diff --git a/semver/_comparator_intersects.ts b/semver/_comparator_intersects.ts
index f5df665dd656..72cbba2766a6 100644
--- a/semver/_comparator_intersects.ts
+++ b/semver/_comparator_intersects.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 // Copyright 2018-2024 the Deno authors. All rights reserved. MIT license.
 import type { Comparator } from "./types.ts";
-import { greaterOrEqual } from "./greater_or_equal.ts";
-import { lessOrEqual } from "./less_or_equal.ts";
-import { comparatorMin } from "./_comparator_min.ts";
-import { comparatorMax } from "./_comparator_max.ts";
+import { compare } from "./compare.ts";
+import { testRange } from "./test_range.ts";
+import { isWildcardComparator } from "./_shared.ts";
+
 /**
  * Returns true if the range of possible versions intersects with the other comparators set of possible versions
  * @param c0 The left side comparator
@@ -14,41 +14,41 @@ export function comparatorIntersects(
   c0: Comparator,
   c1: Comparator,
 ): boolean {
-  const l0 = comparatorMin(c0);
-  const l1 = comparatorMax(c0);
-  const r0 = comparatorMin(c1);
-  const r1 = comparatorMax(c1);
+  const op0 = c0.operator;
+  const op1 = c1.operator;
+
+  if (op0 === "" || op0 === undefined) {
+    // if c0 is empty comparator, then returns true
+    if (isWildcardComparator(c0)) {
+      return true;
+    }
+    return testRange(c0, [[c1]]);
+  } else if (op1 === "" || op1 === undefined) {
+    if (isWildcardComparator(c1)) {
+      return true;
+    }
+    return testRange(c1, [[c0]]);
+  }
+
+  const cmp = compare(c0, c1);
+
+  const sameDirectionIncreasing = (op0 === ">=" || op0 === ">") &&
+    (op1 === ">=" || op1 === ">");
+  const sameDirectionDecreasing = (op0 === "<=" || op0 === "<") &&
+    (op1 === "<=" || op1 === "<");
+  const sameSemVer = cmp === 0;
+  const differentDirectionsInclusive = (op0 === ">=" || op0 === "<=") &&
+    (op1 === ">=" || op1 === "<=");
+  const oppositeDirectionsLessThan = cmp === -1 &&
+    (op0 === ">=" || op0 === ">") &&
+    (op1 === "<=" || op1 === "<");
+  const oppositeDirectionsGreaterThan = cmp === 1 &&
+    (op0 === "<=" || op0 === "<") &&
+    (op1 === ">=" || op1 === ">");
 
-  // We calculate the min and max ranges of both comparators.
-  // The minimum min is 0.0.0, the maximum max is ANY.
-  //
-  // Comparators with equality operators have the same min and max.
-  //
-  // We then check to see if the min's of either range falls within the span of the other range.
-  //
-  // A couple of intersection examples:
-  // ```
-  // l0 ---- l1
-  //     r0 ---- r1
-  // ```
-  // ```
-  //     l0 ---- l1
-  // r0 ---- r1
-  // ```
-  // ```
-  // l0 ------ l1
-  //    r0--r1
-  // ```
-  // ```
-  // l0 - l1
-  // r0 - r1
-  // ```
-  //
-  // non-intersection example
-  // ```
-  // l0 -- l1
-  //          r0 -- r1
-  // ```
-  return (greaterOrEqual(l0, r0) && lessOrEqual(l0, r1)) ||
-    (greaterOrEqual(r0, l0) && lessOrEqual(r0, l1));
+  return sameDirectionIncreasing ||
+    sameDirectionDecreasing ||
+    (sameSemVer && differentDirectionsInclusive) ||
+    oppositeDirectionsLessThan ||
+    oppositeDirectionsGreaterThan;
 }
diff --git a/semver/_shared.ts b/semver/_shared.ts
index 2543ca23b98d..f31f5366e9d5 100644
--- a/semver/_shared.ts
+++ b/semver/_shared.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright 2018-2024 the Deno authors. All rights reserved. MIT license.
 
