diff --git a/dbt_meshify/cli.py b/dbt_meshify/cli.py
index 7a62408..91e5dff 100644
--- a/dbt_meshify/cli.py
+++ b/dbt_meshify/cli.py
@@ -103,6 +103,13 @@
     help="Skips the dbt docs generate step and reads the local catalog.json file.",
 )
 
+latest = click.option(
+    "--latest",
+    "-l",
+    is_flag=True,
+    help="Makes the newest version the latest version when incrementing model versions",
+)
+
 
 def owner(func):
     """Add click options and argument validation for creating Owner objects."""
diff --git a/dbt_meshify/main.py b/dbt_meshify/main.py
index 9f16df7..1e5deb6 100644
--- a/dbt_meshify/main.py
+++ b/dbt_meshify/main.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
     exclude,
     exclude_projects,
     group_yml_path,
+    latest,
     owner,
     owner_email,
     owner_name,
@@ -357,14 +358,14 @@ def add_version(
 @read_catalog
 @select
 @selector
-@click.option("--prerelease", "--pre", default=False, is_flag=True)
+@latest
 @click.option("--defined-in", default=None)
 def bump_version(
     select,
     exclude,
     project_path,
     selector,
-    prerelease: bool,
+    latest: bool,
     defined_in: Optional[Path],
     read_catalog,
 ) -> List[ChangeSet]:
@@ -397,7 +398,7 @@ def bump_version(
                 continue
 
             changes: ChangeSet = versioner.bump_version(
-                model=model_node, prerelease=prerelease, defined_in=defined_in
+                model=model_node, prerelease=not (latest), defined_in=defined_in
             )
             change_set.extend(changes)
 
@@ -413,14 +414,14 @@ def bump_version(
 @read_catalog
 @select
 @selector
-@click.option("--prerelease", "--pre", default=False, is_flag=True)
+@latest
 @click.option("--defined-in", default=None)
 def version(
     select,
     exclude,
     project_path,
     selector,
-    prerelease: bool,
+    latest: bool,
     defined_in: Optional[Path],
     read_catalog,
 ) -> List[ChangeSet]:
@@ -459,7 +460,7 @@ def version(
                     versioner.bump_version(
                         model=model_node,
                         defined_in=defined_in,
-                        prerelease=prerelease,
+                        prerelease=not (latest),
                     )
                 )
 
@@ -483,7 +484,7 @@ def version(
                 bump_change: ChangeSet = versioner.bump_version(
                     model=model_node,
                     defined_in=defined_in,
-                    prerelease=prerelease,
+                    prerelease=not (latest),
                     model_override=model_add_change.data,
                 )
 
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_version_command.py b/tests/integration/test_version_command.py
index 78408e2..864a606 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_version_command.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_version_command.py
@@ -12,11 +12,11 @@
 from ..sql_and_yml_fixtures import (
     expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_prerelease_version,
     expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_prerelease_version_with_second_prerelease,
-    expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_version_defined_in,
     expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_version_no_prerelease,
     expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_version_with_prerelease,
     expected_versioned_model_yml_no_version,
     expected_versioned_model_yml_no_yml,
+    expected_versioned_model_yml_prerelease_defined_in,
     model_yml_increment_version,
     model_yml_no_col_no_version,
     model_yml_string_version,
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ def test_add_version_version_in_yml(
         ),
         (
             model_yml_increment_version,
-            expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_version_defined_in,
+            expected_versioned_model_yml_prerelease_defined_in,
             ["shared_model.sql"],
             ["shared_model_v1.sql", "daves_model.sql"],
             ["--defined-in", "daves_model"],
@@ -211,18 +211,18 @@ def test_bump_version_fails_when_no_versions_present(
             expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_version_no_prerelease,
             ["shared_model.sql"],
             ["shared_model_v1.sql", "shared_model_v2.sql"],
-            [],
+            ["--latest"],
         ),
         (
             model_yml_increment_version,
             expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_version_with_prerelease,
             ["shared_model.sql"],
             ["shared_model_v1.sql", "shared_model_v2.sql"],
-            ["--prerelease"],
+            [],
         ),
         (
             model_yml_increment_version,
-            expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_version_defined_in,
+            expected_versioned_model_yml_prerelease_defined_in,
             ["shared_model.sql"],
             ["shared_model_v1.sql", "daves_model.sql"],
             ["--defined-in", "daves_model"],
@@ -232,14 +232,14 @@ def test_bump_version_fails_when_no_versions_present(
             expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_prerelease_version_with_second_prerelease,
             ["shared_model_v1.sql", "shared_model_v2.sql"],
             ["shared_model_v1.sql", "shared_model_v2.sql", "shared_model_v3.sql"],
-            ["--prerelease"],
+            [],
         ),
         (
             expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_version_with_prerelease,
             expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_prerelease_version,
             ["shared_model_v1.sql", "shared_model_v2.sql"],
             ["shared_model_v1.sql", "shared_model_v2.sql", "shared_model_v3.sql"],
-            [],
+            ["--latest"],
         ),
     ],
     ids=["1", "2", "3", "4", "5"],
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ def test_bump_version_in_yml(
             model_yml_increment_version,
             expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_version_with_prerelease,
             ["shared_model_v1.sql", "shared_model_v2.sql"],
-            ["--prerelease"],
+            [],
         )
     ],
 )
diff --git a/tests/sql_and_yml_fixtures.py b/tests/sql_and_yml_fixtures.py
index b0977ad..e6b920e 100644
--- a/tests/sql_and_yml_fixtures.py
+++ b/tests/sql_and_yml_fixtures.py
@@ -234,10 +234,10 @@
       - v: 3
 """
 
-expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_version_defined_in = """
+expected_versioned_model_yml_prerelease_defined_in = """
 models:
   - name: shared_model
-    latest_version: 2
+    latest_version: 1
     description: "this is a test model"
     versions:
       - v: 1
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_add_version_to_yml.py b/tests/unit/test_add_version_to_yml.py
index 9386f2b..2313e12 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_add_version_to_yml.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_add_version_to_yml.py
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@
 
 from ..dbt_project_fixtures import model, project  # noqa: F401
 from ..sql_and_yml_fixtures import (
-    expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_version_defined_in,
     expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_version_no_prerelease,
     expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_version_with_prerelease,
     expected_versioned_model_yml_no_version,
     expected_versioned_model_yml_no_yml,
+    expected_versioned_model_yml_prerelease_defined_in,
     model_yml_increment_version,
     model_yml_no_col_no_version,
 )
@@ -81,9 +81,9 @@ def test_add_version_to_model_yml_increment_version_defined_in(
         self, model, project, file_manager  # noqa: F811
     ):
         versioner = ModelVersioner(project=project, file_manager=file_manager)
-        changes = list(versioner.bump_version(model, defined_in="daves_model"))
+        changes = list(versioner.bump_version(model, defined_in="daves_model", prerelease=True))
         yml_dict = ResourceFileEditor.update_resource(
             properties=read_yml(model_yml_increment_version), change=changes[0]
         )
 
-        assert yml_dict == read_yml(expected_versioned_model_yml_increment_version_defined_in)
+        assert yml_dict == read_yml(expected_versioned_model_yml_prerelease_defined_in)