diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 0716b06eb..397f654a5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -207,13 +207,6 @@ jobs:
         env:
           NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: '${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}'
 
-      - name: 'Publish @qwen-code/channel-plugin-example'
-        working-directory: 'packages/channels/plugin-example'
-        run: |-
-          npm publish --access public --tag=${{ steps.version.outputs.NPM_TAG }} ${{ steps.vars.outputs.is_dry_run == 'true' && '--dry-run' || '' }}
-        env:
-          NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: '${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}'
-
       - name: 'Create GitHub Release and Tag'
         if: |-
           ${{ steps.vars.outputs.is_dry_run == 'false' }}
diff --git a/packages/channels/plugin-example/package.json b/packages/channels/plugin-example/package.json
index 9dc297a6f..2d9104a28 100644
--- a/packages/channels/plugin-example/package.json
+++ b/packages/channels/plugin-example/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "@qwen-code/channel-plugin-example",
   "version": "0.14.0",
+  "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "main": "dist/index.js",
   "types": "dist/index.d.ts",
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@
     "prepublishOnly": "npm run build"
   },
   "dependencies": {
-    "@qwen-code/channel-base": "^0.14.0",
+    "@qwen-code/channel-base": "file:../base",
     "ws": "^8.18.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
diff --git a/scripts/version.js b/scripts/version.js
index cf74a8bd9..19d65399a 100644
--- a/scripts/version.js
+++ b/scripts/version.js
@@ -104,26 +104,7 @@ if (cliPackageJson.config?.sandboxImageUri) {
   writeJson(cliPackageJsonPath, cliPackageJson);
 }
 
-// 7. Rewrite file: references to semver for packages that will be published to npm.
-// During development, channel packages use file: for monorepo linking.
-// At release time, published packages need real semver references so they resolve from npm.
-const publishedCrossRefs = [
-  {
-    packagePath: 'packages/channels/plugin-example/package.json',
-    dep: '@qwen-code/channel-base',
-  },
-];
-for (const { packagePath, dep } of publishedCrossRefs) {
-  const pkgPath = resolve(process.cwd(), packagePath);
-  const pkgJson = readJson(pkgPath);
-  if (pkgJson.dependencies?.[dep]?.startsWith('file:')) {
-    pkgJson.dependencies[dep] = `^${newVersion}`;
-    console.log(`Updated ${dep} in ${packagePath} to ^${newVersion}`);
-    writeJson(pkgPath, pkgJson);
-  }
-}
-
-// 8. Run `npm install` to update package-lock.json.
+// 7. Run `npm install` to update package-lock.json.
 run(
   'npm install --workspace packages/cli --workspace packages/core --workspace packages/channels/base --workspace packages/channels/plugin-example --package-lock-only',
 );