diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index e7657a215..05a0d8f81 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build up-core-api conan package
         shell: bash
         run: |
-          conan create --version 1.6.0 up-conan-recipes/up-core-api/release
+          conan create --version 1.6.0-alpha3 up-conan-recipes/up-core-api/release
 
       - name: Build up-cpp with tests
         shell: bash
diff --git a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
index d4e57bfad..b6bf557d5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ jobs:
       name: Build up-core-api conan package
       shell: bash
       run: |
-        conan create --version 1.6.0 up-conan-recipes/up-core-api/release
+        conan create --version 1.6.0-alpha3 up-conan-recipes/up-core-api/release
 
     - if: matrix.build-mode == 'manual'
       name: Build up-cpp with tests
diff --git a/.github/workflows/coverage.yml b/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
index 50a738d0a..d83aeec6e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/coverage.yml
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build up-core-api conan package
         shell: bash
         run: |
-          conan create --version 1.6.0 up-conan-recipes/up-core-api/release
+          conan create --version 1.6.0-alpha3 up-conan-recipes/up-core-api/release
 
       - name: Build up-cpp with tests
         shell: bash
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7ef8572b8..6b42e598e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ implementation, such as [up-transport-zenoh-cpp][zenoh-transport-repo].
 Using the recipes found in [up-conan-recipes][conan-recipe-repo], build these
 Conan packages:
 
-1. [up-core-api][spec-repo]: `conan create --version 1.6.0 --build=missing up-core-api/release`
+1. [up-core-api][spec-repo]: `conan create --version 1.6.0-alpha3 --build=missing up-core-api/release`
 
 **NOTE:** all `conan` commands in this document use  Conan 2.x syntax. Please
 adjust accordingly when using Conan 1.x.
diff --git a/conanfile.txt b/conanfile.txt
index ec721a425..e45041ebf 100644
--- a/conanfile.txt
+++ b/conanfile.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [requires]
-up-core-api/[~1.6]
+up-core-api/[~1.6, include_prerelease]
 spdlog/[~1.13]
 protobuf/[~3.21]