diff --git a/src/GitVersionCore.Tests/Approved/VariableProviderTests.ProvidesVariablesInContinuousDeploymentModeForPreRelease.approved.txt b/src/GitVersionCore.Tests/Approved/VariableProviderTests.ProvidesVariablesInContinuousDeploymentModeForPreRelease.approved.txt
index 48fa17ef7e..fb99d985f4 100644
--- a/src/GitVersionCore.Tests/Approved/VariableProviderTests.ProvidesVariablesInContinuousDeploymentModeForPreRelease.approved.txt
+++ b/src/GitVersionCore.Tests/Approved/VariableProviderTests.ProvidesVariablesInContinuousDeploymentModeForPreRelease.approved.txt
@@ -2,29 +2,29 @@
   "Major":1,
   "Minor":2,
   "Patch":3,
-  "PreReleaseTag":"unstable.5",
-  "PreReleaseTagWithDash":"-unstable.5",
+  "PreReleaseTag":"unstable.8",
+  "PreReleaseTagWithDash":"-unstable.8",
   "PreReleaseLabel":"unstable",
-  "PreReleaseNumber":5,
-  "WeightedPreReleaseNumber":5,
+  "PreReleaseNumber":8,
+  "WeightedPreReleaseNumber":8,
   "BuildMetaData":"",
   "BuildMetaDataPadded":"",
   "FullBuildMetaData":"Branch.develop.Sha.commitSha",
   "MajorMinorPatch":"1.2.3",
-  "SemVer":"1.2.3-unstable.5",
-  "LegacySemVer":"1.2.3-unstable5",
-  "LegacySemVerPadded":"1.2.3-unstable0005",
+  "SemVer":"1.2.3-unstable.8",
+  "LegacySemVer":"1.2.3-unstable8",
+  "LegacySemVerPadded":"1.2.3-unstable0008",
   "AssemblySemVer":"1.2.3.0",
   "AssemblySemFileVer":"1.2.3.0",
-  "FullSemVer":"1.2.3-unstable.5",
-  "InformationalVersion":"1.2.3-unstable.5+Branch.develop.Sha.commitSha",
+  "FullSemVer":"1.2.3-unstable.8",
+  "InformationalVersion":"1.2.3-unstable.8+Branch.develop.Sha.commitSha",
   "BranchName":"develop",
   "Sha":"commitSha",
   "ShortSha":"commitShortSha",
-  "NuGetVersionV2":"1.2.3-unstable0005",
-  "NuGetVersion":"1.2.3-unstable0005",
-  "NuGetPreReleaseTagV2":"unstable0005",
-  "NuGetPreReleaseTag":"unstable0005",
+  "NuGetVersionV2":"1.2.3-unstable0008",
+  "NuGetVersion":"1.2.3-unstable0008",
+  "NuGetPreReleaseTagV2":"unstable0008",
+  "NuGetPreReleaseTag":"unstable0008",
   "VersionSourceSha":"versionSourceSha",
   "CommitsSinceVersionSource":5,
   "CommitsSinceVersionSourcePadded":"0005",
diff --git a/src/GitVersionCore.Tests/IntegrationTests/DevelopScenarios.cs b/src/GitVersionCore.Tests/IntegrationTests/DevelopScenarios.cs
index 8388a0e3b9..887286e4a5 100644
--- a/src/GitVersionCore.Tests/IntegrationTests/DevelopScenarios.cs
+++ b/src/GitVersionCore.Tests/IntegrationTests/DevelopScenarios.cs
@@ -273,5 +273,21 @@ public void CommitsSinceVersionSourceShouldNotGoDownUponMergingFeatureOnlyToDeve
             var expectedFullSemVer = "1.3.0-alpha.5";
             fixture.AssertFullSemver(config, expectedFullSemVer);
         }
+
+        [Test]
+        public void PreviousPreReleaseTagShouldBeRespectedWhenCountingCommits()
+        {
+            using var fixture = new EmptyRepositoryFixture();
+
+            fixture.Repository.MakeACommit();
+
+            fixture.BranchTo("develop");
+            fixture.MakeATaggedCommit("1.0.0-alpha.3"); // manual bump version
+
+            fixture.MakeACommit();
+            fixture.MakeACommit();
+
+            fixture.AssertFullSemver("1.0.0-alpha.5");
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/GitVersionCore/OutputVariables/VariableProvider.cs b/src/GitVersionCore/OutputVariables/VariableProvider.cs
index d4cdfc7763..d6b45b7768 100644
--- a/src/GitVersionCore/OutputVariables/VariableProvider.cs
+++ b/src/GitVersionCore/OutputVariables/VariableProvider.cs
@@ -102,9 +102,25 @@ public VersionVariables GetVariablesFor(SemanticVersion semanticVersion, Effecti
         private static void PromoteNumberOfCommitsToTagNumber(SemanticVersion semanticVersion)
         {
             // For continuous deployment the commits since tag gets promoted to the pre-release number
-            semanticVersion.PreReleaseTag.Number = semanticVersion.BuildMetaData.CommitsSinceTag;
-            semanticVersion.BuildMetaData.CommitsSinceVersionSource = semanticVersion.BuildMetaData.CommitsSinceTag ?? 0;
-            semanticVersion.BuildMetaData.CommitsSinceTag = null;
+            if (!semanticVersion.BuildMetaData.CommitsSinceTag.HasValue)
+            {
+                semanticVersion.PreReleaseTag.Number = null;
+                semanticVersion.BuildMetaData.CommitsSinceVersionSource = 0;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                // Number of commits since last tag should be added to PreRelease number if given. Remember to deduct automatic version bump.
+                if (semanticVersion.PreReleaseTag.Number.HasValue)
+                {
+                    semanticVersion.PreReleaseTag.Number += semanticVersion.BuildMetaData.CommitsSinceTag - 1;
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    semanticVersion.PreReleaseTag.Number = semanticVersion.BuildMetaData.CommitsSinceTag;
+                }
+                semanticVersion.BuildMetaData.CommitsSinceVersionSource = semanticVersion.BuildMetaData.CommitsSinceTag.Value;
+                semanticVersion.BuildMetaData.CommitsSinceTag = null; // why is this set to null ?
+            }
         }
 
         private static string CheckAndFormatString<T>(string formatString, T source, IEnvironment environment, string defaultValue, string formatVarName)