diff --git a/.buildkite/scripts/dra.sh b/.buildkite/scripts/dra.sh
index 73559e6ddcd..bf7d40be1a7 100644
--- a/.buildkite/scripts/dra.sh
+++ b/.buildkite/scripts/dra.sh
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ fi
 dra() {
   local workflow=$1
   local command=$2
+  local qualifier=${ELASTIC_QUALIFIER:-""}
   echo "--- Run release manager $workflow (DRA command: $command)"
   docker run --rm \
     --name release-manager \
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@ dra() {
       --commit $BUILDKITE_COMMIT \
       --workflow $workflow \
       --artifact-set main \
+      --qualifier "$qualifier" \
       --version $VERSION | tee rm-output.txt
 
   # Create Buildkite annotation similarly done in Beats:
@@ -106,3 +108,9 @@ if [[ "${DRA_BRANCH}" != "main" && "${DRA_BRANCH}" != "8.x" ]]; then
   echo "DRA_BRANCH is neither 'main' nor '8.x'"
   dra "staging" "$dra_command"
 fi
+
+## Exception for main branch as requested by the Release Team.
+if [[ "${DRA_BRANCH}" == "main" ]]; then
+  echo "Exception form main branch with the qualifier alpha1"
+  dra "staging" "$dra_command"
+fi
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 205c43f94cb..beaacb92470 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ PYTHON_BIN:=$(PYTHON_VENV_DIR)/bin
 PYTHON=$(PYTHON_BIN)/python
 CURRENT_DIR=$(shell dirname $(shell readlink -f $(firstword $(MAKEFILE_LIST))))
 
+# Support DRA qualifier with the following environment variable.
+ELASTIC_QUALIFIER?=
+
 # Create a local config.mk file to override configuration.
 -include config.mk
 
@@ -38,6 +41,7 @@ APM_SERVER_BINARIES:= \
 # Strip binary and inject the Git commit hash and timestamp.
 LDFLAGS := \
 	-s \
+	-X github.com/elastic/apm-server/internal/version.qualifier=$(ELASTIC_QUALIFIER) \
 	-X github.com/elastic/beats/v7/libbeat/version.commit=$(GITCOMMIT) \
 	-X github.com/elastic/beats/v7/libbeat/version.buildTime=$(GITCOMMITTIMESTAMP)
 
diff --git a/go.mk b/go.mk
index a4c8491f739..90cbc9485d4 100644
--- a/go.mk
+++ b/go.mk
@@ -8,5 +8,11 @@ GITROOT ?= $(shell git rev-parse --show-toplevel)
 GOLANG_VERSION=$(shell cat $(GITROOT)/.go-version)
 GOARCH:=$(shell go env GOARCH)
 
-APM_SERVER_VERSION=$(shell grep "const Version" $(GITROOT)/internal/version/version.go | cut -d'=' -f2 | tr -d '" ')
+APM_SERVER_ONLY_VERSION=$(shell grep "const Version" $(GITROOT)/internal/version/version.go | cut -d'=' -f2 | tr -d '" ')
+# DRA uses a qualifier to annotate the type of release (alpha, rc, etc)
+ifdef ELASTIC_QUALIFIER
+	APM_SERVER_VERSION=$(APM_SERVER_ONLY_VERSION)-$(ELASTIC_QUALIFIER)
+else
+	APM_SERVER_VERSION=$(APM_SERVER_ONLY_VERSION)
+endif
 APM_SERVER_VERSION_MAJORMINOR=$(shell echo $(APM_SERVER_VERSION) | sed 's/\(.*\..*\)\..*/\1/')
diff --git a/internal/beatcmd/beat.go b/internal/beatcmd/beat.go
index ba01835bdb8..b63d99d8f65 100644
--- a/internal/beatcmd/beat.go
+++ b/internal/beatcmd/beat.go
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ func NewBeat(args BeatParams) (*Beat, error) {
 				Beat:            "apm-server",
 				ElasticLicensed: args.ElasticLicensed,
 				IndexPrefix:     "apm-server",
-				Version:         version.Version,
+				Version:         version.VersionWithQualifier(),
 				Name:            beatName,
 				Hostname:        hostname,
 				StartTime:       time.Now(),
diff --git a/internal/beatcmd/beat_test.go b/internal/beatcmd/beat_test.go
index fca8509aa1f..ddd34fdf031 100644
--- a/internal/beatcmd/beat_test.go
+++ b/internal/beatcmd/beat_test.go
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func TestRunnerParams(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, stop())
 
 	assert.Equal(t, "apm-server", args.Info.Beat)
-	assert.Equal(t, version.Version, args.Info.Version)
+	assert.Equal(t, version.VersionWithQualifier(), args.Info.Version)
 	assert.True(t, args.Info.ElasticLicensed)
 	assert.Equal(t, "my-custom-name", b.Beat.Info.Name)
 	assert.NotZero(t, args.Info.ID)
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ func TestRunManager_Reloader(t *testing.T) {
 
 	agentInfo := &proto.AgentInfo{
 		Id:       "elastic-agent-id",
-		Version:  version.Version,
+		Version:  version.VersionWithQualifier(),
 		Snapshot: true,
 	}
 	srv := integration.NewMockServer([]*proto.CheckinExpected{
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ func TestRunManager_Reloader_newRunnerError(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	agentInfo := &proto.AgentInfo{
 		Id:       "elastic-agent-id",
-		Version:  version.Version,
+		Version:  version.VersionWithQualifier(),
 		Snapshot: true,
 	}
 	srv := integration.NewMockServer([]*proto.CheckinExpected{
diff --git a/internal/beatcmd/version.go b/internal/beatcmd/version.go
index 29746ff2840..f3405ded4ac 100644
--- a/internal/beatcmd/version.go
+++ b/internal/beatcmd/version.go
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ var versionCommand = &cobra.Command{
 
