diff --git a/lib/commands/publish.js b/lib/commands/publish.js
index c59588fefb241..510e351a931dc 100644
--- a/lib/commands/publish.js
+++ b/lib/commands/publish.js
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class Publish extends BaseCommand {
     manifest = await this.#getManifest(spec, opts, true)
 
     const isPreRelease = Boolean(semver.parse(manifest.version).prerelease.length)
-    const isDefaultTag = this.npm.config.isDefault('tag')
+    const isDefaultTag = this.npm.config.isDefault('tag') && !manifest.publishConfig?.tag
 
     if (isPreRelease && isDefaultTag) {
       throw new Error('You must specify a tag using --tag when publishing a prerelease version.')
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ class Publish extends BaseCommand {
       }
     }
 
-    const latestVersion = await this.#latestPublishedVersion(resolved, registry)
+    const latestVersion = await this.#highestPublishedVersion(resolved, registry)
     const latestSemverIsGreater = !!latestVersion && semver.gte(latestVersion, manifest.version)
 
     if (latestSemverIsGreater && isDefaultTag) {
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ class Publish extends BaseCommand {
     }
   }
 
-  async #latestPublishedVersion (spec, registry) {
+  async #highestPublishedVersion (spec, registry) {
     try {
       const packument = await pacote.packument(spec, {
         ...this.npm.flatOptions,
diff --git a/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/publish.js.test.cjs b/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/publish.js.test.cjs
index 1599f1dd5c394..81c7dbe908d24 100644
--- a/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/publish.js.test.cjs
+++ b/tap-snapshots/test/lib/commands/publish.js.test.cjs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  */
 'use strict'
 exports[`test/lib/commands/publish.js TAP _auth config default registry > new package version 1`] = `
-+ test-package@1.0.0
++ @npmcli/test-package@1.0.0
 `
 
 exports[`test/lib/commands/publish.js TAP bare _auth and registry config > new package version 1`] = `
@@ -15,15 +15,15 @@ exports[`test/lib/commands/publish.js TAP bare _auth and registry config > new p
 
 exports[`test/lib/commands/publish.js TAP dry-run > must match snapshot 1`] = `
 Array [
-  "package: test-package@1.0.0",
+  "package: @npmcli/test-package@1.0.0",
   "Tarball Contents",
-  "87B package.json",
+  "95B package.json",
   "Tarball Details",
-  "name: test-package",
+  "name: @npmcli/test-package",
   "version: 1.0.0",
-  "filename: test-package-1.0.0.tgz",
+  "filename: npmcli-test-package-1.0.0.tgz",
   "package size: {size}",
-  "unpacked size: 87 B",
+  "unpacked size: 95 B",
   "shasum: {sha}",
   "integrity: {integrity}
   "total files: 1",
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ exports[`test/lib/commands/publish.js TAP has token auth for scope configured re
 `
 
 exports[`test/lib/commands/publish.js TAP ignore-scripts > new package version 1`] = `
-+ test-package@1.0.0
++ @npmcli/test-package@1.0.0
 `
 
 exports[`test/lib/commands/publish.js TAP json > must match snapshot 1`] = `
@@ -87,14 +87,14 @@ Array [
 
 exports[`test/lib/commands/publish.js TAP json > new package json 1`] = `
 {
-  "id": "test-package@1.0.0",
-  "name": "test-package",
+  "id": "@npmcli/test-package@1.0.0",
+  "name": "@npmcli/test-package",
   "version": "1.0.0",
   "size": "{size}",
-  "unpackedSize": 87,
+  "unpackedSize": 95,
   "shasum": "{sha}",
   "integrity": "{integrity}",
-  "filename": "test-package-1.0.0.tgz",
+  "filename": "npmcli-test-package-1.0.0.tgz",
   "files": [
     {
       "path": "package.json",
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ Object {
 `
 
 exports[`test/lib/commands/publish.js TAP no auth dry-run > must match snapshot 1`] = `
-+ test-package@1.0.0
++ @npmcli/test-package@1.0.0
 `
 
 exports[`test/lib/commands/publish.js TAP no auth dry-run > warns about auth being needed 1`] = `
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ Array [
 `
 
 exports[`test/lib/commands/publish.js TAP prioritize CLI flags over publishConfig > new package version 1`] = `
-+ test-package@1.0.0
++ @npmcli/test-package@1.0.0
 `
 
 exports[`test/lib/commands/publish.js TAP public access > must match snapshot 1`] = `
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ exports[`test/lib/commands/publish.js TAP public access > new package version 1`
 `
 
 exports[`test/lib/commands/publish.js TAP re-loads publishConfig.registry if added during script process > new package version 1`] = `
-+ test-package@1.0.0
++ @npmcli/test-package@1.0.0
 `
 
 exports[`test/lib/commands/publish.js TAP respects publishConfig.registry, runs appropriate scripts > new package version 1`] = `
diff --git a/test/lib/commands/publish.js b/test/lib/commands/publish.js
index 10dc9b33deda4..0ede4ffc20c83 100644
--- a/test/lib/commands/publish.js
+++ b/test/lib/commands/publish.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ const Arborist = require('@npmcli/arborist')
 const path = require('node:path')
 const fs = require('node:fs')
 