+import { type Comparator } from "./types.ts";
+
 export function compareNumber(
   a: number,
   b: number,
@@ -188,3 +190,11 @@ export function parseNumber(input: string, errorMessage: string) {
   if (!isValidNumber(number)) throw new TypeError(errorMessage);
   return number;
 }
+
+export function isWildcardComparator(c: Comparator): boolean {
+  return (
+    Number.isNaN(c.major) && Number.isNaN(c.minor) && Number.isNaN(c.patch) &&
+    (c.prerelease === undefined || c.prerelease.length === 0) &&
+    (c.build === undefined || c.build.length === 0)
+  );
+}
diff --git a/semver/range_intersects_test.ts b/semver/range_intersects_test.ts
index dd24b55459bf..65b2fb6a59ba 100644
--- a/semver/range_intersects_test.ts
+++ b/semver/range_intersects_test.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@ Deno.test({
       ],
       [">=1.0.0", "<=1.0.0", true],
       [">1.0.0 <1.0.0", "<=0.0.0", false],
+      // Pre-release ranges
+      ["<1.0.0", ">1.0.0-5", true],
+      [">1.0.0", "<1.0.0-5", false],
+      [">1.0.0-2", "<=1.0.0-5", true],
+      [">=1.0.0-2", "<1.0.0-5", true],
+      ["<7.0.0-beta.20", ">7.0.0-beta.0", true],
+      ["<7.0.0-beta.beta", ">7.0.0-beta.alpha", true],
+      // Wildcards
       ["*", "0.0.1", true],
       ["*", ">=1.0.0", true],
       ["*", ">1.0.0", true],
diff --git a/semver/range_min_test.ts b/semver/range_min_test.ts
index c71c257dc9a3..2d57862fc82c 100644
--- a/semver/range_min_test.ts
+++ b/semver/range_min_test.ts
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ Deno.test({
       [">4 || <2", "0.0.0"],
       ["<=2 || >=4", "0.0.0"],
       [">=4 || <=2", "0.0.0"],
-      ["<0.0.0-beta >0.0.0-alpha", INVALID],
-      [">0.0.0-alpha <0.0.0-beta", INVALID],
+      ["<0.0.0-beta >=0.0.0-alpha", "0.0.0-alpha"],
+      [">=0.0.0-alpha <0.0.0-beta", "0.0.0-alpha"],
 
       // Greater than or equal
       [">=1.1.1 <2 || >=2.2.2 <2", "1.1.1"],
diff --git a/semver/test_range.ts b/semver/test_range.ts
index 047e94991097..92094b828406 100644
--- a/semver/test_range.ts
+++ b/semver/test_range.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,76 @@
 // Copyright 2018-2024 the Deno authors. All rights reserved. MIT license.
-import type { Range, SemVer } from "./types.ts";
-import { greaterOrEqual } from "./greater_or_equal.ts";
-import { lessOrEqual } from "./less_or_equal.ts";
-import { comparatorMin } from "./_comparator_min.ts";
-import { comparatorMax } from "./_comparator_max.ts";
+import type { Comparator, Range, SemVer } from "./types.ts";
+import { compare } from "./compare.ts";
+import { isWildcardComparator } from "./_shared.ts";
+
+function testComparator(version: SemVer, comparator: Comparator): boolean {
+  if (isWildcardComparator(comparator)) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  const cmp = compare(version, comparator.semver ?? comparator);
+  switch (comparator.operator) {
+    case "":
+    case "=":
+    case "==":
+    case "===":
+    case undefined: {
+      return cmp === 0;
+    }
+    case "!=":
+    case "!==": {
+      return cmp !== 0;
+    }
+    case ">": {
+      return cmp > 0;
+    }
+    case "<": {
+      return cmp < 0;
+    }
+    case ">=": {
+      return cmp >= 0;
+    }
+    case "<=": {
+      return cmp <= 0;
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+function testComparatorSet(
+  version: SemVer,
+  set: Comparator[],
+): boolean {
+  for (const comparator of set) {
+    if (!testComparator(version, comparator)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+  if (version.prerelease && version.prerelease.length > 0) {
+    // Find the comparator that is allowed to have prereleases
+    // For example, ^1.2.3-pr.1 desugars to >=1.2.3-pr.1 <2.0.0
+    // That should allow `1.2.3-pr.2` to pass.
+    // However, `1.2.4-alpha.notready` should NOT be allowed,
+    // even though it's within the range set by the comparators.
+    for (const comparator of set) {
+      if (isWildcardComparator(comparator)) {
+        continue;
+      }
+      const { prerelease } = comparator.semver ?? comparator;
+      if (prerelease && prerelease.length > 0) {
+        const major = comparator.semver?.major ?? comparator.major;
+        const minor = comparator.semver?.minor ?? comparator.minor;
+        const patch = comparator.semver?.patch ?? comparator.patch;
+        if (
+          version.major === major && version.minor === minor &&
+          version.patch === patch
+        ) {
+          return true;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
 
