diff --git a/setversion.sh b/setversion.sh
index 0115e0bd7..fa1d7ba76 100755
--- a/setversion.sh
+++ b/setversion.sh
@@ -1,29 +1,37 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-if [ -z "$1" ]
-then
-cat << EOF
+
+if [ -z "$1" ]; then
+  cat <<EOF
 This script is used to set the version of the project.
-It also commits the change and creates a tag if the version is not a SNAPSHOT.
-To create a new stable release of RESTHeart, for example 7.3.4:
+It only accepts release versions (not SNAPSHOT versions).
+To create a new stable release of RESTHeart, for example 8.2.0:
 
-   $ ./setversion.sh 7.3.4
-   $ ./setversion.sh 7.3.5-SNAPSHOT
-   $ git push && git push --tags
+   $ ./setversion.sh 8.2.0
+   # This will automatically create a new release version and set the next version as a SNAPSHOT.
 
 EOF
-exit 1
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# Enforce release version only (do not allow "SNAPSHOT" in the version)
+if [[ "$1" == *SNAPSHOT* ]]; then
+  echo "Error: SNAPSHOT versions are not allowed. Please provide a release version (e.g., 8.1.4)." >&2
+  exit 1
 fi
 
 set -Eeuo pipefail
 
+# Set the release version
 mvn versions:set -DnewVersion="$1"
 
-if [[ "$1" == *SNAPSHOT ]]
-then
-  echo "This is a SNAPSHOT";
-  git commit -am "Bump version to $1 [skip ci]"
-else
-  echo "This is a Release";
-  git commit -am "Release version $1"
-  git tag "$1"
-fi
+# Commit and tag the release version
+echo "This is a Release"
+git commit -am "Release version $1"
+git tag "$1"
+
+# Set the new version to SNAPSHOT (e.g., if input is 8.1.4, set version to 8.1.4-SNAPSHOT)
+SNAPSHOT_VERSION="${1}-SNAPSHOT"
+mvn versions:set -DnewVersion="$SNAPSHOT_VERSION"
+
+# Commit the SNAPSHOT version
+git commit -am "Bump version to $SNAPSHOT_VERSION [skip ci]"