-const pkg = 'test-package'
+const pkg = '@npmcli/test-package'
 const token = 'test-auth-token'
 const auth = { '//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken': token }
 const alternateRegistry = 'https://other.registry.npmjs.org'
@@ -238,8 +238,7 @@ t.test('throws when invalid tag when not url encodable', async t => {
   await t.rejects(
     npm.exec('publish', []),
     {
-      /* eslint-disable-next-line max-len */
-      message: 'Invalid tag name "@test" of package "test-package@@test": Tags may not have any characters that encodeURIComponent encodes.',
+      message: `Invalid tag name "@test" of package "${pkg}@@test": Tags may not have any characters that encodeURIComponent encodes.`,
     }
   )
 })
@@ -857,8 +856,8 @@ t.test('prerelease dist tag', (t) => {
   t.end()
 })
 
-t.test('latest dist tag', (t) => {
-  const init = (version) => ({
+t.test('semver highest dist tag', async t => {
+  const init = ({ version, pkgExtra = {} }) => ({
     config: {
       loglevel: 'silent',
       ...auth,
@@ -866,6 +865,7 @@ t.test('latest dist tag', (t) => {
     prefixDir: {
       'package.json': JSON.stringify({
         ...pkgJson,
+        ...pkgExtra,
         version,
       }, null, 2),
     },
@@ -879,46 +879,57 @@ t.test('latest dist tag', (t) => {
     { version: '105.0.0-pre' },
   ]
 
-  t.test('PREVENTS publish when latest version is HIGHER than publishing version', async t => {
+  await t.test('PREVENTS publish when highest version is HIGHER than publishing version', async t => {
     const version = '99.0.0'
-    const { npm, registry } = await loadNpmWithRegistry(t, init(version))
+    const { npm, registry } = await loadNpmWithRegistry(t, init({ version }))
     registry.publish(pkg, { noPut: true, packuments })
     await t.rejects(async () => {
       await npm.exec('publish', [])
-      /* eslint-disable-next-line max-len */
     }, new Error('Cannot implicitly apply the "latest" tag because published version 100.0.0 is higher than the new version 99.0.0. You must specify a tag using --tag.'))
   })
 
-  t.test('ALLOWS publish when latest is HIGHER than publishing version and flag', async t => {
+  await t.test('ALLOWS publish when highest is HIGHER than publishing version and flag', async t => {
     const version = '99.0.0'
     const { npm, registry } = await loadNpmWithRegistry(t, {
-      ...init(version),
+      ...init({ version }),
       argv: ['--tag', 'latest'],
     })
     registry.publish(pkg, { packuments })
     await npm.exec('publish', [])
   })
 
-  t.test('ALLOWS publish when latest versions are LOWER than publishing version', async t => {
+  await t.test('ALLOWS publish when highest versions are LOWER than publishing version', async t => {
     const version = '101.0.0'
-    const { npm, registry } = await loadNpmWithRegistry(t, init(version))
+    const { npm, registry } = await loadNpmWithRegistry(t, init({ version }))
     registry.publish(pkg, { packuments })
     await npm.exec('publish', [])
   })
 
-  t.test('ALLOWS publish when packument has empty versions (for coverage)', async t => {
+  await t.test('ALLOWS publish when packument has empty versions (for coverage)', async t => {
     const version = '1.0.0'
-    const { npm, registry } = await loadNpmWithRegistry(t, init(version))
+    const { npm, registry } = await loadNpmWithRegistry(t, init({ version }))
     registry.publish(pkg, { manifest: { versions: { } } })
     await npm.exec('publish', [])
   })
 
-  t.test('ALLOWS publish when packument has empty manifest (for coverage)', async t => {
+  await t.test('ALLOWS publish when packument has empty manifest (for coverage)', async t => {
     const version = '1.0.0'
-    const { npm, registry } = await loadNpmWithRegistry(t, init(version))
+    const { npm, registry } = await loadNpmWithRegistry(t, init({ version }))
     registry.publish(pkg, { manifest: {} })
     await npm.exec('publish', [])
   })
 
-  t.end()
+  await t.test('ALLOWS publish when highest version is HIGHER than publishing version with publishConfig', async t => {
+    const version = '99.0.0'
+    const { npm, registry } = await loadNpmWithRegistry(t, init({
+      version,
+      pkgExtra: {
+        publishConfig: {
+          tag: 'next',
+        },
+      },
+    }))
+    registry.publish(pkg, { packuments })
+    await npm.exec('publish', [])
+  })
 })