 /**
  * Test to see if the version satisfies the range.
@@ -15,15 +82,5 @@ export function testRange(
   version: SemVer,
   range: Range,
 ): boolean {
-  for (const r of range) {
-    if (
-      r.every((c) =>
-        greaterOrEqual(version, comparatorMin(c)) &&
-        lessOrEqual(version, comparatorMax(c))
-      )
-    ) {
-      return true;
-    }
-  }
-  return false;
+  return range.some((set) => testComparatorSet(version, set));
 }
diff --git a/semver/test_range_test.ts b/semver/test_range_test.ts
index eb13f708b498..0f2afc97f374 100644
--- a/semver/test_range_test.ts
+++ b/semver/test_range_test.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { parse } from "./parse.ts";
 import { parseRange } from "./parse_range.ts";
 import { testRange } from "./test_range.ts";
 
-Deno.test("range", async (t) => {
+Deno.test("testRange() returns true when the version is in the range", async (t) => {
   const versions: [string, string][] = [
     ["1.0.0 - 2.0.0", "1.2.3"],
     ["^1.2.3+build", "1.2.3"],
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ Deno.test("range", async (t) => {
     ["1.2.3-pre+asdf - 2.4.3-pre+asdf", "1.2.3"],
     ["1.2.3-pre+asdf - 2.4.3-pre+asdf", "1.2.3-pre.2"],
     ["1.2.3-pre+asdf - 2.4.3-pre+asdf", "2.4.3-alpha"],
-    ["1.2.3+asdf - 2.4.3+asdf", "2.4.3-alpha"],
     ["1.2.3+asdf - 2.4.3+asdf", "2.4.3"],
     ["1.0.0", "1.0.0"],
     [">=*", "0.2.4"],
@@ -71,7 +70,6 @@ Deno.test("range", async (t) => {
     ["1.2.3 >=1.2.1", "1.2.3"],
     [">=1.2.3 >=1.2.1", "1.2.3"],
     [">=1.2.1 >=1.2.3", "1.2.3"],
-    ["<=1.2.3", "1.2.3-beta"],
     [">=1.2", "1.2.8"],
     ["^1.2.3", "1.8.1"],
     ["^0.1.2", "0.1.2"],
@@ -102,7 +100,7 @@ Deno.test("range", async (t) => {
 });
 
 Deno.test({
-  name: "negativeRange",
+  name: "testRange() returns false when the version is not in the range",
   fn: async (t) => {
     const versions: [string, string][] = [
       ["1.0.0 - 2.0.0", "2.2.3"],
@@ -110,6 +108,7 @@ Deno.test({
       ["^1.2.3+build", "2.0.0"],
       ["^1.2.3+build", "1.2.0"],
       ["1.2.3-pre+asdf - 2.4.3-pre+asdf", "2.4.3"],
+      ["1.2.3+asdf - 2.4.3+asdf", "2.4.3-alpha"],
       ["^1.2.3", "1.2.3-pre"],
       ["^1.2", "1.2.0-pre"],
       [">1.2", "1.3.0-beta"],
@@ -169,6 +168,14 @@ Deno.test({
       ["^1.2.3", "1.2.2"],
       ["^1.2", "1.1.9"],
 
+      // unsatisfiable patterns with prereleases
+      ["*", "1.0.0-rc1"],
+      ["^1.0.0-0", "1.0.1-rc1"],
+      ["^1.0.0-rc2", "1.0.1-rc1"],
+      ["^1.0.0", "1.0.1-rc1"],
+      ["^1.0.0", "1.1.0-rc1"],
+      ["<=1.2.3", "1.2.3-beta"],
+
       // invalid ranges never satisfied!
       ["blerg", "1.2.3"],
       ["^1.2.3", "2.0.0-pre"],
@@ -185,28 +192,11 @@ Deno.test({
   },
 });
 
-Deno.test("unlockedPrereleaseRange", function () {
-  const versions: [string, string][] = [
-    ["*", "1.0.0-rc1"],
-    ["^1.0.0-0", "1.0.1-rc1"],
-    ["^1.0.0-rc2", "1.0.1-rc1"],
-    ["^1.0.0", "1.0.1-rc1"],
-    ["^1.0.0", "1.1.0-rc1"],
-  ];
-
-  for (const [r, v] of versions) {
-    const range = parseRange(r);
-    const s = parse(v);
-    const found = testRange(s, range);
-    assert(found, `${r} not satisfied by ${v}`);
-  }
-});
-
 Deno.test("negativeUnlockedPrereleaseRange", function () {
   const versions: [string, string][] = [
     ["^1.0.0", "1.0.0-rc1"],
     ["^1.2.3-rc2", "2.0.0"],
-    ["^1.0.0", "2.0.0-rc1"], // todo: review, this is inverted from original test case
+    ["^1.0.0", "2.0.0-rc1"],
   ];
 
   for (const [r, v] of versions) {