 		fmt.Fprintf(cmd.OutOrStdout(),
 			"apm-server version %s (%s/%s) [%s]\n",
-			version.Version, runtime.GOOS, runtime.GOARCH,
+			version.VersionWithQualifier(), runtime.GOOS, runtime.GOARCH,
 			buf.String(),
 		)
 		return nil
diff --git a/internal/beater/api/mux.go b/internal/beater/api/mux.go
index 56309566095..639b7ead0a9 100644
--- a/internal/beater/api/mux.go
+++ b/internal/beater/api/mux.go
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ func (r *routeBuilder) rumIntakeHandler() func() (request.Handler, error) {
 func (r *routeBuilder) rootHandler(publishReady func() bool) func() (request.Handler, error) {
 	return func() (request.Handler, error) {
 		h := root.Handler(root.HandlerConfig{
-			Version:      version.Version,
+			Version:      version.VersionWithQualifier(),
 			PublishReady: publishReady,
 		})
 		return middleware.Wrap(h, rootMiddleware(r.cfg, r.authenticator)...)
diff --git a/internal/beater/api/mux_root_test.go b/internal/beater/api/mux_root_test.go
index b2b2fc1f013..b31f58b0c07 100644
--- a/internal/beater/api/mux_root_test.go
+++ b/internal/beater/api/mux_root_test.go
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ func TestRootHandler_AuthorizationMiddleware(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		err = json.Unmarshal(rec.Body.Bytes(), &result)
 		require.NoError(t, err)
-		assert.Equal(t, version.Version, result.Version)
+		assert.Equal(t, version.VersionWithQualifier(), result.Version)
 	})
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/beater/beater.go b/internal/beater/beater.go
index c6c2184347b..fe779bee8fe 100644
--- a/internal/beater/beater.go
+++ b/internal/beater/beater.go
@@ -535,7 +535,7 @@ func newInstrumentation(rawConfig *agentconfig.C) (instrumentation.Instrumentati
 	cfg, err := rawConfig.Child("instrumentation", -1)
 	if err != nil || !cfg.Enabled() {
 		// Fallback to instrumentation.New if the configs are not present or disabled.
-		return instrumentation.New(rawConfig, "apm-server", version.Version)
+		return instrumentation.New(rawConfig, "apm-server", version.VersionWithQualifier())
 	}
 	if err := cfg.Unpack(&apmCfg); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -578,7 +578,7 @@ func newInstrumentation(rawConfig *agentconfig.C) (instrumentation.Instrumentati
 		os.Setenv(envSamplingRate, strconv.FormatFloat(float64(r), 'f', -1, 32))
 		defer os.Unsetenv(envSamplingRate)
 	}
-	return instrumentation.New(rawConfig, "apm-server", version.Version)
+	return instrumentation.New(rawConfig, "apm-server", version.VersionWithQualifier())
 }
 
 func maxConcurrentDecoders(memLimitGB float64) uint {
@@ -870,7 +870,7 @@ func (s *Runner) newLibbeatFinalBatchProcessor(
 	beatInfo := beat.Info{
 		Beat:        "apm-server",
 		IndexPrefix: "apm-server",
-		Version:     version.Version,
+		Version:     version.VersionWithQualifier(),
 		Hostname:    hostname,
 		Name:        hostname,
 	}
diff --git a/internal/beater/processors.go b/internal/beater/processors.go
index dd57b430ed0..1438de0f363 100644
--- a/internal/beater/processors.go
+++ b/internal/beater/processors.go
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ func newObserverBatchProcessor() modelpb.ProcessBatchFunc {
 			observer := (*b)[i].Observer
 			observer.Hostname = hostname
 			observer.Type = "apm-server"
-			observer.Version = version.Version
+			observer.Version = version.VersionWithQualifier()
 		}
 		return nil
 	}
diff --git a/internal/elasticsearch/client.go b/internal/elasticsearch/client.go
index aa7757ca3ae..bb9be3376b5 100644
--- a/internal/elasticsearch/client.go
+++ b/internal/elasticsearch/client.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ var retryableStatuses = []int{
 	http.StatusTooManyRequests,
 }
 
-var userAgent = fmt.Sprintf("Elastic-APM-Server/%s go-elasticsearch/%s", version.Version, esv8.Version)
+var userAgent = fmt.Sprintf("Elastic-APM-Server/%s go-elasticsearch/%s", version.VersionWithQualifier(), esv8.Version)
 
 type Client = esv8.Client
 
diff --git a/internal/kibana/client.go b/internal/kibana/client.go
index cf10c4a0d25..b4d8a4d7158 100644
--- a/internal/kibana/client.go
+++ b/internal/kibana/client.go
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ func NewClient(cfg ClientConfig) (*Client, error) {
 	cfg.IgnoreVersion = true
 	client, err := kibana.NewClientWithConfig(
 		&cfg, "apm-server",
-		version.Version,
+		version.VersionWithQualifier(),
 		version.CommitHash(),
 		version.CommitTime().String(),
 	)
diff --git a/internal/version/settings.go b/internal/version/settings.go
index 1485abfa346..af6f4fae404 100644
--- a/internal/version/settings.go
+++ b/internal/version/settings.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 package version
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"runtime/debug"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ var (
 	vcsRevision string
 	vcsTime     time.Time
 	vcsModified bool
+	qualifier   string
 )
 
 func init() {
@@ -58,3 +60,11 @@ func CommitTime() time.Time {
 func VCSModified() bool {
 	return vcsModified
 }
+
+// VersionWithQualifier returns the version and the qualifier.
+func VersionWithQualifier() string {
+	if qualifier == "" {
+		return Version
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s", Version, qualifier)
+}