" version="[1.9.6,1.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="ClientDependency-Mvc5" version="[1.8.0,1.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="CSharpTest.Net.Collections" version="[14.906.1403.1082,14.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Examine" version="[1.0.0-beta025,1.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="HtmlAgilityPack" version="[1.7.2,1.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="ImageProcessor" version="[2.6.1.19,2.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="ImageProcessor.Web" version="[4.9.2.19,4.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="ImageProcessor.Web.Config" version="[2.4.1.19,2.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="LightInject" version="[5.1.2,5.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="LightInject.Annotation" version="[1.1.0,1.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="LightInject.Mvc" version="[2.0.0,2.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="LightInject.WebApi" version="[2.0.0,2.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="log4net" version="[2.0.8,2.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Log4Net.Async" version="[2.0.4,2.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Lucene.Net.Contrib" version="[3.0.3,3.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Markdown" version="[2.2.1,2.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Microsoft.AspNet.Identity.Owin" version="[2.2.1,2.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Microsoft.AspNet.Mvc" version="[5.2.6,5.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Microsoft.AspNet.SignalR.Core" version="[2.2.3,2.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Microsoft.AspNet.WebApi" version="[5.2.6,5.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.CSharp" version="[2.8.0,2.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Microsoft.CodeDom.Providers.DotNetCompilerPlatform" version="[1.0.8,1.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Microsoft.Net.Compilers" version="[2.8.0,2.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Microsoft.Owin.Host.SystemWeb" version="[4.0.0,4.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Microsoft.Owin.Security.Cookies" version="[4.0.0,4.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Microsoft.Owin.Security.OAuth" version="[4.0.0,4.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Microsoft.Web.Xdt" version="[2.1.2,2.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="MiniProfiler" version="[3.2.0.157,3.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="MySql.Data" version="[6.10.7,6.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Newtonsoft.Json" version="[11.0.2,11.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="NPoco" version="[3.9.3,3.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Semver" version="[2.0.4,2.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="System.Reflection.Primitives" version="[4.3.0,4.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="System.Runtime.Handles" version="[4.3.0,4.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates" version="[4.3.2,4.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="System.Threading.Tasks.Dataflow" version="[4.8.0,4.999999)" />
+      <dependency id="Umbraco.SqlServerCE" version="[4.0.0.1,4.999999)" />
     </dependencies>
   </metadata>
   <files>
diff --git a/build/NuSpecs/UmbracoCms.nuspec b/build/NuSpecs/UmbracoCms.nuspec
index 1c306423b7..de5cf0e54f 100644
--- a/build/NuSpecs/UmbracoCms.nuspec
+++ b/build/NuSpecs/UmbracoCms.nuspec
@@ -16,7 +16,12 @@
     <tags>umbraco</tags>
     <dependencies>
       <dependency id="UmbracoCms.Core" version="[$version$]" />
-      <dependency id="Microsoft.AspNet.SignalR.Core" version="[2.2.3, 3.0.0)" />
+      <!--
+        note: dependencies are specified as [x.y.z,x.999999) eg [2.1.0,2.999999) and NOT [2.1.0,3.0.0) because
+        the latter would pick anything below 3.0.0 and that includes prereleases such as 3.0.0-alpha, and we do
+        not want this to happen as the alpha of the next major is, really, the next major already.
+      -->
+      <dependency id="Microsoft.AspNet.SignalR.Core" version="[2.2.3, 2.999999)" />
     </dependencies>
   </metadata>
   <files>